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Uganda
CCF-Uganda was established in 1980 to aid children and families affected by internal and regional political conflict. In northern Uganda, conflicts continue and children and families experience high levels of violence and insecurity. Malaria, AIDS, low immunisation coverage, poor sanitation and minimal access to safe water sources challenge long-term development in the region.
Emergency Response:
With the support of Irish Aid, ChildFund Ireland and CCF Uganda have recently completed a project providing emergency assistance to displaced war-affected people in Lira District. The conflict in Northern Uganda has led to a massive displacement of over 1.5 million people across the East and North. Over 20,000 children have been abducted since the conflict’s start. Camps have been established to provide care and protection for the displaced people but unfortunately while people’s lives may be saved in the camps, other forms of violence are all too common. High levels of sexual and gender-based violence exist in the camps and there is a complete lack of prevention, mitigation and treatment services for those affected. The emergency programme was designed not only to prevent new cases of sexual and gender-based violence and mitigate their impacts in occurring cases, but also to prepare the community to respond proactively to potential threats and integrate protection systems into all humanitarian assistance efforts.
Sustainable Development:
CCF-Uganda's objective is sustainable development. Innovative programmes address the specific needs of individual communities in CCF locations. CCF-Uganda works for the well being of children by supporting locally led initiatives that strengthen families and communities. CCF's programmes are comprehensive incorporating health, education, nutrition and livelihood interventions that protect, nurture and develop children in a sustainable way. The following are examples of CCF's programme initiatives to promote the well-being of children, families and communities in Uganda.
Health Initiatives:
HIV/AIDS has reached an epidemic of massive proportions in Africa, where more than 13.2 million children have been orphaned because of an AIDS related death. In an effort to address the needs of children and families affected by the AIDS pandemic, CCF-Uganda offers AIDS programming and services. One example of how CCF helps is the provision home based care with training offered by social workers who teach family members how to care for the sick and counsel children who face the fear of losing loved ones. In an effort to protect children from childhood diseases, children under the age of 2 receive complete immunisation in CCF-Uganda communities. CCF-Uganda communities participate in malaria prevention programmes including bed net distribution to decrease the occurrence of malaria in children.
Education Initiatives:
To ensure the opportunity for all children to receive quality education, CCF provides uniforms, scholastic materials and tuition assistance. CCF assisted projects have built and furnished classrooms that provide remedial teaching for enrolled students. Additionally, CCF-Uganda supports girl child programmes that focus on the rights of women and the girl child by promoting education for girls.
Over 100 children in Uganda are sponsored through ChildFund Ireland.
