Running head: CVI NEEDS ASSESSMENT 1

Needs Assessment: ChildVoice International, Lukome Center

Mariah Anderson and Krista Tippin

Creighton University
CVI NEEDS ASSESSMENT 2

Overview of Site

ChildVoice International (CVI) is a non-governmental organization (NGO) that was

founded in northern Uganda to help adolescent girls and their children recover from the trauma

of war. The Lukome Center, located in Lukodi village, is a supportive, Christian community for

all staff, the girls, and their children. The number of students and children in each class varies;

there are currently 33 students and 37 children between the three classes. While at the Lukome

Center, students receive educational and vocational training, along with counseling and spiritual

guidance, so upon graduation they are equipped with skills to make a living and support their

children. The program takes place over the course of 18 months. Students skills are constantly

assessed throughout the program through practical application to aid in determining their

progress. Classes are separated by a six month time frame, with a new class being introduced

shortly after the previous has graduated.

Once a new class has been introduced, there is a three week orientation period. During

the orientation period, students learn the basics of hygiene and housekeeping. The new students

do not take classes during this period because the focus is solely on learning the basics of health

and how to take care of their home. Following orientation, the students are required to take all

classes offered at the Lukome Center. After the first six months, students choose two of the four

vocational skills to major in. Then, the last 12 months are focused on refining those two skills to

ensure success in the community upon graduation. Literacy, business, agriculture, getting

ahead, and spiritual involvement are required by all students throughout the duration of the

program, in addition to their vocational classes.

ChildVoice International is a self-sufficient organization, growing and harvesting many of

their own crops. On the farm they grow maize, soybeans, rice, cassava, as well as a variety of
CVI NEEDS ASSESSMENT 3

other fruits and vegetables. On site there are also three fish ponds, pigs, chickens, and rabbits for

other sources of nourishment. During the students18 month stay, they are each given a small

plot of land and encouraged to grow their own crops to sell back to CVI to be used at the

Lukome Center. Once they sell their crops back to CVI the money is saved in a bank account,

which the girls can choose to withdraw from at any time, while saving until graduation. The girls

are setting themselves up for a bright future, and CVI is facilitating their way.

Facilities

The Lukome Center consists of 70 acres, encompassing the following structures and areas.

Four classrooms
o Saloon (hair)
o Sweater and Tailoring
o Early Childhood Development (ECD)
o Catering and Bakery

Literacy, getting ahead, business, and agriculture classes do not have their own classrooms, but

instead are strategically placed within these classrooms throughout the day when a vocational

class is not scheduled.

Student huts
o There are three groups of six huts for the girls and their children
Each hut is separated in the middle by a brick wall, allowing two rooms

and space for two girls per hut. Each side has their own door, bunk bed,

and window.
o One hut within a group of six student huts is split between the Center Project

Officer (CPO) office and nurse office.

o CVI is currently in the process of building another group of six huts, which will

be utilized by students who have less than six months left in the program.
Visitor huts
o One group of six huts
CVI NEEDS ASSESSMENT 4

Four of these six huts are open huts, housing three to four sets of bunk

beds in each hut. The other two visitor huts are split huts, very similar to

the student huts.

One of the split huts is occupied by the matron of CVI.
Staff huts
o Two additional huts are on the compound for staff members
One split hut is for farming staff, and is located near the animals and fish

ponds.
One split hut, located near the visitor huts, is currently occupied by the

agriculture instructor and the catering/bakery instructor.

Two open-air, reception huts
o One located near the student huts, which is used for meals, meetings/gatherings,

and evening worship.

o One located near the soccer field and playground, currently used for daycare

during the day.

