Rebuilding the lives of street children in Uganda

World AIDS Day is held on 1 December each year and is an opportunity for people worldwide to unite in the fight against HIV/AIDS. We want to tell you about the work that Retrak do in the fight against HIV/AIDS in Uganda, Ethiopia and Kenya.

Thanks to the incredible support you give Retrak, in 2010 over 550 street children learnt about HIV/AIDS. Retrak is working hard to educate street children about HIV/AIDS and increase their knowledge helping to reduce their chance of infection.

Retrak & Kick4Life Soccer HIV-prevention Project

Retrak works with “full time” street children that are disconnected from the protection of their family, they live and work on the streets and are at constant risk of exploitation, abuse and poor health. Many street children are HIV-affected having lost a relative through a HIV-related illness, at risk of sexual abuse, or being infected themselves. 

The Global HIV Prevention Working Group insists that evidence-based behaviour change can avert up to 50% of the 15 million new infections projected to occur in the next decade. Education and behaviour change programs are not only amongst the world’s most cost-effective health interventions but also have the greatest potential to reverse the HIV pandemic. Thanks to your support Retrak have been able to introduce this pilot programme to both Uganda and Ethiopia.

Our Goal

The programme uses soccer as a vehicle to increase knowledge of HIV, reduce the stigma around HIV/AIDS and prevent new HIV infections in street children.

The soccer based HIV-prevention project supports street children and adolescents living with HIV (and the consequences of HIV), and their families within their communities by:

• Raising awareness and understanding of HIV/AIDS;
• Combating misunderstandings, stigmatisation and discrimination around HIV/AIDS

Retrak has partnered with Kick4Life www.kick4life.org, a non-profit organisation based in Lesotho that uses the power of soccer to stop the spread of HIV. Retrak and Kick4Life have piloted a football based HIV prevention project for street children in Kampala, Uganda. Retrak and Kick4Life have design a HIV curriculum specifically targeting vulnerable street children. Retrak have been working over the last few months with Kick4Life to deliver the interactive HIV prevention programme to street boys aged 7-17.

The curriculum focuses on building basic life skills that help boys and girls adopt healthy behaviours and live risk-free. Through a series of interactive activities, soccer and discussions students gain a tangible understanding of HIV and AIDS and get a chance to practice the skills necessary for sustainable behaviour change. Key curricular topics include making healthy decisions, avoiding risks, building support networks, reducing stigma and discrimination, increasing knowledge about HIV testing and treatment, addressing gender issues, and assessing values.

Thanks to the support that you give Retrak and street children in Ethiopia, Uganda and Kenya Retrak is able to offer basic but imaginative catch up education for the children, focussing on key subjects such as literacy, numeracy, health and HIV/AIDS. The access to education is vital in building up the self esteem of each child which in turn helps to improve their chances of a successful return back into the community.

In Kampala the capital of Uganda there are over 5,000 children living on the streets. These children are among some of the most vulnerable in the world and really need your support. Why not give a ‘tribute card’ this Christmas. Show your love to your friends and family through Retrak ‘tribute cards’. These cards enable us to return children to safe and loving homes or provide older street children like Hussein (below) with vocational training so that they can have a real alternative to life on the streets.

Go to ‘Gift’ here - http://www.globalgiving.org/projects/support-street-children-in-africa/ ...

and transform the life of a street child this Christmas.

Hussein came to the streets when he was about 15yrs. He had run away from his fathers place after his mother had died. When she was alive he would wake up in the morning and see the smoke from the kitchen and know that breakfast was coming. When he was left with just his father there was never any smoke in the mornings, his father was not able to care for him on his own.

After more than 2 years on the streets of Kampala, Hussein was introduced to Retrak. He was often silent and not willing to open up. But after the hard work of the social workers and being moved to Tudabujja under the loving care and support of the house mothers, Hussein began to change. Slowly he began to show interest in going home.

In October, the Retrak team went with Hussein to his father’s place where they found that his father had remarried. The team and family were able to discuss the situation and the father readily accepted to take Hussein. He stayed with his father and they were given school fees for the start of the new school year in January.

The subsequent follow-ups have shown that Hussein is settling in well and attending school, although it is difficult for him since he is much older than his classmates. He is keen to finish his studies and start a vocational training course. His relationship with his father is much better and he is happy to be at home to look after his little sister. Hussein is thankful to Retrak for helping him move away from street life an allowing him to build bridges with his family.