In response to an estimated 1 million orphans in Uganda, we are working to empower and improve the welfare of vulnerable children in Uganda through education, capacity building, and advocacy. Although the government of Uganda instituted free Universal Primary Education, a lot of orphans are dropping out of school because they lack scholastic materials or lunch food. This project seeks to provide books/pens and lunch meals to help keep 250 orphans in school for the rest of this year
HIV/AIDS orphans in Uganda are dropping out of school even when Primary School Education is free. This is so because many of them come from Child Headed Households where they are the bread winners. The lucky ones come from households headed by great grand parents or guardians too overwhelmed by the number of children they are helping. Many of them can barely afford their meals let alone scholastic materials. With no money to buy books or pay the lunch fee many orphans stop attending school.
This project will provide scholastic materials; books, pens, pencils, rubbers and colors to 250 HIV/AIDS orphans to motivate them to stay in school. We will also provide the lunch fee directly to the schools where these orphans attend. The charge usually ranges from $20 to $30 dollars per school term. The project is also promoting small agro-businesses in the orphans' households to ensure sustainability and to empower them to take care of their own needs.
The longer we keep a child in school the better their education attainment and also the better they will appreciate the advantages of a formal education and want to stay in it all the way to college. The girl orphans who drop out of school risk being married off by their surviving relatives and boys risk becoming reckless. Education not only empowers these orphans but will also inspire a lot of other vulnerable children and strengthen their communities socially and economically.