Soccer field, volleyball net/court, and netball court
Play ground
Agriculture fields
o Around 30 acres currently used for farming
Three fish ponds
Shelters for pigs, rabbits, and chickens
Bore hole
Compost latrines
o One latrine located near the visitor huts
o One latrine located near the student huts, with a childrens latrine located off to

the side
o One childrens latrine located near the daycare
Kitchen
Storage building/area near the soccer field
CVI NEEDS ASSESSMENT 5

Site Map
CVI NEEDS ASSESSMENT 6

Schedule

Time/ 6:00- Group 7:30- 8:00- 9:00- 10:00- 11:30- 12:00- 1:00- 2:00- 2:30- 4:00- 5:00 5:00- 6:00- 8:30- 9:00-
Day 7:30 8:00 9:00 10:00 11:30 12:00 1:00 2:00 2:30 4:00 6:00 7:00 9:00 10:00

MON C 8 Chapel Tea Tailoring Business B Bakery L T Bakery Games C S E F

O 9 Bakery Sweater R Tailoring U A Poverty O U V R
L 10 Reading Bakery E Saloon N K Saloon L P E E
TUES L 8 Tea Bible Study Tailoring A Tailoring C E Bakery Agriculture L P N E
E 9 Saloon K Saloon H Tailoring (classroom) E E I
C 10 Bakery Bakery C Saloon C R N T
WED T 8 Chapel Tea Reading Poverty T Bakery T H Bakery Games T G I
9 Bakery Business I Tailoring I I Saloon T M
W 10 Poverty Bakery M Saloon M L Sweater W I P E
THURS A 8 Tea Agriculture (field) Staff E Bakery E D Poverty Counseling A M R
T 9 Meeting Saloon R Tailoring T E A
E 10 Tailoring E Saloon E Y
FRI R 8 Chapel Tea Tailoring Saloon Saloon N Agricultu Games R E
9 Reading Bakery Bakery re R
A 10 Bakery Business Tailoring T (classroo
N O m)
D
E
P C
R D
SAT E 8 TEA, GARDENING, AND WASHING CLOTHES IRONING
P 9
A 10
SUN R 8 TEA AND CHURCH GAMES
E 9
10
CVI NEEDS ASSESSMENT 7

Community Profile

When understanding CVIs Lukome Center, it is important to appreciate the community it

was developed around and continues to be a part of. Prior to the inaugural year of CVI, the

northern region of Uganda had been in armed conflict for decades. According to research

conducted by Theresa Betancourt, Liesbeth Speelman, Grace Onyango, and Paul Bolton (2009),

The war in northern Uganda is one of the most persistent and deadliest complex humanitarian

emergencies (CHEs) in the world today. Over 1.8m people, most of them Acholi, have been

internally displaced during the more than 20-year conflict (p. 239). The war impacted the

livelihood of all those in this region through economics, health, psychosocial aspects, cultural

factors, childhood development, and more (Betancourt et al., 2009; Gelsdorf, Maxwell, &

Mazurana, 2012). Once peace was restored in 2006, individuals began moving out of the

internally displaced persons (IDP) camps, and started the process of rebuilding their families,

homes, and communities (United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), 2015).

In addition to their own conflicts, Uganda has a long history of being a region for

refugees from Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi, Sudan/South Sudan, Democratic Republic of the Congo

(DRC), and Somalia (Advisory Consortium on Conflict Sensitivity (ACCS), 2013). Currently, as

northern Uganda continues to heal and restore from the war, they are housing many refugees

every day from the civil war in South Sudan (Adaku, Okello, Lowery, Kane, Alderman, Musisi,

& Tol, 2016). Originally, CVI was designed to positively impact the lives of child mothers who

had been affected by the war in Uganda, however recently they have reached out to child

mothers from South Sudan, who are also in need of their support.

Population. The current students in class eight at the Lukome Center are all Ugandan

(Acholi), while classes nine and ten have a mixture of both Acholi and South Sudanese students.
CVI NEEDS ASSESSMENT 8

It is important to recognize the history and backgrounds of both the Acholi and South Sudanese

students to gain a better understanding of the situations these girls have come from. For the

Acholi students, there is a high probability that they grew up in IDP camps as infants and young

children, where war and displacement created conditions of high risk and vulnerability for

development and well-being (McElroy, Atim, Larson, Armstrong, 2012). The first few years of a

childs development are critical for physical, mental, and social growth. Children in the camps

were subjected to circumstances of reduced hygiene and sanitation, which increased the spread

of disease. Statistics for children in camps within the Gulu district found that 56.7 percent of

children five and under were sick. Malaria/fever and lango, a local illness including oral thrash,

malnutrition, and diarrhea were leading factors to the childrens mortality rate. Violence was also

a factor, causing 16.9 percent of death of children under 15. For those that survived, their living

conditions included an average of 11 liters per person per day at the Gulu camps for all daily

needs (i.e. bathing, drinking, washing clothes/dishes, cooking, etc.) (The Republic of Uganda

Ministry Health, 2005).

