DWELLING PLACES

Dwelling Places (DP) is a Ugandan child protection organization with extensive experience in the prevention and response to child trafficking and unsafe migration (CTUM), alongside broader child protection and social welfare programming. Since 2002, DP has been at the forefront of efforts to combat child exploitation, including trafficking, sexual violence, forced labour, and modern-day slavery. DP’s work spans rescue, rehabilitation, education, reintegration, and community-based prevention, with a strong presence in Kampala, Wakiso, and Napak District and active engagement at the national level in policy advocacy and systems strengthening for child protection. Our Vision statement: A world... read more Dwelling Places (DP) is a Ugandan child protection organization with extensive experience in the prevention and response to child trafficking and unsafe migration (CTUM), alongside broader child protection and social welfare programming. Since 2002, DP has been at the forefront of efforts to combat child exploitation, including trafficking, sexual violence, forced labour, and modern-day slavery. DP’s work spans rescue, rehabilitation, education, reintegration, and community-based prevention, with a strong presence in Kampala, Wakiso, and Napak District and active engagement at the national level in policy advocacy and systems strengthening for child protection. Our Vision statement: A world where every child is nurtured to thrive in a safe family and community and is empowered to reach their full potential. The Mission statement: Rescue, Rehabilitate, Reconcile, and Reintegrate street-connected children and abandoned babies into nurturing communities that protect, empower, and advocate for them to grow and thrive. The core mandate of Dwelling Places is; Rescue: Our street outreach program forms the entry point to our child protection and rehabilitation efforts. Through targeted outreach activities, we engage street-connected children in safe and consistent interactions designed to build trust and meaningful relationships. These engagements enable our teams to assess individual situations, identify vulnerabilities, new trends on the streets, and respond effectively. Rehabilitation: The Transitional Rehabilitation Home serves as a core component of our child protection and reintegration strategy. It provides a structured, holistic environment where rescued children receive comprehensive psychosocial support aimed at promoting recovery, resilience, and successful reintegration. Children are offered temporary shelter, nutritious meals, medical and mental health care, counselling, catch-up education, and life skills development. Reconciliation: Family tracing and mediation are integral components of our rehabilitation and reintegration process. Through close collaboration with community structures, local leaders, and child welfare authorities, we trace parents, relatives, or suitable foster families for each child in our care, guided by the Alternative Care framework of Uganda. Reintegration: Our ultimate goal is to ensure that every child is permanently settled in a nurturing family and community where they can grow and thrive. To promote long-term stability and prevent re-separation, we provide continuous post-reintegration support tailored to the needs of each child and family. This includes psychosocial support, continuous follow-up, positive parenting training, and targeted economic empowerment initiatives for caregivers, guided by individual family assessments. These interventions strengthen household resilience, enhance child wellbeing, and sustain positive reintegration outcomes. Education and Skills Development: Education lies at the heart of the Dwelling Places model and serves as a cornerstone of sustainable reintegration and empowerment. We provide access to a continuum of learning opportunities, including formal and non-formal education, vocational and apprenticeship training, and life skills development programs for rescued and reintegrated children. Advocacy and Networking: Dwelling Places actively engages in advocacy, networking and partnership-building to influence positive change in child protection, Gender Based Violence (GBV) prevention and youth empowerment at local, national and regional levels. Dwelling Places also promotes youth empowerment by creating opportunities for young people to develop life skills, leadership, confidence and resilience, and to participate in community-level prevention and advocacy initiatives. By fostering partnerships and collective action, the organisation strengthens referral systems and community protection mechanisms and amplifies the voices of vulnerable children and youth, contributing to safer, more inclusive communities where young people are empowered to prevent all forms of violence and respond to Thrive. Dwelling Places Core Values: Christian Ethics; Child-centeredness; Accountability; Teamwork; Professionalism; Innovation; Partnerships Dwelling Places delivers integrated programming across the following key areas: • Child trafficking and unsafe migration (CTUM) prevention and response • Child protection and safeguarding systems strengthening • Rescue, rehabilitation, Family tracing, reconciliation, and reintegration services • Psychosocial support and trauma-informed care • Education support for the reintegrated children, including catch-up education • Vocational training and livelihood development • Community-based child protection mechanisms and collaboration • Advocacy and policy engagement on child rights and protection