Help Grow Food For Street Kid's (Orphans)

Uganda as it was the case with the rest of the world was worst affected by the coronavirus especially among the rural poor  who live on hand to mouth to servive. When the government anounced total lockdown, locally known as OMUGALO, majority of the population were taken by suprise and we're trapped in doors. Hand to mouth is the only way of servival for most families in rural areas, and poor to get work on daily basis to be able to get bread on the table, that's what a poor man's life is; so if you lock them up you are actually making them live without food and this is the very reason the government was forced to try and get food distribution but this was not able to support  the entire population in the country.

The onset of COVID-19 also came along with new challenges especially to school children, the lockdown left many school children locked up at home where they met their abusers and most got abused and these includes our own supported children mostly. Also the street children we tried to keep at school in the boarding. Many of these have gone back to street life looking for food, and girls have gotten pregnancy and young boys into drugs and little ones working as harkers in small towns, these children were safe at the time schools were operating, and now these children have lost hope of ever going back to school since covid presented harsh conditions. The funds we received, visited their home's, streets and relatives to provide help, and mostly food, clothing and medical support. The only challenge we get is transportation costs to reach all these children to get them help, we hire car's, and motorcycle s commonly used and known as boda boda.

During this visits we noticed that material's given by government and radio lessons, others televised didn't help children in rural areas, for example, these children come from homes with no radios, electricity to have a television to follow study lessons from our capital City Kampala. The materials also distributed were not enough, this were delivered to the district education office and the parents, heads of schools go to pickup and give to their schools, and children. The cost of reproducing these materials wholly depended on the school to the parent's, we have tried to get these materials to cover all the  candidate students but the fund's are not enough to print for all the children.

Just like food distribution, government focused on the slums and municipality, and left out the rural areas at the same time, the disabled person's, were not considered during the lockdown, the information about coronavirus was not provided for such persons these includes children with disability, orphans and vulnerability. No food distribution were made for disabled people, and not such materials were given to say children who are blind, lockdown for example didn't get them to hospital for those with HIV Aids.

Today's, government is asking school's to allow girl's who got pregnant, or have delivered to be allowed to get back to school but no funds have been put aside to support such children and how to care for their little babies, do they bring them to school or live them at home.  We need nurseries open or built. Child care centers to help these abused girls 

Our NGO is requesting for volunteers, and support to be able to start a skills taring center for such children that covid situations have affected and give them opportunity to acquire some skills and training for self employed and relaince, this is the only way to help our rural and disadvantaged community in Pallisa.

Today nobody can underestimate the impact Covid has done to our communities, the number of children who have been orphaned, now called Covid orphans. This is the reality and these children are increasing in number each day and how do we support their education  needs. The reality is most covid orphans come from very poor households and are now in the streets or small towns looking for help for their siblings, as we speak there is hunger looming in the villages, people are struggling to get what to eat and homes who's heads have died of covid have left children with no options, and even where to sleep most homes have been abandoned and vacated. As you will see from the photos. 

Money distribution by government again didn't get to the rural areas, of one hundred thousand shillings for each household to use in fourty days during the lock down, people in Uganda heavily rely on farming on small scale just for domestic use, and because of effects of climate change now seen the rains and sunshine were not balanced to give local farmers good crop yields, this is the reason we have famine in most Eastern parts of the country.

Covid has also presented another challenge to school infrastructures, most classrooms need renovations to make it safe for the children , funds are needed to hire construction engineer to evaluate the safety of the classes before we get children in,  the government is doing the same for it's school's to avoid classes collapsing on the children causing death,

For our school, we need to consider, how to help our boarding children and now in the streets to be constricted dormitories to help give them a place to call home, and find help for covid orphans and now young mothers to get skills for self relaince, this means we build such a facility to support majority of rural children that coronavirus have greatly affected. Volunteers are welcome to suprt these children or directly come and help with this problem in Uganda. Free accommodation will be provided to international volunteers.

We apeal to all well wishers, our family of good donor's, and mostly the global Giving organization for the support they have given to poor  children and community in Uganda.

God bless you all.

Project Report: Feed & Cloth OVCs A real friend is one who walks in when the rest of the world walks out.— Walter Winchell

Words cannot express how grateful I am for your kindness and generosity.Thank you so much for being there for me through thick and thin. we would like to appreciate out donors for caring to donate even when COVID situation is much felt in your pockets, the children are very excited and we continue to do what we can with your generosity and much needed help for orphan and vulnerable children here in Uganda. The funds received have been able to buy exercise books and pencils for our boarding children and most of whom are former street kids now happily at school.

More of your continued donations can bring much smiles to the lives of millions of these children by way of giving to their clothing needs, and 2 meals opportunity each day, we struggle to cloth and feed them if your help is not realised. Thank you gain for caring to support and love children of this nature in your heart and country. As we bring educational opportunities to these children, the government has again locked schools for the next 42 days, and we are to find a way of helping these children keep safe from infection by buying masks and also making sure their homes are provided with sanitizes and basic hygiene materials if your donations can support this need, we care to follow up with the students and making sure each of them get a copy of the message below that the Ministry of Health and Unicef has given to schools, to help safe guard the rural children.

Help donate again for the children to get more clothing, food, and COVID materials to keep them safe while at home, and also help the project procure teaching materials such that these children study while at home for the next 40 days, as we wait for reopening of schools. Infections have begun among young children in Uganda and we worry if we do not give guidance and protection of our orphans we stand to lose. Please help these children. Thank you.

Corona virus (COVID-19): What you need to know and learn Protect yourself and your loved ones This is a new virus that causes a respiratory illness in people and animals and can spread from person-to person through sneezing and coughing droplets. This virus has signs and symptoms similar to the common cold but is dangerous and if not reported early and managed by Health Workers it can cause severe illnesses in humans and can lead to death. There are ongoing studies on the origins of Coronavirus. However, the current outbreak started in a large animal and seafood market in China, in a city called Wuhan.

Coronavirus is spread from human-to-human when an infected person’s sneeze or cough droplets come into contact with others. It can also spread when a person touches a contaminated surface, e.g. desk, chair, door handle etc. then touches their eyes, nose and/or mouth. Everyone is at risk. However, severe symptoms and death appear more frequently among older people. People with underlying health conditions such as lung or heart diseases, renal failure or weak immune systems are noted to be at a higher risk of infection. Most patients who have been seen so far present with:

• Fever

• Cough

• Sore throat

• Running nose

• Difficulty breathing

There are simple everyday actions that can help prevent the spread of the virus:

• Avoid close contact with people who are visibly sick with flu-like symptoms (fever, cough, sneezing).

• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.

• Wash your hands often with soap and running water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.

• Stay home when you experience these symptoms to avoid spreading illness to others.

• The sick are encouraged to use a facemask to cover their nose and mouth.

• Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze, then throw the tissue in the dustbin and wash your hands thoroughly with soap and running water.

• Regularly clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces such as door handles and phones.

Key messages to children as they go home/ vilaages/ towns.

• Be on the lookout and avoid close contact with persons who show flu-like symptoms.

• Cover your mouth and nose when sneezing or coughing.

• Regularly wash your hands with soap and running water.

• Whenever possible avoid handling cash and try to use alternative payment methods such as mobile money or debit/credit cards. Ensure you wash your hands thoroughly with soap and running water after handling cash.

• Thoroughly cook meat and eggs.

• Avoid unprotected contact with live wild or farm animals