The transition from IDP camps to the rebuilding of communities has not been an easy

task for northern Uganda. Establishments were abandoned for many years, houses had crumbled,

and fields were left uncultivated, making it challenging for agricultural survival and

reestablishing ones homestead (Gelsdorf, Maxwell, & Mazurana, 2012). This lead men and

women to become more active in the labor market, with 71 percent of women and 72 percent of

men becoming involved (Gelsdorf, Maxwell, & Mazurana, 2012). Although farming is still the

primary means of income for households, activities of selling food, firewood, brick making,

security services, burning charcoal, and handcrafts such as carpentry, metalworking, tailoring,

and hairstyling have increased (Blattman, Fiala, & Martinez, 2013; Gelsdorf, Maxwell, &
CVI NEEDS ASSESSMENT 9

Mazurana, 2012). As chronic poverty continues to be prevalent in northern Uganda, challenging

conditions for education have left only 11 percent of the region literate (Gelsdorf, Maxwell, &

Mazurana, 2012). Although the Universal Primary Education (UPE) was established, which

eliminated school fees in Uganda, costs still remained for textbooks, uniforms, and teacher fees

(Gelsdorf, Maxwell, & Mazurana, 2012). Lack of money for these other fees has continued to be

a barrier for children in northern Uganda to receive an education.

In addition to the physical and intellectual needs of the children in northern Uganda, there

is also a priority to address their emotional needs. Research conducted on mental health

problems affecting children ages 10 to 17 displaced by war in northern Uganda identified five

local syndromes. Two tam, kumu, and par, are three that fall into the category of mood and

depressive disorders, Ma lwor is similar to anxiety disorder, and kwo maraca/gin lugero is

similar to conduct and oppositional defiant disorders (ODD). Factors of post-traumatic stress

disorder (PTSD) were also found to be present (Betancourt et al., 2009). Throughout the

community, treatment has been offered both formally and informally to those affected via

counseling outlets.

Although the research discussed so far has specifically pertained to the Acholi region, it

is not exclusive. Similar issues exist for the South Sudanese students in classes nine and ten who

had also been recently displaced in refugee camps. Although these girls may not have grown up

in an IDP camps as some of the Acholi students, it has been identified that, The trifecta of

family separation, child abuse, and a poor education system were seen as critical social issues

and pose a significant risk to the larger groups of families and children living in the Rhino

Camp (Adaku et al., 2016, p.7). Many of the girls from class ten are from this specific refugee

camp, so it is important to understand the conditions they were living in. Similarly to the camps
CVI NEEDS ASSESSMENT 10

in Gulu district, Rhino Camp lacks access to water, food, and shelter. Throughout Rhino camp

there is a lack of health care services, leading to a wide spread of diseases due to decreased

hygiene and sanitary conditions.

The displacement from South Sudan has led to the disruption of family and community

structures as well as decreased social support (Adaku et al., 2016). As the people of South Sudan

continue to wait, not knowing when the civil war will end, it is evident through the research that

many are in psychological distress. A high prevalence of individuals experience depression,

PTSD, and anxiety, reflecting similar descriptive characteristics as those identified among the

camps in Gulu district (Adaku et al., 2016). It was found that 15 to 20 percent of South Sudanese

refugees experience mild or moderate mental disorders, and 3 to 4 percent have severe mental

disorders that make it difficult to carry out life in camp (Adaku et al., 2016). Lastly, it was noted

by Alex Adaku (2016) and colleagues research that one of the major risk factors for mental

health concerns is from forms of sexual and gender-based violence. Understanding the different

factors that could be impacting the lives of the students here at CVI allows one to better assess

the structure and outcomes of the program.

