Unverified non-profit organisation

Rural Movement Initiative (RUMI) is a community based organization founded in 2013 and officially registered as a CBO by the government of Uganda in August 2015, Registration No 3954. RUMI was founded by Mr. and Mrs. Byamukama Brian to respond to the needs of the vulnerable youth, children, women and the marginalized groups.

RUMI began as a child and women focused organization but later realized that the needs of family encompass men as well. Over the past two years, RUMI has evolved into a rural based child rights, youth and women empowerment community based organization, addressing and campaigning for their welfare through identifying interventions that strategically respond to the alleviation of their plight.

Its main beneficiaries include orphans and other vulnerable children, women, youth and other marginalized groups in the rural. The primary target group is households affected and infected by HIV/AIDS.

Whereas many organizations are in Mbale district, few provide services to the rural communities because they are remotely located in hard to reach areas. As a result, many people have to walk for about 40km in order to access better education, health, among other social services. This has led to many youths fleeing the villages to the towns where they can access these services and in the process many become vulnerable to sex work as a means of survival with many contracting HIV/AIDS. Poverty has become the song of the day in these rural communities at the foothills of Mt. Elgon as the strong youth are leaving for the city life.
This was one of the major reasons why this organization was formed. It hopes to bring services nearer and readily accessible by those infected and affected by HIV/AIDS as many still treat it as an inheritance disease that comes with bad omen.

It is located and working in Eastern Uganda neighboring the slopes of Mt. Elgon in Mbale district a 3.5 hours drive from the capital Kampala.

VISION

“A society where everyone’s voice and rights is heard and respected”

MISSION
RUMI exists to promote education, health development, empowerment and protection of youth and children.

OBJECTIVES
1. To empower the youth to fully participate in the development of their community and the nation at large through provision of psychological support and establishment of IGAs among the youth

2. To sensitize community members about the dangers of gender based violence, discrimination on gender and sexuality and promotion of culture, art and tourism in the sub-county.

3. To promote sexual and reproductive health, create awareness on HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases among the youth and community members at large.

4. To promote better and affordable educational services to the youth and children through construction of schools and life skills center.

CORE VALUES

Love

Equality

Respect

ITS BELIEF

RUMI believes that to ensure sustainability of youth, women and the elderly, it is important to extend support not only to affected/infected individuals directly but also to the families that care for them and the community in which they live irrespective of their gender identity.

GOVERNANCE STRUCTURE

RUMI is a membership organization with a vibrant and dedicated governance structure at the grass root and Board of Trustees/Founders and the Secretariat. At the village level exists the clusters which consist of 15-30 households.

ORPHANS IN NAMASHERE COMMUNITY
Namashere community is experiencing an increasing number of children who are struggling to survive after the death of one or both parents. Most of these children’s parents have died of diseases like HIV/AIDS among the many. The burden of caring for these orphans then falls upon the helpless relatives such as grand parents whose lives are at a decline. In such a situation, these children can’t attain their school fees and other requirements, health facilities and proper housing.
At such a tender age, these children are not able to go to school but only subjected to child labor and abuse all their life.
When it’s time for school, most of these children are in their guardian’s / relatives’ gardens and when they get back home, they are the ones to do the house work because they are taken as house boys and house girls despite the fact that they are staying in their relatives’ homes.
The situation of these orphans is really alarming and there is need for us to join hands and see a way of supporting them.
Some of the caring relatives who are willing to support these children but are unable, continuously request the Director to register some of these orphaned children in Bethany Nursery and Primary.
This school project having been started mostly to rescue the situation of these community people, the Director accepts some requests of such caring guardians to support some of these orphans attain their education with assistance from the school.
Bethany Nursery and Primary School being a private project can’t cater for a big number of such children since all the resources are privately acquired with no external assistance from the government nor donors or other sources since the start of this project.
With such a situation, the Directors are trying hard to seek for assistance from all corners so that these children in the school and others not able to go to school in the community can be assisted and saved from such a terrible situation.
If assistance is granted, it’s the director’s wish to see many of these orphans in Namashere community looked after and able to go to school as other children elsewhere in the country.
If funds are available, the Director’s best option is starting up an Orphanage Home around the school where such children who are neglected and abused can be looked after. This would greatly assist in looking after a number of children as one family and restoring their hope spiritually so that they can become better citizens of this country irrespective of their history. Due to meager resources, we have no orphanage home but the Director has managed to take one of the orphaned children into his family and she is now attending school happily.
Please do not underestimate the significance of your contribution because one step at a time attains any great achievement.
Through your assistance, we shall be able to have the children growing up as the future generation of leaders of their nation and also having the attitude to make their nation self-sufficient and hence make a positive contribution to the world.

CURRENT SUPPORT BY RUMI TO THE ORPHANS
Due to meager resources, it is only able to provide the following to the orphaned and vulnerable children at Bethany Nursery and Primary school which is a school project for our organization;
• Scholastic materials at the start of every term i.e. books, pens and pencils
• A cup of porridge at break time daily
• First aid for small injuries
• Many half and few full school bursaries.

CURRENT PROJECTS
As of now, the organization running the following non donor funded projects that have helped to sustain us;
• A poultry project with currently 25 crawler birds that take 6 months to mature
• A gardening project with about 250 seedlings of distinguished species.

ITS NEEDS
Although its needs are quiet many the organization is prioritizing on social economic empowerment of these poor rural households through promotion of village savings and loan associations and creating more awareness of HIV/AIDS. It has 30 groups already formed but lacking capacity building in areas of business skills, health, and sanitation and managing finances. It needs a partner to support our 54 orphans with basic scholastic materials, promote music for the youth by procurement of a brass band (either new or old) and other musical instruments. It believes that music is a means through which communication can be passed during community events.
In whichever way you think you can partner with the organization to express love for the rural communities shall be warmly welcome.
Thank you
RUMI Team
 

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Year established

Organisation annual cash turnover (in US$ equivalent)