Child Protection Uganda Project #14034

Stopping child abandonment in Uganda

by Kids Club Kampala

Project Report | Dec 23, 2020
Thank you for all your kind support in 2020!

By Olivia Barker White | CEO

Watch our special thank you video, especially for you.

Thank you so much for all of your kind support for Kids Club Kampala over the past year.

What a year 2020 has been, one I am sure many of us will never forget. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit we had to quickly adjust our operations here in the UK, with all staff suddenly navigating working from home and many planned fundraising events cancelled. More importantly, we also had to work out how to respond to the devastation caused by a strict lockdown in Uganda. The majority of people we support suddenly lost their incomes overnight and were at risk of starvation.

Yet despite the global pandemic and all the challenges this has brought, we have been able to have a huge impact and change the lives of hundreds of thousands of people. We converted our community classrooms into foodbanks at the end of March, and over the last 9 months we have, with your support, been able to distribute over 1.5 million food parcels to over 32,000 families in need – that is over 15 million meals provided to over 165,000 people! This vital food support has been such a lifeline, and I am so proud that we have been able to help so many people throughout this challenging time.

Alongside this, we have also installed 15 hand washing stations, built 1 new toilet block and have distributed masks and PPE throughout communities to help fight the spread of COVID-19. Alongside this, we have provided 450 girls with vital sanitary items, and supported 311 children with home learning whilst schools have been closed.

Our Ewafe project has rescued 35 more children from abuse and abandonment this year, and despite the restrictions on travel in Uganda, we have still been able to reintegrate 10 children back with loving families. Furthermore, 62 women have successfully graduated from our tailoring training course, with another 5 young people also graduating from our carpentry training course – including our first female carpentry student!

We could not have done this without your support. Thank you so much for being a part of it.

Sadly, COVID-19 means that poverty levels in Uganda have been set back five years, and a further 3 and a half million people have fallen into abject poverty.

As a direct result of this, we have seen a huge increase in domestic abuse, family breakdown, homelessness and children being abandoned. To respond to this awful situation, for 2021 we are focusing on our ‘Road to Recovery’ to rebuild these communities and protect the most vulnerable to ensure that they not only survive, but thrive.

To do this, we are focusing on 4 key areas: feeding - continuing to run our food banks to supply emergency food for families in crisis until they are no longer needed; protecting - increasing our safeguarding work to keep children safe from harm, and increasing the capacity at our Ewafe project; educating - because we know that education is the best route out of poverty for the thousands of children we support; and skilling - giving lifelong skills and a way to provide a sustainable income for families.

Your support this year has literally saved lives and I cannot thank you enough.

We hope that you will continue to partner with us for the coming year, as we work together to help vulnerable children survive and thrive and communities recover from the devastating effects of the pandemic.

On behalf of everyone at Kids Club Kampala, I would like to wish you a very Merry Christmas and Best Wishes for the coming year.

God bless you,

Olivia

P.s. see our Road to Recovery plan here, and our most recent impact stories here.

Our Impact During COVID-19

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Dec 23, 2020
Ewafe Project: Christmas Update 2020

By Olivia Barker White | CEO

£20,873 raised for The Ewafe Project!

Since 2017, Kids Club Kampala has taken part in an annual match funding campaign called The Big Give Christmas Challenge. In previous years we have used this campaign to raise money for the Feeding Project. However, this year we decided that the campaign would instead raise funds for the Ewafe Project, as due to COVID-19 there has been an increase in the number of cases of children being abandoned which has exacerbated the need for this vital project.

The Big Give 2020 took place in the first week of December and we had set an ambitious target of raising £16,000. I am delighted to let you know that we managed to exceed our target by over £4,000, raising a huge £20,873!

These funds will enable us to rescue even more children who have no safe space to go, help them to heal at our transitional home before reintegrating them into safe and loving families.

Simon's Story

During Big Give week you may have seen a lot of social media posts about our Ewafe Project and some familiar Ewafe impact stories shared on our blog. However, last week we also shared something brand new with our supporters: a moving video which follows Simon's story. If you have not yet watched it then please do click on the video below to find out how the Ewafe Project was able to completely transform Simon's life.

Please click play to watch Simon's story!

Ewafe Project 2020 Highlights!

In 2020 we managed to rescue 35 new children from abuse or abandonment and admitted them to our transitional home, with all children being provided with counselling, medical care and rehabilitation.
Throughout the year we also successfully and safely reintegrated a further 12 children back into loving and caring families.
During the COVID-19 lockdown we increased food supplies at the home and installed handwashing stations.
Our transitional home was also blessed with a 'brand new' office which was created by re-purposing an old shipping container. This has enabled us to increase the capacity of the home and rescue more children.

Below is our 2020 impact video in which we share how we responded to COVID-19 as well as celebrating some of our key achievements across our different projects areas.

2020 Impact Video: How Kids Club Kampala responded to the COVID-19 crisis and some of our key achievements across our different projects areas.

