Child2Youth Foundation in Uganda is a registered nongovernmental not for profit organization which was started in 2005. It is dedicated to the needy orphans and other vulnerable children and youth and the development of their poor rural communities. Through a holistic approach, Child2Youth Foundation addresses the spiritual, educational, economic, health and physical aspects of the needy orphans and other vulnerable children and youth and their poor rural communities to enable them become knowledgeable, self-sustaining, healthy and responsible adult citizens.
Currently Child2Youth Foundation is operating in Mukono, Buikwe and Buvuma Districts having five operating codes (centres) with field offices in four codes.
The Vision: To have educated, healthy, knowledgeable and self-sustaining citizens of Uganda and the World at large by addressing the needs of needy orphans and other vulnerable children and youth and adults and creating a society in which every child and adult is celebrated as a unique and valued creature of God and is encouraged to fulfil his/her full potential.
The Problem: In Africa, current figures show that there are over 34 million orphans,14 orphaned by HIV/AIDS. While UN Children Fund says by 2010, 42 million orphans will be in Africa and half will be due to HIV/AIDS. These children, the majority being under 16 years, are left without critical guidance, protection, education, health services, parental care and support.
Therefore in Uganda there is a necessity of working together with the communities, other non-governmental organizations and leaders to provide support, education, health services, training and HIV/AIDS awareness to orphans, other vulnerable children, youth and communities. Other vulnerability is due to continued wars in Uganda, poverty and families problems leading to exodus of children and youth to form the street children/youth bulk.
The communities where these orphans, other vulnerable children and youth live are in dire poverty, are poor among the poorest hence are unable to provide for self and their families the basic necessities of life notably education, medical services, clean water, clothes and food.
Child2Youth Foundation Challenges: (over 2.7 million children in Uganda are orphans due to HIV/AIDS only).
- Seeking and finding willing donors to donate towards the Foundation’s programs, that is, Child Sponsorship, Rural Community Developments, HIV/AIDS Awareness Initiative called “ Sowing Hope Initiative”, Health and water & Sanitation.
- Linking the registered needy orphans, other vulnerable children and youth to sponsors (adoption parents and organizations) to enable them get the desired education and basic health services.
- Identifying organizations to partner or cooperate and work with in providing education, health, clean water and sanitation improvement to the needy orphans, other vulnerable children and youth and development of poor rural communities.
The Mission: To ensure the wellbeing of the needy orphans and other vulnerable children by providing them with the support, opportunity and assistance needed to become happy, educated, healthy and self-sustaining economically.
Programs:
- Child Sponsorship Program: This program deals with and assists needy orphans, other vulnerable children and youth to have education. The Foundation links them to kind and loving adoptive parents (sponsors) who supports such needy children and youth with annual financial support to cater for their needs especially education, health, clothes and other wellbeing. Now 215 are fully sponsored while 188 have partial sponsorships so 403 are being catered for in this program. Children and youth in this category are placed in schools from Nursery to secondary to Tertiary levels of education including Universities where they are provided with tuition and examination fees, text and exercise books, school uniforms and sweaters, shoes, school bags and educational tours. The sick are provided with medical services even few of their family members. Very few schools where such children and youth attend are provided with some text books, desks and science equipments.
* Rural Community Development: It was found out that the needy orphans, other vulnerable children and youth are coming from very poor families lacking sources of incomes in their homes and communities. This program which empowers the poor rural communities was started in 2006 but the adults, who did not have chances to study while young, have to first attend Functional Adult Literacy classes where they learn to read and write. After the course, these classes become functional rural community development groups. Group leaders are elected by the members then project proposals with a particular project for each group are sent to Child2Youth Foundation for any possible funding and so far 4 projects comprising of piggery, poultry, goats and cows are being run. In addition,many individual families are given projects.
- HIV/AIDS Awareness Initiative: It was observed in 2007 to be very important and beneficial to integrate HIV/AIDS awareness program within the child sponsorship and rural community development since most of the orphans in Child Sponsorship program are due to HIV/AIDS epidemic. An initiative called “ Sowing Hope Initiative” was started with the overall goal of bringing hope among the orphans affected by HIV/AIDs epidemic and their families. The Foundation builds the capacity to care for and support the orphans, provides home-based care to orphan’s families and provide preventive measures to the children (5-17years). 50 of such children are in schools and being catered for by the Foundation through the provision of books.
More GOALS – To improve:
- Health: Last year the Child2Youth Foundation constructed a clinic, Sisters of St, Joseph Clinic, Kyambogo, in one of the rural setting to help with health improvement. Also at the clinic, a monthly HIV/ AIDS Out Reach takes place where people come for voluntary counselling and blood test for HIV and trainings to rural women takes place every month in Family Planning, public/community health and hygiene. This year the clinic was expanded to cater Maternity services.
- Water and Sanitation:The water sources in the poor rural communities are un hygienic. The Foundation also identifies and constructs water sources (springs/wells) in very bad conditions. In most cases, the water is shared between the peoples and the animals.
To learn more and/or to become involved, please visit our website: www.child2youth.org/
Email: stevesse59@gmail.com