Keep HIV+ Children in School-Give them a Future

Keep HIV+ Children in School Project June 2026

The Keep HIV+ Children in School project was established to ensure that children living with HIV can continue accessing education despite the social, economic, and health-related challenges they face. We are pleased to report that the project continues to make meaningful progress. With the continued support of our sponsors and partners, children enrolled in the program have remained in school, with sustained attendance and stability in their learning journeys.

Thanks to your ongoing support, we were able to enrol one additional child into the HIV support programme this year in May. This child will now receive structured educational support for at least the next seven years, enabling him to complete primary education with consistency and stability. This expansion, though modest, represents an important step forward in reaching more vulnerable children who would otherwise be at high risk of school dropout due to their circumstances.

While our focus remains on ensuring access to education, we increasingly recognize that schooling alone is not sufficient to guarantee the wellbeing of HIV-positive children. Many of the children in our programme continue to face interconnected challenges, including limited access to healthcare, psychological stress, food insecurity, and unstable household incomes. These factors directly affect their concentration in school, emotional wellbeing, and long-term development.

We therefore believe that a more integrated approach is necessary, one that combines education support with broader social and wellbeing interventions. Although we are not yet able to fully provide all services as a single package, we strongly believe that, with continued partnership and donor support, a synergistic model of care is possible. Such a model would allow children affected by HIV to gradually access not only education, but also basic healthcare, psychological support, and essential living needs.

To strengthen long-term outcomes, MaSe Foundation Uganda remains committed to exploring sustainable and community-based approaches that can complement education support. Our vision is to see children not only stay in school, but also grow in a safe, supported, and stable environment where their overall wellbeing is addressed.

We extend our deepest appreciation to all our sponsors and partners who continue to walk this journey with us. Your support ensures that children living with HIV are not defined by their condition, but instead are given the opportunity to learn, grow, and build meaningful futures.

Project Implemented by Mase Foundation Uganda

The Keep HIV+ Children in School project was established to ensure that children living with HIV continue accessing education despite social, economic, and health-related challenges. Education remains a critical pathway for breaking cycles of poverty, stigma, and vulnerability among HIV-positive children and their families.

Despite a challenging funding environment, the project has continued to make meaningful progress. Supported children have remained enrolled in school, with improved attendance and retention rates. Through school fees support and scholastic materials Mase Foundation Uganda is striving to reduce school dropouts among HIV+ children under its care.

This continuity has been especially significant during a period marked by the withdrawal and reduction of funding from major donors, including USAID funding cuts and similar decisions by several European partners. In the face of these setbacks, the resilience of the project has been sustained largely through committed donors and well-wishers.

We at Mase Foundation Uganda extend our sincere gratitude to all donors and partners who have stood with these children during this trying moment. Your unwavering support has ensured that education was not interrupted, even as global funding priorities shifted. At a time when many programs were forced to scale down or close, your commitment has been a lifeline.

While school attendance has been maintained, it is increasingly clear that education alone is not enough. Many HIV+ children face structural challenges such as food insecurity, inadequate housing, limited access to healthcare, and lack of family income. These factors directly affect school performance, health outcomes, and long-term wellbeing. There is a growing need to move beyond short-term educational support and invest in more holistic, structural interventions that address the root causes of vulnerability. Without such support, the risk of absenteeism, poor performance, and eventual dropout remains high.

To ensure long-term sustainability, Mase Foundation Uganda recognizes the urgent need to establish self-sustaining initiatives. These initiatives would enable children and their households to meet basic needs such as food, healthcare, and school-related expenses independently.

Potential approaches include income-generating activities, vocational skills development for older children and caregivers, and community-based social enterprises. Such initiatives would reduce dependency on external aid, strengthen household resilience, and ensure that education support is backed by stable livelihoods.

The Keep HIV+ Children in School project continues to make a meaningful impact under difficult circumstances. However, sustaining and expanding this impact will require renewed commitment, structural support, and innovative, self-sustaining solutions. Mase Foundation Uganda remains dedicated to walking this journey with the children and calls upon partners and supporters to continue standing with them—so that no child’s education is cut short due to illness, poverty, or shifting global priorities.

Links:

• Website Mase Foundation

• Progress_Report_keep_HIv_children_in_school_2026.pdf (PDF)