Condition. The Lukome Center provides a safe-living environment for all the girls and

their children, while simultaneously meeting all their basic needs. The center has a bore hole on

site, allowing everyone at the Lukome Center unlimited access to water. Access to clean water

offers the girls the opportunity to practice appropriate hygiene for themselves and their children.

Adequate hygiene aids in decreasing the spread of sickness and disease between the girls,

children, and staff at the Lukome Center. However, if a student or their child does become ill, a

nurse is always on site. In addition to providing medical care at the center, the nurse also travels

with the students and/or their children if an illness requires further medical attention from a
CVI NEEDS ASSESSMENT 11

clinic or hospital. Having the basic needs of food and water on site, as well as clean living

conditions, allows the girls the opportunity to focus more energy towards their education and

emotional needs.

Context. There are many contextual aspects that can be discussed when addressing the

Lukome Center. Physically, each student and their children are given half a hut, which includes a

bunk bed, two mattresses, mosquito net, bedding, wash basin, two 20 liter jerry-cans, soap, one

solar lamp, and eating dishes. Following graduation, CVI allows the girls to take all of these

items with them, with the exception of the bunk bed frame. There is a latrine located near the

student huts with four compost stalls and four shower stalls to allow for adequate hygiene and

sanitation. Four classrooms, a kitchen, and two open-air reception huts are other physical settings

that offer positive support to the girls daily lives. When starting the program, each girl is given a

small plot of land to cultivate throughout their time at CVI. Farming a small plot of land allows

the girls to learn more about agriculture, as well as have the opportunity to sell their produce

back to CVI to build a savings account, ensuring successful community re-integration.

There are also social and cultural contexts present for the students and children at the

Lukome Center. Socially, the girls come from similar backgrounds, in which have qualified them

all for acceptance into CVIs program. Coming from similar life situations facilitates the creation

of a safe space and understanding environment because the students are able to relate and

sympathize with one another, as well as offer emotional support when needed. Most of the staff

are also from the area, so many have lived through the war and IDP camps themselves. From a

cultural contextual standpoint, there are two different groups at the Lukome Center, each having

their own differences and traditions. However, as the students progress through CVIs program,

time spent with each culture allows for the expansion of languages, greater understanding of
CVI NEEDS ASSESSMENT 12

different traditions, and the opportunity to come together as a community and support one

another.

Temporally speaking, the Lukome Center is very structured from a daily schedule. The

center is run on a timetable that transitions through the day by the operation of the centers

manual bells. This schedule encourages the girls develop responsibility and time management

skills to allow for successful transitions throughout the day.

Two other appropriate contexts are personal and spiritual. Although the Lukome Center is

run on a timed schedule, this schedule allows opportunities for the girls to discover areas of

vocational interest, develop more responsibilities, and begin the process of self-healing. Within

the day are scheduled times for counseling, prayer, and morning/evening worship for the girls to

emotionally and spiritually heal. All of the contextual environments work together to influence

the daily lives of the girls, and help with the preparation of physical and emotional stability prior

to graduation.

Risk factors. While conditions and contexts are set up to positively influence the girls

and childrens lives, there are still risks involved. With increased hygiene, sanitation, and an on-

site nurse, illnesses are less prevalent than in prior conditions, and are usually treated in a timely

manner. However, inevitably there are still risks for illnesses due to community living. Other risk

factors are due to variables outside of CVIs control. Since the students have limited

communication with their families and loved ones, this sacrificial separation for a better future

can increase the risk of stress, depression, and at times, fear. The Lukome Center is well

equipped with supportive staff to address each of these areas, however, the risks still exist.

Lastly, the girls at the center are there because their prior home conditions were very poor, so

assessing the risks and preparing them to enter their previous or new community is very
CVI NEEDS ASSESSMENT 13

important. Again, the staff at the Lukome Center are equipped with the necessary skills, and do

everything they can to assist the girls for a successful transition following graduation.

