Edoovillage #2709 - Uganda, Tororo: LERWA Land and Environmental Rights Watch Africa

LERWA-Land and Environmental Rights Watch Africa is an indigenous nonprofit organisation based in Tororo district that focuses on empowering communities, particularly women and youth, for sustainable land and environmental preservation and protection. They approach land and environmental rights issues as human rights issues and focus on empowering vulnerable populations to become agents of change in their communities. One of the organization's key areas of focus is skills and literacy development through the establishment of its community library Rieko a Men, with an aim of promoting literacy and skills of the vulnerable women and youths in the communities they serve. Though there are a number of both government aided and private schools, the area suffers an acute shortage of reading material. There are many school drop-outs who would be able to use the library service to further their education through self-education. Furthermore, being a peri-urban area, there is limited land for most of the community members to engage in gainful agriculture leading to food insecurity, poverty due to the high unemployment rates, crime and violence, etc. The community library provides an opportunity for community members to access information, learn skills and knowledge and receive skills that will empower them to engage in gainful income generating activities.
LERWA's "Digital Literacy for Sustainable Development" project aims to integrate ICT into the community through the provision of laptops to the Rieko a men community library in Tororo district. This initiative will:
• Bridge the educational resource gap by offering digital access to books, educational materials, and e-learning platforms for self-education, targeting vulnerable women and youth.
• Enhance ICT literacy, equipping community members with essential skills for today's job market and entrepreneurial opportunities.
• Support school dropouts in continuing their education through digital learning tools and resources.
• Empower the community with knowledge and skills to make informed decisions on land use and environmental rights, viewing these as integral to their human rights.
• Enable access to online networks for sharing knowledge, accessing support, and marketing local products to wider markets.
The laptops provided by Labdoo will serve as a cornerstone for these efforts, catalyzing positive change and sustainable development in the Tororo district.
https://www.lerwa.org/
https://www.facebook.com/LandandEnvironmentalRightsWatchAfrica