Imagine a child left homeless when his mother is sent to prison for defending herself against an abusive husband. Children like this roam the rat-infested, flooded alleys of Kampala's Namuwongo slum all day, scavenging for food and searching for shelter. Without help, they would not survive. Uganda Hands for Hope aims to alleviate poverty and facilitate lasting change in the lives of the most vulnerable children and families living in Namuwongo through education, health and livelihood programs.
The Namuwongo slum has an estimated 25,000 people living on a floodplain with no sanitation. 90% of the population live below the absolute poverty line, earning less than 1USD/day. Over 50% of the population are children for whom the slum is an extremely dangerous place: alcoholism is rife, sexual exploitation is common, hygiene levels are extremely poor and diseases spread quickly. Malaria is still the leading cause of death in Uganda, accounting for over 27% of deaths.
Hands for Hope's social workers identify the most vulnerable children and enroll them in different programs in education, disabilities, livelihoods and health. The school is funded by individual sponsors who pay monthly donations. Each child is provided with the opportunity to go to school, two meals a day, access to safe, clean drinking water and free basic medical care. From the first day that the child joins the program, HfH is very much involved in the child's welfare, health, and education.
By supporting the slum's most vulnerable families, this project can profoundly impact the entire community. With their children safe and fed, parents can focus on lifting themselves out of the extreme poverty that has plagued them. The organization's vocational trainings and investment into small businesses are also facilitating lasting change. Finally shown the love and support they deserve, the children will gain the confidence to become responsible, compassionate assets to their community.
This project has provided additional documentation in a PDF file (projdoc.pdf).
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