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BACKGROUND TO THE FORMATION OF THE TESO DEVELOPMENT TRUST

By Neil Stedman - retiring Chairman 2007

Until the late 1980s the events that had been disrupting the southern parts of Uganda had left Teso in north-east Uganda relatively untouched. But in 1986 the army of Yoweri Museveni moved north driving the troops of the preceding regime to retreat before it.

The advancing force was largely made up of Rwandese, unsympathetic to the Iteso, and the break down in security opened the way for the Karimojong, neighbours to the Iteso, with a tradition of cattle rustling, to start cattle raiding on an unprecedented scale. Numbers of the Iteso took to the bush and formed rebel bands. In an attempt to contain the situation, the newly formed government forced people off their land and into camps. There they had to construct their own shelters and make out as best they could without medical services and provision for the basic essentials of life.

As this crisis was unfolding, the then Bishop of Soroti, the Rt. Revd. Geresom Ilukor, was in the United Kingdom, and a group of concerned individuals formed around him to consider their response to the situation. The Teso Relief Campaign was set up, supporters coming from the expatriate Iteso community, and British people most of whom had worked in Teso. Despite rumoured threats to his life, the Bishop returned to Uganda, and two members of the group went to investigate conditions in the camps.

The aims of the Teso Relief Campaign were to publicise the seriousness of the situation in Teso and to raise funds to alleviate the distress of the people in the camps. Eventually the camps were disbanded and people returned to their homes. But in the intervening period great damage had been done to the infrastructure of the Districts: schools and churches had been destroyed or damaged, and neglected farms and houses had deteriorated. To the Iteso, for whom cattle is central to their culture, the most serious distress was caused by the virtual elimination of cattle and other livestock from the area.

Members of the Teso Relief Campaign realised that the urgency had moved from relief to development. A Registered Charity was set up with the title "Teso Development Trust". Since its inception, TDT has worked with indigenous partners, the principal ones being the Development Offices of the Pentecostal Assemblies of God and Church of Uganda in Kumi and Soroti. The policy of the Trust has been to follow the priorities of their partners in education, small scale business enterprises, water development, agricultural initiatives, training in management and literacy and many other projects.

A major recent development has been the inclusion within the Trust of a Child Sponsorship Programme at the specific request of the Education Office of the Diocese of Soroti.

Who are we??

by David Watts - TDT Administrator

Teso Development Trust was formed in 1989 (and registered as a charity in 1991 number 1005139) to help provide relief and development to the Teso people of North East Uganda working through the Christian Churches in the area. This followed a relief campaign conducted through Christians in the UK in response to a major humanitarian crisis resulting from the unrest following the military takeover of the country by the Museveni regime and devastating incursions by the neighbouring tribe of Karamajong. Since that time, it has continued to provide relief e.g. as a result of the recent serious floods, and resources for development and mission to Church partners. In the main these have been the Pentecostal Assemblies of God, the Church of Uganda and Revival Time Ministries, a non denominational development agency.
We have also provided aid for small community projects and several local hospitals

The aims of the charity have been to:-

Support the education of children

Create Jobs and Income

Improve life in the Villages

Provide relief for internally displaced persons (IDPs) in camps and suffering from flooding and other crises

Improve health

Support Christian ministry

The Trust works in partnership with Christian Churches supporting projects in accordance with their priorities. It also works in partnership with other agencies which address the needs of the Teso people in delivery of projects who are in accord with the objectives of the Trust.

The Trust expects its partners to help those in need regardless of faith, gender or race within the Teso districts.

What do we do?

The Trust works by making grants, giving technical assistance, and aid in kind e.g. by supplying equipment /literature etc. It also will support any publicity /lobbying effort that supports the welfare of the Teso people. It encourages and supports people wishing to visit the Teso area to serve the people or assess the need for aid.

In particular, this has meant

Grants and loans to help business development

The provision of clean water, 40 wells or boreholes over 9 years

The building of schools, Churches, hostels, children's nurseries

Aagricultural improvement

Equipment e.g. for hospitals and training centres

Relief to people suffering from the insurgencies to help them resettle and recently the serious floods

Gifts to individuals to help education and training

Child sponsorship for needy children's secondary education

Support to teams from UK visiting the area to work or assess need.

Promoting the cause of the Teso people to a UK audience through personal contacts, literature and via our website

Finances

The Trusts income in 2006/7 was £183,925, funds coming from regular donations by about 25 Christian congregations in the UK, several fund raising groups, about 300 supporters donations, and grants from 7 UK Charitable trusts .

Organisation

It has a UK committee comprising people who have worked in Northern Uganda or are Itesot .It has a part time administrator and a team of volunteers who give range of support

Expenditure was £185,327 in 2006/7 compared to £100,498 in 2005/6. Key items were

Education
Child sponsorship £57 718
Sick child fund £ 3,653
Children's retreat £ 2,929
Schools building /improvement £12,177
Girls Hostel £10,328

IDPs
IDP aid £24,666
RTM enterprise support /micro loan £ 3,000

Rural Development
Water £19,028
Tree planting £ 523

Health
Kumi Hospital £ 2,062

Church Ministry
Kumam Bible translation £ 4,783
Church of Uganda £16,018
Northern Uganda college £ 1,880

Communications and Publicity

The Teso Newsletter and website are the principal means of communicating with our constituency. Some supporters promote the work of the Trust in their Churches. Also the administrator and management committee members make presentations at Church services or meetings. The Newsletter has a print run normally of 600 with 500 posted to supporters which elicits a generous response with about 40% of recipients donating to the Trust in any one year.

Risk Assessment

The trust is aware of the risks entailed in its relationship with the Ugandan Churches. These entail the risks arising from the impact of insurgency that may result in projects being damaged or ended. Another risk is that involved in the transfer of funds through the banking system to Uganda and misuse by unauthorised agents when there.

These risks are dealt with through ongoing liaison with TDT partners, a requirement to acknowledge funding transfers, regular feedback reports from Partners, a checking of expenditure during the annual visit and the selection of partners who all have their own independent auditing regimes

please click here to visit www.teso.org.uk for more about TDT