Our Plans for 2021

Despite all of our successes in 2020, sadly COVID-19 has exacerbated poverty levels, with a further 3.5 million Ugandans having fallen into poverty. Children have lost vital time in education, and women and children are now at a greater risk of violence and abuse. Many families are still finding it hard to find work, and need to continue to use our food banks.

To respond to these complex needs, we have developed a 4 step plan that will map our Road to Recovery for children and their communities during 2021.

The Ewafe Project falls under the second stage: Protection (if you would like to read about the other stages of our Road to Recovery in more detail can do so here).

Phase 2: Protecting

This phase involves the strengthening of our programmes that protect children and provide immediate safeguarding in the slums.

We are aware of an increase in cases of child abuse, domestic violence, drug and alcohol abuse, poor mental health, family breakdown, homelessness and exploitation of children in the slums that we work.

In response we have already increased the capacity at our Ewafe Project so that in 2021 we are able to rescue even more children from situations of abandonment, abuse, exploitation and neglect. We will provide these children with a safe place to stay whilst receiving medical care, counselling and support whilst social workers search for safe alternative family members or loving foster families.

In order to meet the anticipated increase in demand for our Ewafe Project in 2021 your kind support has never been more vital.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

We would like to thank you for all your support in 2020 and we wish you a Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year.

From the Kids Club Kampala Team - Olivia, Corrie, Jo and Andy

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Sep 28, 2020
Ewafe Project: Autumn Update 2020

By Olivia Barker White | CEO

COVID-19: Ewafe Project Update

In our previous update we let you know how COVID-19 had resulted in us having to suspend or reduce the capacity of our regular projects, with our focus instead shifting to provide short-term food relief to vulnerable families through our Feeding Families: COVID-19 Emergency Appeal. Thanks to our loyal supporters, and the dedication and hard work of our Ugandan team and volunteers, I am pleased to say that we have managed to distribute an incredible ONE MILLION FOOD PARCELS to the most vulnerable families living in the slums of Kampala, Uganda! This has not only saved thousands of people from starvation, it has also reduced pressure for families, provided social connection during a crisis and helped to build a sustained sense of community.

However, whilst it is important to celebrate this incredible achievement, sadly the impacts of COVID-19 will be much deeper and longer lasting. We are already aware of an increase in domestic violence, family breakdown and child abandonment within our communities and as a result are expecting to see a surge in demand for our Ewafe Project. Thus, as we switch our focus from short-term relief to helping our communities rebuild, your kind support has never been more vital.

Although our Ewafe Project has remained open throughout lockdown, unfortunately we were unable to take any new children into our home due to the government guidance on social distancing. Despite this we decided that we would keep all staff on to ensure that all children who remained under our care were well looked after and to enable us to make several renovations to the home which we will show you later.

However, as lockdown has now begun to ease we are pleased to say that this has meant we have been able to start rescuing and rehabilitating children. During lockdown our social workers continued working to trace children's families and thus once restrictions eased we were able reunite several families. In the above photo you can see Sarah* finally being reunited with her mother and later on we will also tell you Emily's* story, who was reintegrated with her family just before lockdown restrictions came into force.

Our 'Brand New' Ewafe Office

During the lockdown in Uganda, our staff at the Ewafe home were working extremely hard to create a 'brand new' office space. The new office was actually created using an old shipping container, repurposed into an office space. Below are before (left) and after (right) images, and I am sure you will agree that the transformation is incredible and really does showcase recycling at its best.

Furthermore, by moving the office from inside the Ewafe home to the container (left), we have now have more space within the home for the children. We are now also utilising space within the home more effectively by introducing bunk beds (right). These are not only new and fun for the children but also enable us to increase the capacity of our home which means we can ultimately rescue more children.

Another Child Reunited With Her Family!

In September of last year, we welcomed 10-year-old Emily* to our transitional home, referred to us by the police as a missing child. When she arrived Emily was initially very quiet and spent most of the time on her own, however, as time passed she became more confident and began to enjoy playing with the other children.

Emily spent 6 months in our care and was provided with food, clothes, shelter, medical care and counselling, whilst our social workers attempted to trace her family. Thankfully back in March they made a breakthrough and soon after we were able to resettle Emily back with her mother, aunt and siblings.

Once returned Emily’s mother shared with us how she had ended up in Kampala:

“Shortly after Emily’s father passed away in 2016 my elder brother suggested that he and his wife take my daughter to Kampala to enroll her at school. As I had six children and was not capable of looking after all of them by myself I had no choice but to accept. From the time my brother left with Emily I only heard from them once in 2017, when he told me that my daughter was doing very well. However, I now know that he had not enrolled her in school or been looking after her properly which forced her to run away. Thank you very much Kids Club Kampala for bringing my daughter back to me. I can never thank you enough. May God bless you and the good work that you are doing.”

Emily* (centre) being reunited with her mother (right), brother (centre) and aunt (left).

Thank You and Call to Action

Thank you so much for your continued interest and support for our Ewafe Project!

However, with the impacts of COVID-19 exacerbating the demand for our Ewafe Project we are in need of more Family Champions to help make a difference. Could you forward this update to a friend and encourage them to donate to our Ewafe Project through GlobalGiving?

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