Enumeration kicks off!

By Hellen Nyamweru:The Uganda Slum Dwellers Federation and their support NGO ACTogether Uganda  took a two-day break from field activities to evaluate and dissect their performance in the test enumeration  exercise of   Kisenyi III zone.They had many questions to tussle concerning the exercise ranging from the manpower to use,the different teams to do the numbering and enumerations in the larger part of Kampala,the resources required among other issues.This will help arrest any eventualities and ensure that they remain on course once they start the actual enumeration and spread out to other cities of Uganda.The past few days from the 7/3/2011-9/3/2011 were used for training and preparing enumeration and mapping teams from the six regions i.e Kabale,Arua,Mbarara,Mbale ,Jinja , Kampala Central and Kawempe.The training translated into a practical mock enumeration and mapping exercise in Kisenyi III.This exercise revealed many issues that needed to be addressed before the actual enumeration and mapping kicks off in Kampala and in the other five cities of Uganda.
The actual enumeration  exercise will commence on the 16th of March.2011.The ground work has already been done with official  letters and other notifications being sent to various municipalities in the five cities.The federation is continuously sensitizing and mobilizing communities in preparation for the same.The information collected in this exercise will provide a platform for the slum communities to negotiate workable solutions with the state on the many social services lacking in the slums.