Child Protection Uganda Project #26217

Supporting vulnerable children in Uganda's slums

by Kids Club Kampala

Supporting vulnerable children in Uganda's slums

Project Report | Nov 1, 2023
Projects Update: Autumn 2023

By Andy Brown | Individual Giving and Supporter Care Manager

Feeding - An Essential Lifeline

Our food banks were an essential lifeline for thousands of people during the COVID-19 lockdowns and subsequent cost of living crisis. With inflation steadily declining in Uganda we have been able to considerably scale back our food banks. However, we appreciate that life in the slums can often be unpredictable, so whilst many families no longer require support, there are others who still do, or have recently come upon hard times. Between July and September we provided food parcels to 42 families, in total supporting 213 individuals with 4,200 meals!

“On numerous occasions we go without a proper meal, we can hardly sustain ourselves in this home with the income we get ... this package is a miracle for us”

Educating - Empowering Young People

Our Educating Programmes have continued to run over the summer months. We have seen 93 children consistently attending our Encouraging Education Project across our three centres in Naguru, Katanga and Namuwongo. There were no drop outs between the second and third term, with all children returning, which is a really encouraging sign!

Our School Sponsorship Programme has also been progressing well: with 117 children provided with school materials, 3 new children enrolled and 1 child successfully graduating after completing vocational training in hairdressing. She is now working in a local salon, earning an income that enables her to provide for herself - a wonderful example of the transformative impact of our School Sponsorship Programme.

Protecting - KCK FC Wins The League!

Congratulations to the KCK Naguru U12 team who won the Boys league this season! Our Executive Director, Samuel Wambayo, says that "they outplayed all the big academies and left all the other teams wondering where team KCK came from".

During the last three months our Saturday Kids Clubs have also continued, with 544 children participating in games, sports and Bible study. We also distributed free period products to 355 teenage girls and facilitated 108 Girls Support Group Sessions.

Skilling - A New Beginning

On the 22nd of September the Hope Centre was opened! In last years Big Give campaign, with the help of our wonderful supporters, we raised funds to build a brand new skilling centre in Naguru slum. There was a big opening party and lots of local leaders and public figures showed up to celebrate and mark the beginning of what will be a new chapter for many in Naguru. The Hope Centre can accommodate up to 72 students each day, enabling us to provide free tailoring training courses for even more women, enabling them to provide a better future for themselves and their families. The Hope Centre also has a production space for commercial use, which will help promote its independence and reduce reliance on external funding.

Hear from Keira* below about how her hope has been renewed by enrolling on the Tailoring and Knitting programme.

“I joined the tailoring project in May 2023 ... the women counsellor of my zone was announcing the opportunities of those who were interested in joining and I was one of them so she directed me to the project. I did not know anything about tailoring, I could not even operate a machine. It’s so amazing how I can now make different fashions and designs on my own in the period of 4 months I have studied. I had lost hope in myself ever since I dropped out of school but through Kids Club, my hope was restored.” *Name Changed

On top of all this exciting news, our skilling projects have continued to run and support more adults with vocational training throughout the past quarter:

36 students graduated from the tailoring and knitting programme in September
40 new students have enrolled onto the course at the new Hope Centre in Naguru so far
20 students graduated with their DIT Certificates in Carpentry and Joinery in September

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Jul 27, 2023
Projects Update: Summer 2023

By Andy Brown | Individual Giving and Supporter Care Manager

Feeding - Breaking Down Barriers

Through working in Kampala’s slum communities for over a decade, we found that many children were unable to join in with our lessons, games and other activities due to fatigue from a lack of food. To ensure this did not become a barrier to participation we decided to provide food for the children attending our various programmes. Over the past three months alone:

The 96 children attending our Encouraging Education Project received a hot nutritious meal everyday
The 805 children attending our Saturday Kids Clubs and 64 children attending our Football Project received a snack and drink during each session

We have also continued to provide food parcels to the families in greatest need. Between April and June we provided food parcels to 122 families who had no other way to sustain themselves, in total supporting 582 individuals with 12,200 meals!

"We had run out of food for a few days now, I had nothing to feed my five children, the food you have given us is more than just a blessing for us, may God bless you."

Educating - Enrolments, Graduations &
Community Libraries

Following a three week school holiday in May, children on our Educating Programmes returned to the classroom to begin term two. The start of the new term is often a busy time, with 10 new children joining our Encouraging Education Project and 7 more enrolled on our School Sponsorship Programme. This means we currently have over 260 children benefitting from our programmes who are able to access a good education as a result.

The last few months has also been a time for celebration, with 4 sponsored children successfully graduating from the programme! Our graduates are leaving with vocational skills in a variety of fields, including: Catering, Hairdressing, Fashion and Design and Early Childhood Development. Although they may have graduated with varying skills and have differing career ambitions, they all share a common belief that their future will now be much brighter as a result of the School Sponsorship Programme.

Thanks to a large number of books that were kindly donated and shipped to Uganda, we have recently been able to setup community libraries at each of our three education centres. These enable children to access books and practice reading in a safe and quiet space.

Protecting - Girls Support Groups, Saturday Kids Clubs & Lots More Football

During the last three months our protection projects have continued to grow and reach more vulnerable children and young adults. More children are coming along to our Saturday Kids Clubs and engaging in sports, games and Bible study, more teenage girls were given free period products, and we expanded our football project into the Naguru slum community. This has almost doubled the number of children who are attending our football programme!

