LMU and LACA organised a two day workshop on newest developments of Aquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome AIDS in Etung LGA

The Local Management Unit (LMU) of the MPP9 Etung Pilot Programme organied together with the Etung LG Local Action Committee against HIV-AIDS (LACA) a two day workshop on recent developments of the challenges of HIV AIDS in Etung Local Government Area. The venue was the Local Government Council Hall in Effraya on 15^th and 16^th of February 2012. A realistic assessment of HIV AIDS in Etung shows that warnings on the dangers of HIV-AIDS need to continue. In the past years focus was on awareness raising; that AIDS has also spread among the population in Etung Local Government. Exact statistics for the local government area are however not available. Estimates are based on cooperation with the health centres and the Cross River State Action Committee. They show that about four to five in hundred persons live with the AIDS virus in Etung. To the workshop 80 representatives of community development unions as well as town council members of the ten wards were invited. Because HIV AIDS concerns men and women the same number of women as men had been invited.

LMU and LACA organize CAPACITY BUILDING ON HIV/AIDS in Etung in a Two Day Workshop on 15th and 16th February 2012 in Effraya

Under the title: “Recent Developments of HIV/AIDS in Etung - Training for Handling Current Trends” the Local Management Unit (LMU) of Etung MPP9 Pilot Programme and the Local Action Committee on HIV/AIDS (LACA) organizes a two day workshop with training.

Objective is to give an overview on present developments of this disease, which obtained increasing attention in Etung with several positive effects in awareness and prevention. The workshop builds on this but shows that HIV/AIDS is still a deadly threat, if basic knowledge is not applied.

The HIV-AIDS information forum in Effraya notifies on recent institutional reforms concerning Etung Local and Cross River State Governments. Other topics are sustainable livelihoods developments under the threat of HIV/AIDS, importance of gender equity and community empowerment when dealing with health challenges. Prevention for HIV/AIDS will be discussed as well as treatment and care for infected persons.

Various group interactions are planned for effective information exchange, impact assessments and evaluations of workshop results.

Dates: Wednesday, 15^th and Thursday, 16^th February, 2012

Time: Start at 9.30 each day

Venue: Etung LG Council Hall, Effraya

MPP9 Pilot Programme and Local Government Organized Eighth Information Exchange and Reflection Workshop on 23^rd of November 2011

The eighth Information Exchange and Reflection Workshop of the Etung Pilot Programme had this time special features. Clan heads from ten wards and town council chairman also from all ten wards attended the meeting. The Agenda was focusing in addition on an information exchange with representatives of 27 registered community development unions, for participants of Etung Local Government and other selected contributors. The workshop was arranged in partnership with the NGO Golden Package Foundation. Etung Local Government Executives and Etung Pilot Programme had invited jointly to discuss procurement conditions for 56 MPP9 projects being implemented with EDF funds in the domains of health, education, community halls and solar powered water supply. The contractors bidding for works contracts were espected in the second week of December to visit the sites and obtain frame information for their offers. Etung LG MPP9- Coordinator; Mrs Nora Okorn facilitated the workshop.  She welcomed specifically the clan heads who were since the start of the MPP9 pilot project the first time part of an information exchange/reflection workshop.

The Etung MPP9 Pilot Programme was invited by the Etung Local Action Committee on HIV-AIDS (LACA) to contribute to a programme against discrimination of HIV infected persons in communities of Etung LGA. Over 200 mainly young people participated in the campaign held in the Local Government Council Hall in Effraya. The start of the campaign was a demonstration on the streets in Effraya village moving to the Local Government Secretariat. The coordinator of LACA, Delight Joy Egbe, explained this year’s motto: Zero New Infection, Zero AIDS Related Deaths and Zero Discrimination. The executive vice chairman of Etung LGA, Hon. Victor Ogar, explained when addressing the participants, that Etung LGA with its seemingly low rate of HIV Aids needs to pay even higher attention against discrimination and exclusion of infected persons. Affection for persons with infection and inclusion instead of exclusion is an aim that LG health staff should always strive at. A drama play presented by Youth Corpers was a highlight of the campaign. The venue ended with practical guides for HIV prevention and the appeal to each participant to spread the information to at least 50 other persons in Etung in order to better approach World Aids Day objectives.