Needs Assessment

Daycare. Occupational therapy looks at the developmental changes occurring in children,

and how children develop into their unique selves over time. This information provides essential

knowledge for determining the appropriate materials, activities, and environments to support

childrens skill development and participation in their communities (Case-Smith, 2015). Scholars

and researchers in the twentieth century understood that child development was influenced by

the childs cultural, social, and physical environments, or contexts. They explained that

development can be represented by a pyramid, such that new skills are built on foundational

abilities (Case-Smith, 2015). New behaviors depend not only on neurological maturation, but

also on the demands, challenges, supports, and learning opportunities in the childs environment.

A child learns different skills, such as perceptual skills and spatial relations by exploring their

environments (Case-Smith, 2015).

During the first 12 months of life, infants learn through social interactions and by

exploring. Exploratory play, also known as sensorimotor play, includes repetitive movements to

elicit the different sensory experiences of hearing, seeing, tasting, smelling, and feeling. This can

be seen by the infant placing the item or toy in their mouth, waving the item in the air, and

exploring the different textures with their hands. All of these actions create different ways for

learning. In the second year of life, the child begins engaging in functional or relational play. As

this type of play develops, the child begins to combine actions into sequences, such as stacking

blocks to build a tower (Case-Smith, 2015). As children become more mobile, they engage in

gross motor play, exploring the different spaces and surfaces of their environments. Typically,
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children enjoy a variety of movements, such as swinging, climbing, running, and jumping.

Repetition of these full body kinesthetic, vestibular, and tactile movements aid in organizing the

central nervous system (CNS) (Case-Smith, 2015).

While the focus at CVI is to rebuild the lives of adolescent girls who have been affected

by the trauma of war, they also provide a supportive community for the girls young children.

There are many opportunities for their children to explore the physical environment. A

playground is located near the daycare center, which allows for gross motor play for the children

who are more mobile. There are four swings, a swinging trapeze, and teeter-totter to allow for

proprioception and coordination as well as full body kinesthetic and vestibular movements.

However, with only two adults to look after 24 children under the age of two, the large

ratio makes it challenging for structure and appropriate attention to be given to all children for

educational and hygiene purposes. Additional adult supervision would allow for increased

implementation of structure and educational opportunities to prepare the older children for early

childhood development (ECD). The children begin ECD at the Lukome Center typically around

two and a half years of age, however this also varies depending on the age ranges and number of

children within the present classes. With greater preparation in daycare, the transition to ECD

would be easier for both the children and the ECD instructor. With more support in the daycare,

one person can begin teaching the children body awareness, numbers, the alphabet, and

expanding their vocabulary through stories and songs. While this is happening, the other two

adults in daycare can focus on the hygiene and caring for the much younger children. This also

would also allow for the introduction of and exposure to various materials/toys to assist in fine

motor play, coordination, sequencing, and problem solving skills. A smaller ratio of children to
CVI NEEDS ASSESSMENT 15

adults would be beneficial for all present, allowing for greater supervision and less challenges

with developmental and educational factors.

Early Childhood Development. The period of early childhood is a time for rapid

development. Mobility has developed further, so the childs strength, coordination, and dynamic

balance have increased. By three years old, the child has an efficient, well-coordinated and

balanced gait. This is also a time for vast improvements in fine motor and manipulation skills

(Case-Smith, 2015). For example, the child is now typically able to utilize a precision or

dynamic tripod grasp when writing, copy simple shapes, numbers, and letters, as well as color

and shade within the lines. The child is able to utilize their two hands together, using one hand to

stabilize their paper, as the other hand colors or writes (Case-Smith, 2015). However, it is critical

that the child has had exposure to these tasks to allow for opportunities to develop these skills

within the typical developmental timeframe. In early childhood, social interaction and play with

peers becomes more important. Children are more social, and begin to identify themselves as

individuals (Case-Smith, 2015). The discovery of their body and how to control it promotes

independence in self-care, and independence in these tasks instills a sense of self-confidence

(Case-Smith, 2015). Increased trust in their environment and improvements in language bring

more self-control, strengthening the child as their own person.

