Uganda – Empowering Vulnerable Families and Children
Location: Kakiri, Entebbe, Fort Portal, Mayuge and Gulu – Uganda.
Focus Area: Access to a safe home when growing up.
Approximately 2.7 million children in Uganda are without parental care, and children’s rights are not sufficiently protected. Many children have no access to health care, and one in four is forced to work to support themselves. Although Uganda has tried to implement a strong child-rights policy framework, this has not effectively come into effect at all levels of society. Common challenges faced by children are largely due to the effects of poverty and economic deprivation.
This programme focuses on integrated and comprehensive systems strengthening at the national and district/county level, community level, and family level. There is also a push for child reintegration with their biological families and youth employability to break the cycle of intergenerational vulnerability.
To achieve this, SOS Uganda works closely with the government and is engaged with a consultant who will provide a situational analysis for children in alternative care. SOS Uganda is also lobbying for the government to take further steps to ensure the implementation of the UN Guidelines for the Alternative Care of Children.
When a family enters the programme, they work with SOS to assess their individual family needs and together draw up a family development plan with the goal of becoming self-sufficient and exiting the programme. Together with implementing partners, SOS Uganda visits the families to follow up on each family’s development plan and monitor their progress along the way.
SOS Uganda also supports local childcare and protection structures with training in child protection, parenting sessions, training for children to create awareness of children’s rights and the establishment of child rights clubs.
In addition, SOS Uganda works to monitor the process of reintegration of children with their biological families. Their support includes pre-visits, psychosocial support, community dialogues, savings and loans training, material support and access to health care.
Overall Goals
- Every child belongs and grows in a safe, nurturing, and supportive environment.
- Target approximately 900 families with an estimated 4,000 children and young people, 600 youth for youth employment programmes, and support for 100 children to reintegrate with their biological families.
- Execute research about children without adequate parental care, and alternative care solutions that lead to effective lobbying with the government.
- Put a functional child protection system in place at the national level.
- Enhance the capacity of local childcare and protection systems and structures.
- Strengthen families to provide quality care and protection to children.
Photo: Joris Lugtigheid
Key Facts Uganda:
- Population (2020): 45.7 million.
- Population under 15 years old (2020): 46%.
- Life expectancy (2020): 64 years.
- Percentage under national poverty level (2019): 20.3%.
*All statistics taken from data at The World Bank.
7,830
Children reached
2021
Funding Duration