Team from EU Delegation visits Etung Local Government Area

Date: 1^st of November 2011

Three representatives of the European Union Delegation to Nigeria visited Etung Local Government and the Etung MPP9 Pilot Programme. The visitors from the EU Delegation were: the Head of the Social Sector, Community Development and Micro Projects, Klaus Gautsch, the Desk Officer of the Micro Projects Programme in nine Niger Delta States, Yakubu Ogwuche and the Programme officer of the new Niger Delta Support Programme, Temitayo Omole. The main aim of the visit to Etung was to get direct field information on the progress of Etung Pilot Programme. Highlights of the visit were:

Seventh CBO-Workshop Explains Community Committees

for Project Implementation and Project Management

MPP9 Etung Pilot Programme held the information exchange and reflection workshop for community development unions and stake holders

The report on the seventh information exchange workshop received feedback allowing for corrections and improvements. The previous report is replaced by this improved version. A main change is, that the meeting announced for the 12^th of October 2011 for representatives of the entire Etung population will take place at a later date to allow Etung LG executives to honor an assignment with government institutions in Abuja also scheduled for 12^th of October.

The MPP9 Etung Pilot Programme organized the “Seventh Information Exchange and Reflection Workshop” for representatives of 27 Community Development Unions on 27^th of September 2011. The seventh workshop is part of a series of information exchange activities with communities, Etung Local Government and Civil Society Organisations. The workshop focused on activities of three Civil Society Organisations contracted by Community Development Foundation (CDF) for activities in 25 communities of Etung Local Government Area. The CDF representative for Etung Pilot Programme, Essang Demben, confirmed that CDF is preparing for more CSOs to be involved in each community where MPP9 pilot programme projects are implemented. The executive chairman of Etung Local Government, Hon. Godwin Etim John informed on the visit of Etung Local Government and representatives of Etung people to Abuja to meet European Union Delegation and National Planning Commission. Referring to the success of Etung Local Government with the implementation of 35 MPP9 projects from the counterpart fund he stressed that the European Union Delegation and the National Planning Commission were impressed of the contribution of Etung Local Government to MPP9.

The Tender for 56 MPP9 projects, which are prepared for works contracts in Etung Local Government Pilot Programme needs to be repeated because of formal error. To enable a re launch of the tender, an official cancellation notic was published in two nation wide dayly Nigerian newspapers (see copy). The relaunch is following due process; on success awarding of works contracts can be planned for in early 2012. European Union and National Planning Commission are jointly in charge of MPP9 European Development Fund for Etung. They stated that they support an accelerated procedure to meet all commitments before the end of MPP9 programme.

On 4^th of August 2011, the Etung Local Government executive chairman Hon. Godwin Etim John introduced visitors from the Cross River State Government to the Team Leader of the Local Management Unit, Dr. Peter Ay (left). On the picture are representatives of the Cross River State Government, among them, the Special Adviser (SA) on Project Monitoring and Evaluation, Eja Dons (center with cap), the SA Roy Ndoma Egba from the Dep. of International Donor Support (center with notes), the executive chairman Etung LG Hon. Godwin Etim John (front). Questions were raised on a required repetition of tender for EDF funded projects in Etung and activities offered in the new budget of the LMU concerning computer literacy training and innovative projects.

MPP9 Etung Pilot Integrated Community Development Initiatives visits Ghana EDF Micro Projects Programmes in comparable environment

Exchange visits belong to the most efficient training tools for a broad overview of experiences and learning processes. The Etung Pilot Programme organized in cooperation with the Etung Local Government such information exchange and participation in experience sharing with Ghana. Chosen was Volta Region and Kpando District. Kpando has a comparable size and structure as Etung. Details are in the following report:

European Union Result Oriented Mission on MPP9 in Etung. The European Parliament sent a Result Oriented Mission to the Niger Delta for an assessment of the Micro Projects Programme for nine states in the Niger Delta. A special  visit was to the MPP9 Pilot Programme on 14^th of July 2011. From left to right: Hon. Kingsley Ntui (Etung LG special adviser for MPP9); Hon. Godwyn Etim John (Etung LG Executive Chairman); Engineer Uzo Uhegbu (Local Management Unit – LMU rural infrastructure engineer), Mohammed Yakasai (LMU finance and contract adviser).