Currently, the ECD class at CVI has one instructor who teaches 13 children between the

ages of two and a half to six years old. This can present some challenges due to the wide range of

ages and abilities, however the instructor does a wonderful job of tailoring assignments and tasks

to each child and their ability. The classroom has many resources available to the children, such

as tables, chairs, booklets, crayons, chalk boards, chalk, books, blocks, toys, etc. Throughout the

day there are a variety of gross and fine motor activities. Many times the children will play
CVI NEEDS ASSESSMENT 16

games and sing songs outside before starting their morning lesson. There is a midday break to

use the latrine, then the children come back to eat porridge. After a snack break, they typically

sing songs until lunch time. At this age, it is important to allow breaks throughout the day

because attention can only be sustained for a certain amount of time before the child loses focus.

Lunch lasts an hour and a half, so the mothers have time to feed and bathe their children before

returning them back to the ECD classroom. In the afternoon the children partake in more gross

and fine motor activities, as well as rest time at the end of the day.

As stated previously, challenges in ECD come from having a wide age ranges and a large

ratio of children to staff. This factor is hard to control for because the ages of children vary

between each class of students. For example, there are currently 13 children in ECD, but after

class eight graduates there will only be two children left in ECD before the new class begins.

Since there is currently a large number of children in ECD, ability to give continual, direct

feedback to each student becomes difficult. Children learn best through errorless learning, which

is hard to achieve when the student to instructor ratio is 13:1. There is potential need for an

occupational therapist to assist with educating the instructor on different techniques and

strategies which can be used to aid in providing direct feedback and errorless learning for the

students, such as hand over hand techniques and overall developmental milestones and

expectations of early childhood.

Vocational and Educational Classes. As previously discussed, the classes offered at the

Lukome Center assist the students in gaining essential knowledge and skills to ensure a

successful future. The classes offered to the students are: saloon, tailoring, sweater/knitting,

catering/bakery, getting ahead, business, literacy, and agriculture. The first four classes are

vocationally-focused, in which after their first six months in the program the girls choose two of
CVI NEEDS ASSESSMENT 17

the four classes to major in. These vocational classes allow for the girls to gain skills to become

successful, active participants in the labor market after graduation, aiding in overcoming the high

poverty rates in their area. Additionally, having the two vocational areas of focus allows the girls

different options after graduation if their initial plan does not work out.

The getting ahead and business classes provide the students with important knowledge

for how to take the proper steps to increase their success. These two classes give the students

knowledge for how to overcome barriers that may cause someone to get stuck in an unsuccessful

cycle, as well as how to make smart family and business decisions. The literacy class is designed

for two purposes. The first purpose is to offer basic education for students that did not have the

opportunity to attend school growing up due to various circumstances. Secondly, with the

blending of languages for Acholi and South Sudanese students, literacy class offers the

opportunity for the students to learn the basics of Lou, Arabic, and English. This encourages

communication and community between all students at the Lukome Center, while also preparing

them with additional knowledge that will be applicable within different social and work settings.

Agriculture is another important class offered within CVIs program. In this class,

students learn both in the classroom and the field. Since each student is given a plot of land to

farm, the girls learn how to best cultivate their land and increase their yield. As stated previously,

farming is an important industry for individuals in this region. Research has found that many

youth lack the understanding and basic skills for farming due to being placed in IDP camps

during the war (Gelsdorf, Maxwell, & Mazurana, 2012).Thus giving the girls skills for individual

success as well as to assist in rebuilding their communities. Lastly the farm land offers the

students an opportunity to begin to apply their knowledge learned in business class while having

the opportunity to sell their crops back to CVI for a profit.

