Jamie Van Leeuwen

The eighth edition of Africa: Year in Review (AYIR) includes 40+ essays that span everything from democracy and elections, trade, regional conflicts and coups, climate change, gender rights, and many other issues and developments in the governance, security, development, and social spheres on the continent.

Public Integrity 0:1-4.

This is a book about community development and how to do it better! It is a book for anyone interested in doing good community development work. This interactive textbook addresses gaps in best practices and aims to educate students, researchers, organizational leaders, and others on the importance of doing purposeful community development work. The authors, three nonprofit and academic leaders from Uganda and the United States, address misguided and invasive approaches to community… Show more

This is a book about community development and how to do it better! It is a book for anyone interested in doing good community development work. This interactive textbook addresses gaps in best practices and aims to educate students, researchers, organizational leaders, and others on the importance of doing purposeful community development work. The authors, three nonprofit and academic leaders from Uganda and the United States, address misguided and invasive approaches to community development, combining decades of experience to share a collective narrative on how we can all be more strategic and intentional in our work, by listening and thinking with communities before acting.

"Listen. Think. Act" provides a backbone for this interactive field guide, bringing community development to life and offering tools and perspectives on how to better approach work in underserved communities, regardless of geographic location. The book explores numerous first person examples of community development work in action, relevant facts about the rapidly changing nature of this field, and explores personal case studies from each of the authors. Additionally, the book offers readers a "Community Changemaker Challenge" to design real-world solutions, alongside discussion questions and additional readings at the end of each chapter! Show less

The State of the Republic: A Dialogue Series

From 2014 through 2016, we produced a music festival in rural Kabale, Uganda in order to facilitate HIV testing and reproductive health services offered by NGOs specializing in HIV and sexual health. Our aim was to assess the effectiveness of a music festival to engage persons in sexual health and HIV screening services. Clinical service data was compiled and analyzed. Between 2014 and 2016, over 38,000 persons attended the annual festivals and were exposed to HIV prevention messaging. Over… Show more

From 2014 through 2016, we produced a music festival in rural Kabale, Uganda in order to facilitate HIV testing and reproductive health services offered by NGOs specializing in HIV and sexual health. Our aim was to assess the effectiveness of a music festival to engage persons in sexual health and HIV screening services. Clinical service data was compiled and analyzed. Between 2014 and 2016, over 38,000 persons attended the annual festivals and were exposed to HIV prevention messaging. Over 7,000 persons have been tested for HIV. In 2016, 4,588 HIV tests were performed. In addition, 36 long-acting means of contraception were placed, 33 women were screened for cervical cancer, 2 tubal ligations were performed, and 193 men were referred for circumcision. Music festivals created a novel opportunity to provide sexual health services including prevention education, reproductive healthcare, and HIV testing to persons at risk for HIV in rural Uganda. Show less

This study aimed to profile the qualities of a holistic community reintegration program for former child soldiers (FCS) in the Lira region of Northern Uganda Informants were a convenience sample of 37 FCS (age range 17 to 34, mean age 23 86, SD = 4 715 years; females = 29 73%) FCS completed semi-structured interviews on their current living situations and existing resources This was aimed at assessing how they were transitioning back into the community and identifying gaps in resources About… Show more

This study aimed to profile the qualities of a holistic community reintegration program for former child soldiers (FCS) in the Lira region of Northern Uganda Informants were a convenience sample of 37 FCS (age range 17 to 34, mean age 23 86, SD = 4 715 years; females = 29 73%) FCS completed semi-structured interviews on their current living situations and existing resources This was aimed at assessing how they were transitioning back into the community and identifying gaps in resources About 24% of FCS reported feeling unwelcome in their communities, suggesting a need for additional support
and resources through the community integration models Thematic analysis of the data suggests that the FCS would benefit from a holistic community reintegration program with the following qualities: psychosocial support, workforce development training, and job placement FCS emphasised the need for skills training and employment opportunities over health and wellness; suggesting that mental health support and health care are not sufficient alone for them to successfully reintegrate into the community FCS community integration policies and practices should prioritise holistic approaches. Show less

