Implemented in the Eastern Districts of Karenga, Kotido, Kaabong, Moroto, and Amudat, Apolou is comprised of an innovative set of interventions, structured under four interwoven objectives: 1) inclusive and effective governance contribute to food and nutrition security; 2) adolescent girls, pregnant and lactating women, and children under five-years-old are nutritionally secure; 3) reduced incidences of water and sanitation (WASH)-related diseases; and 4) improved livelihoods and income support household food security. In all its interventions, Apolou emphasizes four cross-cutting themes: social behavior change, resilience, a focus on youth and adolescents, and gender mainstreaming. Under the governance objective, Apolou works through Resilience Action Committees (RACs) to support communities to take collective action on identified needs and priorities. In Lookorok Parish in Kotido District thirty community members comprising of women, youth, the elderly, and people with disabilities come together to help the community to prioritize needs and advocate for resources to improve their wellbeing. The community members are a part of Lokitumo RAC, a group supported by Apolou through capacity strengthening and linkage to local government actors since their formation in 2019. The RAC members have over the years strengthened their skills in communitymobilization, needs assessment and prioritization, and resource mobilization and advocacy.
Lookorok Parish. The RAC members advocated for the renovation of dilapidated maternity ward facility because was very disastrous for the community and all the maternity services were put on hold. The long distances involved when travelling to the main Kotido Hospital and Nakapelimoru Health Centre IV Complicated life for the Expectant mothers
Through community needs assessment in early 2020, the RAC prioritized rehabilitation of the Lookorok Health Centre III maternity ward and borehole rehabilitation as the immediate community needs. Following this exercise, the RAC started working with different partners specifically the local district government officials to advocate for these needs to be incorporated in the government development and budget plans. Based on the information collected from the community, the RAC held multiple discussions with the health in charge, water office and different sub county officials to advocate for resources to be allocated to these key projects.