CVI NEEDS ASSESSMENT 18

Outside of classes, another important part of the girls daily lives is individual and group

counseling. Currently, group counseling is offered once a week and individual counseling

sessions take place based off of each girls individual need. As stated previously, many factors

have had an influence on the mental health status of the students at the Lukome Center. An

additional counselor was recently hired, which has helped with allowing more opportunities for

individual counseling sessions for the girls, however, the individual counseling sessions require

that the girls leave the vocational class they are attending. Having the girls leave class can be a

challenge for the staff because both the instructors and counselors do not want to detract from the

students learning, but also realize the importance of addressing the girls emotional needs. Only

providing one group session a week has been noted to present challenges when addressing topics

in a timely manner. When issues do not get resolved or are not given enough time to discuss,

they are brought up again the following week, taking additional time away from new topics and

feelings that have arose. Due to these circumstances, it would be beneficial for both the staff and

students to increase group counseling sessions from once to twice a week. This would allow for

issues to be addressed in a timely manner, and for concerns to be discussed more than once a

week. Additional group counseling sessions would help foster both tangible and in-depth

conversations to occur.

Overall the courses and structure at the Lukome Center are conducive to foster a positive

lifestyle for all the students. From an occupational therapy standpoint, there are a few minor

adjustments that could be implemented to increase proper body mechanics and facilitate the

learning environment. For example, many tasks are done with items working at or below knee

level (i.e. wash bins on the ground, coal fires at knee level, etc.), requiring the girls to

excessively bend over, which can have long-term effects on the spine. Although culturally this is
CVI NEEDS ASSESSMENT 19

normal, adjusting the set-up to a seated position or elevating the tasks to above waist level (table

level), would improve body mechanics and preserve the spine and other joints of the body.

During classes, slight adjustments to the structural setup of the room will increase ease of

learning. For example, positioning the chalk board directly in front of the tables and chairs used

during class will allow the students to have increased gaze accuracy when transitioning between

reading the board and writing in their notebooks. This positively impacts body mechanics

because it decreases twisting of the spine and eases the visual acuity transition between near and

far distances, reducing strain on the eye muscles. Also, scheduling classes that require writing to

be done in rooms with tables instead of on the ground will increase appropriate body mechanics,

assisting the students focus to be on the material being learned instead of consistently adjusting

their body positions.

Outside of these minor suggestions, it is clear that the structure within the classes is well-

established and successful. As the program continues to grow, expansion would be sustainable.

Adding more vocational classes that would do well in the job market, or scheduling time for

students to gain practical community experience with structural support from an instructor would

be positive steps towards expansion. It has been observed that CVI is progressively hiring

additional staff to increase their sustainability. It is important to assess all these aspects of the

program to continue providing the most supportive and beneficial opportunities for the staff and

students at CVI.

Community Program Goals

The Lukome Center is a community that holds its own values, beliefs, and goals.

ChidVoice International supports and values a faith-based community, which incorporates daily

worship for the girls and children at the center. Furthermore, CVI believes in the importance of
CVI NEEDS ASSESSMENT 20

community among each other to foster an environment that displays unconditional love and

support. This structure of love translates into the goals of the staff at CVI. Goals expressed by

various staff members can be summed up into a few over-arching themes.

Unity
o Among the staff
Coming together on a united front to work together as a team to best serve

the students and each other.

o Among the students and throughout the center
To work together as a community to provide a positive environment for

everyone involved.
Independence
o To teach the students how to be self-driven and independent with the appropriate

skills, knowledge, and hope for a successful future.

o To be agriculturally independent at the center, by working towards the goal of 80

percent self-sustainability through the consumption and selling of crops and

produce.
Role Models
o For the girls to be role models for their families, friends, and community members

upon graduation.
o For CVI to continue being a role model for the various communities by

demonstrating what the outcomes of positive support, education, and

encouragement can have on an individual, their family, and the community.

CVI NEEDS ASSESSMENT 21

References
Adaku, A., Okello, J., Lowry, B., Kane, J., Alderman, S., Musisi, S., & Tol, W. (2016). Mental

health and spychosocial support for South Sudanese refugees in northern Uganda: A

needs and resource assessment. BioMed Central, 10(18), 1-10. doi:10.1186/s13031-016-

0085-6.

Advisory Consortium on Conflict Sensitivity (ACCS). (2013). Northern Uganda conflict

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