Educate 200 War & HIV/AIDS-Orphaned Ugandan Girl

Platform for Labour Action with support from GlobalGiving is implementing a project entitled “Educate 100 War and HIV/AIDS Orphaned Ugandan Girls”whose overall goal is to empower female children through education in Lango Sub region. This project was started as a response to the 21-year-old LRA war that left many children orphaned and destitute. There is a pressing need for rehabilitation and empowerment of female children through education. Whereas Lira district is no longer affected by war and the communities are in rehabilitation, there remains a need to better the future for all children especially the female through  girl child  education.

1.0 Details of school beneficiaries for 2021 with their respective schools

2.0 Home monitoring visit

 PLA Lira field staff conducted 4 home visit  to assess  the welfare of these children as well as provide them with psychosocial support. During home monitoring visits, children were healthy despite covid-19. However the children have continued to  face challenges with accessing food since most of the livelihoods of their care takers were disrupted as a preventive measures from COVID -19 for example selling fruits on the street, selling alcohol, Bodaboda business which is giving them hard time to access food to feed them as well as the entire family as was the case in the previous reporting period.

Following the government’s closure of schools due to the outbreak of the second wave of  Covid-19, 2 of primary beneficiaries who are in primary six and 3 who are vocational Education were unable to continue with their primary education.

3.0 Beneficiaries who reported back to school

Akullu and Auma the two primary six beneficiaries reported to schools in the month of May. Akullu is studying at Omito Primary School and Auma is studying at Lira Army Primary School. However they were sent home as a result of the outbreak of the second wave of covid 19 . Furthermore, three vocational students, Adongo, Amoo and Auma began their vocational training in Hair dressing at Vision Ventures women entrepreneurs Association but were unable to continue with their training  due to the outbreak of the second wave of covid 19..

5.0  School fees and Scholastic materials

School fees for all these children were paid, those in primary education were provided with scholastic materials and sanitary towel. Those in vocational education were provided with all the training materials like towels, apron, rollers, Hair food, scissors , Braids, Threads, Weaves and Needles

6.0 School monitoring visit

PLA Lira field officers conducted monitoring Visits for purposes of checking on the welfare of these children as well as provided them with psychosocial support. He further checked on their performance at schools as well as distributed to them scholastic materials like sanitary Towel, Mathematical set, Long rulers, Pens, pencils. Additionally we provided training materials inclusive towels, apron, rollers, Hair food, scissors, Braids, Threads, Weaves and Needles. During the school visits children were found happy however they had fears of covid-19 as many people around them were dying especially old people.

v  Children were advised to wear face mask at all time

v  They were also advised to avoid places where people are over crowding

v  They were advised to wash their hand with soap

v  They are also advised to avoid hand shaking completely as well as stay at home and avoid huge gatherings.

Conclusion

v  Through the GlobalGiving’sproject we have been able to aid the transformation of young girls as well as equipped them with skills to enhance their affordability of basic needs thus providing for their families.As we try to adjust to a new reality and the pandemic’s compounding effects on communities, we shall keep conducting monitoring visits to ensure proper welfare for our beneficiaries.

• PLA Beneficiaries with PLA staff Samuel Odongo (DOCX)