The Global Livingston Institute (GLI) and the Cornell Institute for Public Affairs (CIPA) have partnered for the past three years to better understand what happens to FCS as they reintegrate into their communities and what resources and systems are necessary to support them and their social networks to enable successful transitions. Focusing on Lira and the surrounding region in northern Uganda, this research initiative suggests that providing workforce development programs and job placement… Show more

The Global Livingston Institute (GLI) and the Cornell Institute for Public Affairs (CIPA) have partnered for the past three years to better understand what happens to FCS as they reintegrate into their communities and what resources and systems are necessary to support them and their social networks to enable successful transitions. Focusing on Lira and the surrounding region in northern Uganda, this research initiative suggests that providing workforce development programs and job placement opportunities in addition to psychosocial support is an essential and more holistic approach. The participants from this particular case study include 27 males and 10 females with a mean age of 23 years old. Show less

Staffable is a social impact recruiting and training company based in Kampala, Uganda working in close
partnership with a nonprofit partner, the Global Livingston Institute. As a workforce accelerator, Staffable’s mission is to match local entry-level talent with employment opportunities aligned with an individual’s skills, knowledge, and background. This model has created a pipeline of job seekers who—as a part of the Staffable database—the company pairs with a current client or contacts… Show more

Staffable is a social impact recruiting and training company based in Kampala, Uganda working in close
partnership with a nonprofit partner, the Global Livingston Institute. As a workforce accelerator, Staffable’s mission is to match local entry-level talent with employment opportunities aligned with an individual’s skills, knowledge, and background. This model has created a pipeline of job seekers who—as a part of the Staffable database—the company pairs with a current client or contacts them at a later time once an opportunity becomes available. Since its inception in 2015, Staffable has facilitated over 200 job placements for Ugandan nationals within the local workforce. One of the company’s most noteworthy partnerships is with Pizza Hut—an American restaurant chain and international franchise (subsidiary to Yum! Brands Inc.). A relatively recent addition to the Ugandan food and service skyline, Pizza Hut launched in Uganda in May 2016. Working alongside Pizza Hut’s Human Resources department, Staffable Africa recruited over a hundred new employees to work for the chain
in a range of positions, from Supervisor to Team Member. Show less

Although almost 25 percent of Ugandans live under the national poverty line, little is known about the residents of the Kampala slums, especially pertaining to how conditions compare to other global baselines and how existing conditions affect public policy and service delivery.

This study evaluated the impact of a Mental Health Facilitator training protocol conducted with individuals from a local community in rural Uganda. The training program is designed to facilitate the development and delivery of basic mental health services in underserved communities globally. This article aims to communicate the best practices and limitations of the training program in the affected area. Using semi-structured interviews, the investigators interviewed 19 Ugandans who… Show more

This study evaluated the impact of a Mental Health Facilitator training protocol conducted with individuals from a local community in rural Uganda. The training program is designed to facilitate the development and delivery of basic mental health services in underserved communities globally. This article aims to communicate the best practices and limitations of the training program in the affected area. Using semi-structured interviews, the investigators interviewed 19 Ugandans who participated in the Mental Health Facilitator training program. Participants’ occupations included head teachers and headmasters (n=7), hospitality industry employees (n=5), comprehensive health nurses (n=3), religious leaders (n=2), a vocational school director (n=1), and a community chairperson (n=1). Following transcription, the data were analyzed for recurring patterns and themes. Results suggest that the participants achieved a better understanding of local mental health referral from the curriculum as well as knowledge of strategies to improve service delivery and access to services. Limitations to the mental health facilitator role included resource barriers, setting expectations with community members, and stigmas related to mental health. The best practices in a developing country setting should seek input from local community members. Show less