Kampala, Uganda: GREAT Toolkit Launched!

In an effort to engage national stakeholders and disseminate research findings from the GREAT Project’s work in northern Uganda, IRH, in collaboration with partners Pathfinder International and Save the Children, hosted a “toolkit launch” meeting on July 2, 2013 in Kampala, Uganda.

The launch was a success, generating community interest that will help to fuel the toolkit’s scale up locally. Frederick Mubiru, GREAT’s Project Manager, is hopeful that the momentum around the launch can be used to “form a group of champions for GREAT” locally and nationally. “The primary objective of the launch was to get the toolkit known to stakeholders at the national level, and it was largely achieved,” he stated.

The toolkit — which includes “Growing up GREAT!” flipbooks for adolescent boys and girls, Activity Cards for multiple age groups and types, Radio Discussion Guides to facilitate dialogue surrounding the GREAT Radio Drama, and the GREAT Game, a life-sized canvas board with game cards — was demonstrated by a group of adolescents from the community at the launch. The stakeholders in attendance, including various NGOs, government ministries, and USAID and UNFPA representatives, seemed to appreciate how naturally the adolescents used the tools.

Stakeholders at the event valued the innovation as a whole and the process of its development. “A number of them asked how they could get copies to use in their own interventions,” said Mubiru.

And that’s exactly the purpose, especially as the GREAT Project moves forward with strategic planning for scaling up the entire GREAT intervention package (including the Community Action Cycle, Radio Drama, and VHT service linkages) in Uganda.

A group of older adolescents in Amuru, northern Uganda play the GREAT Game, which has been incorporated into their traditional dance club.

Learn more about the GREAT Project.

View the GREAT Scalable Toolkit.