Are people born poor or are they made poor? Is poverty a curse inflicted at birth? Is it a tragedy maintained throughout a person’s life, from which they cannot escape? We at KOMAZA INITIATIVES believe that there is always a way around poverty, beginning with changing the mindset of the ‘poor’. In the words of the U.S. poet Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882), poverty consists in feeling poor. Many times, people have skills and ways of life that can greatly improve their situation but they are not aware of this. All they may need – a catalyst to help them polish these things and achieve great heights because it is not easy for men (read people) to rise whose qualities are thwarted by poverty (Juvenal).
And that is where KOMAZA INITIATIVES comes in. Komaza is a Swahili word. It means ‘to encourage’; ‘to develop’. The word comes from Koma – ‘to make grow’, or ‘to help grow’. KOMAZA INITIATIVES was formed in 2008, to operate in Kabale District. It was registered as a Company Limited by Guarantee, without a share capital. It is also registered by the Uganda National NGO Board, as a not-for-profit Non-Governmental Organization. And we are all about helping the people to grow and growing with them.
THEMATIC AREAS
KOMAZA INITIATIVES is mandated to carry out its activities in the fields of community mobilization and empowerment for development intervention, research and publishing for the advancement of humanity, paying particular attention to issues of governance, human rights, health, education and training (formal and non-formal), and economic advancement; taking account of gender and other forms of social inequalities.
OUR VISION
A society in which communities realize and harness their potential for sustainable development
OUR MISSION
To develop capacities of men and women to harness their knowledge, skills and experiences through community mobilization, training and action learning.
THE OVERALL OBJECTIVE
The overall objective of KOMAZA INITIATIVES is to stimulate, enhance and support communities to realize their full potential to sustainably and positively exploit their environment
SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES
- To build and strengthen knowledge and skills through community mobilization and training
- Working with communities to generate and disseminate information of social significance (including political and economic) through research, documentation and dialogues
- To support linkages between communities and service providers for improved quality of
Service delivery
- To undertake focused advocacy for pro-poor programmes, practices and policies
OUR VALUES
Gender Equality, Justice, Integrity, Transparency, and Accountability