With Orphans and other vulnerable children and youth:

 The first case of HIV AIDS death in Namasagali sub -county was reported in 1990. Since then orphans and other vulnerable children produced by AIDS related death and other cases of death from natural ailments have continued to cause a general increase in the number of OVCs. The children in this area who are orphaned have become vulnerable to a host of dangers. Since the guardians can not provide everything  that they need these orphans have to look for ways of supporting themselves and their siblings by offering labour to cut sugarcane in plantations, fishing in River Nile and swamps in the area, charcoal burning and gambling.  For the orphaned girls their only alternative is to marry at early age while others move to towns to work as house helps. Hope for the Rural Child Foundation Namasagali believes that every child deserves the opportunity to live a descent and meaningful life and there is nothing more life changing than providing vulnerable children with education. As regards our support to the education of this category of children and youth we are currently implementing the following projects;

  ON-GOING PROGRAMS:

• Education Sponsorship for Orphans, disabled Children and Youth, Teenage Mothers and other Disadvantaged Children and Youth.
  Through education Hope for the Rural Child Foundation is striving to secure the future for orphans and other needy children and youth in Namasagali sub-county. Though the government introduced the Universal Primary Education and Universal Secondary Education which were intended to provide free education it is not free. The schools implementing these programs still charge fees disguised as building fund, examination fees, lunch fees and others. Infact the fees being charged are even more than what was previously charged before the introduction of these programs and therefore children from disadvantaged backgrounds are still being left out. Therefore we are currently implementing a program that has enabled us to support the education of some of the neediest orphans and other categories of disadvantaged children and youth at both primary and secondary level.
  
  We provide full education sponsorship to orphans, disabled children, teenage mothers and other children from needy families. The beneficiaries of our secondary education sponsorship program study at Namasagali Intergrated Secondary School a school established to support the education of orphans and other children and youth in Namasagali sub -county.  We pay their fees and provide them with other scholaristic needs like books and uniforms. Currently we have 16 in primary and 28 in secondary who have benefited from this program.  This year 2022 we are currently identifying more beneficiaries to reach our target of 60 in primary and 70 in secondary.
  
  Our sponsored children do not only receive free education but also get career guidance and other life skills essential as they move to the future.

PROPOSED PROGRAMS/ PROJECTS

With Orphans and Other Vulnerable Children and Youth

• Livelihood Improvement Project for School Going Youth:
  This is one of our planned interventions for rural children and youth in Namasagali sub county. Under this project needy school going youth shall be trained in skills like vegetable growing, brick laying, goat rearing, poultry keeping, agri- business and other profitable enterprises which they can do after school hours, on weekends and in holidays such that they can support themselves in terms of school fees and other requirements.
  

• Informal Skills Training for Needy Children and Youth
  In Uganda where unemployment is a huge problem a project of this nature aimed at equipping needy children and youth with informal skills is a big step towards creating a society that is productive. Under this project the beneficiaries shall be trained in short informal courses that suit a child/youth in a rural setting and whose skills are highly demanded.  We have identified bicycle repair, soap making, carpentry and tailoring as being ideal for needy children and youth in a rural setting.

• Support to Needy Students to Join Tertiary Institutions
  In Namasagali sub -county only about 0.2% of the youth who complete Ordinary and Advanced Level education and have passed are able to enroll for education in tertiary institutions. We therefore lobby for bursaries and scholarships for these needy students to enable them join universities and other tertiary institutions.

With  Schools.

The school environment contributes a lot towards the stay of the child in school. Most of the government schools in Namasagali sub-county are operating in dilapidated structures, with even some of the classes operating under trees. During the rainy season it is therefore difficult for teachers to conduct teaching. Interventions are therefore required to improve these schools.

Proposed Projects:

• Infrastructure Improvement Project for Needy Schools.
  If we get donor funding we shall renovate infrastructure in some of the needy public schools that we have already identified in Namasagali sub-county.  This will go along way in encouraging children to stay in school.

• Mindset Change Project for Children and Youth in School.
  Most of the learners in schools in rural areas in Uganda understand life issues basing on what they hear in the rural communities where they live.  A girl child in school still believes the girls can go no where in education. We therefore want to cause mindset change to influence these learners to stop involving in behaviours which they indulge in due to their understanding of life issues. We plan to create model schools, one in each parish with a talking compound with messages that will motivate a child to stay in school.

• Awareness Campaigns on Sexual Reproductive Health among Children and Youth
  Most of the teenage pregnancies registered in Namasagali sub-county are a result   of lack of result awareness about sexual reproductive health issues among young people. Though reproductive health information can be provided by health workers at health facilities few young people are invited to attend SRH seminars held at health centres. Hope for the Rural Child Foundation Namasagali shall work with staff at Namasagali Health Centre III to conduct SHR seminars in schools and villages during holidays. Such seminars shall always focus on the dangers of teenage sex, dangers of sexually transmitted diseases and other SRH issues.

With the community

The local community where the children live impacts directly on the lives of children. If the community is faced with poverty it is the children who suffer most because the households where they live will not afford to send them to school. Namasagali sub-county being one of the poorest sub-counties in Uganda implies that a lot needs to be done to increase household income such that children can be availed with the necessities of life especially education. According to records from Kamuli District Probation Office Namasagali sub -county continues to register the highest number of cases of child marriages, defilement, domestic violence all of which have affected children. Hope for the Rural Child Foundation Namasagali has planned many interventions to address the challenges within the community as a step to secure the future of children and youth.

Proposed Projects:

• Door to Door Campaigns for girl Child Education
  In Namasagali sub-county many parents have continued to think that educating a girl child is wastage of money. This is why the girls are married off at early age. Using our volunteers and village political leaders we plan a door to door campaign, in households where girls do not go to school so as to create awareness on the benefits of educating a girl child.

• Community sensitization on the dangers of HIV-AIDS. 
  The HIV-AIDS epidemic has contributed the highest number of OVCs in           Namasagali sub-county. Though a lot of efforts have been put in by the Government of Uganda and development partners to fight HIV AIDS more still needs to be done. We plan awareness meetings at village levels on the dangers of HIV AIDS and how to avoid getting the virus.

• Interventions to solve community challenges that affect children.
  We seek the help of donors to enable us support the community to solve some of the pressing problems in villages which directly burden children.  If a village lacks a nearby water source it is children who are burdened most because it is them who move long distances looking for water for home use, meanwhile missing to attend school or arriving at school late.

• Support to Community Efforts Against Poverty
  We shall  work with Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLA) registered with Namasagali Sub –county Local Government with inputs like improved maize seeds, goats, poultry, vegetable seeds among others such that group members can start small income generating activities to boost up household income. Once household income increases parents can afford to cater for the basic needs of their children.

• Community Sensitization on the Dangers of Domestic violence especially on Children
  In Namasagali sub-county domestic violence has become a cancer that continues to threaten the future of children. Domestic violence is one of the leading causes of child marriages in this area. It has caused divorce of married couples which impacts negatively on children. A school going girl child whose mother separated with the husband due to endless violence at home will always drop out of school and get married. We shall embark on a village to village sensitization on the dangers of domestic violence and tell the community how it impacts negatively on the future of children.