805 children attended Saturday Kids Clubs, across 10 communities
64 teenage boys attended football training, up from 34 at the start of the year
120 Girls Support Groups were held for teenage girls. These included counselling, mentoring, life skills and wellbeing support
Free period products were distributed to 589 teenage girls

Skilling - Graduations, *Mary's Story &
Hope Centre Progress

Our skilling projects have not slowed down as the year has progressed. We continue to take on new students in tailoring, knitting and carpentry, as well as saying goodbye to our graduates leaving the programme with new skills and qualifications, enabling them to support themselves and their families.

In April, 28 students graduated successfully from our tailoring and knitting courses
Since then 38 new students have already been enrolled on the next intake
22 students are now training on our carpentry course after 2 new students joined

“My name is *Mary, I heard about the KCK tailoring project through our local leadership chairman and at that time I was just at home with no employment. When I joined the course, I had no idea about how to do tailoring, I could not even operate a machine on my own. I am so proud that I have been able to learn a number of things. I can make different items on my own such as dresses, pinafores, shirts, skirts and a lot more. I am planning to buy my own machine and start earning money.” *Name changed

Work on our new skilling centre has been progressing well. Some issues with land drainage did slow down progress a little and pushed back the finish date. However, the problem has been solved by installing a new drainage channel and work is Our skilling projects have not slowed down as the year has progressed. We continue to take on new students in tailoring, knitting and carpentry, as well as saying goodbye to our graduates leaving the programme with new skills and qualifications, enabling them to support themselves and their families. back underway at The Hope Centre!

A Message from our Executive Director

While times have continued to be hard, the need to serve our communities has never been greater. We continue to offer our services with consistency and as a result are very well trusted and well respected within the communities. As our programmes are needs based, this is an attribute that keeps us unique.

We have also received several requests to establish our work in more districts within Uganda, but currently do not have the financial recourses to respond. During the upcoming quarter, we shall be reviewing our programmes and budgets with the UK office to address this increasing demand.

A good quarter it has been! Haggai 2:4-5

Blessings,
Samuel Wambayo
Executive Director

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Apr 26, 2023
Project Update: Spring 2023

By Andy Brown | Individual Giving and Supporter Care Manager

Feeding - Distributing Food Parcels

Last year we had planned to scale back our food bank support; however, in response to the cost of living crisis in Uganda we actually saw demand hugely increase and so continued to support families during this difficult time, distributing an incredible 3,093 emergency food parcels during 2022!

With inflation starting to decline we are once again attempting to scale back our food bank support, now only providing food parcels to the families in greatest need. Between January and March we provided food parcels to 40 families comprised of 178 individuals who had no other way to sustain themselves.

Educating - Back to School

In Uganda the school year begins in February, with the long six week holiday taking place over Christmas and New Year rather than the summer. This means it has been a very busy period for our teachers and the rest of our education department as they prepared for the return of children to the classroom.

We have conducted needs assessments within each of our target communities, with the 106 children considered to be in greatest need enrolled onto our Encouraging Education Project. Upon enrolment, none of the children could write their own name, the majority could not recognise any numbers and many were malnourished from eating just one meal per day. The children on our Encouraging Education Project not only benefit academically, but also socially and physically as they enjoy each other’s company in a safe environment and are provided with a hot, nutritious meal every day.

The 168 children enrolled on our School Sponsorship Programme also returned to the classroom. Our team have been busy ensuring the children have the correct uniform, providing stationary packs and organising transport to school if required.

Protecting - Kids Clubs, Football &
Girls Support Groups

Last year, a key focus area for us was the expansion of our projects which focus on protecting children and this continues to be a priority in 2023. Over the last three months children in Kampala’s slum communities have continued to meet together to enjoy play and fellowship in a safe environment.

719 children attended our Saturday Kids Clubs, engaging in play, sports and Bible study across 10 communities
34 teenage boys attended football training in Namuwongo
54 counselling sessions undertaken with our Girls Support Groups
3,300 period products distributed to 550 teenage girls

"My name is *Amy, I was using rags and newspapers during my menstruation periods until I joined the Girls Support Group. I now use reusable sanitary towels given to me each month and I am no longer worried about my menstruation periods, thank you Kids Club Kampala." * Name Changed

Skilling - Hope Centre and *Roald's Story

It has been a busy start to the year for our skilling projects, with new intakes of students undertaking training in tailoring, knitting and carpentry. We have also begun construction on our new vocational skilling centre in Naguru slum, following our Big Give fundraiser last year. We are aiming for our Hope Centre to open in May and so will hopefully be able to share some more positive news with you in the next update.

Currently 35 students training on our tailoring and knitting course and 20 students training on our carpentry course
Students on both courses have received business skills training and undertaken mid-term assessments

Lets hear from a student who has been learning new skills on our Carpentry Project

"My name is *Roald, I joined the carpentry project in November last year. I didn't know anything about furniture making before but after 5 months of training, I am proud that I can make different products like stools, chairs, bookshelves, T.V. stands and more. I started making some money out of the skill when a friend of mine asked me to make a mini wardrobe for his daughter. This was a great experience because I put all my effort to produce a quality product and he liked it more than I thought he would. I am super proud being part of the carpentry project."
* Name Changed

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