CONTEXT
Around 55-65% of Kampala’s 1.7 million inhabitants reside in slum areas resulting from rural urban migration, & the city is struggling to accommodate its infrastructure to this massive & growing need. Land tenure remains a controversial issue & persistent flooding creates health & logistical difficulties.
Children living in slums are exposed to various threats and rights violations, malnutrition, lack of sanitation, poverty, and poor health. 67% of children living in Kampala slums do not attend school.
OUR APPROACH
Joy for Children (JFC) has been working to empower individuals & communities in the Kampala slums since 2009. The foundation of our approach is to impart knowledge & skills, and provide the means to self-sufficiency.
A concentration on income generating skills has grown to providing:
- Health insurance and savings & credit programs
- Women’s business cooperatives & skills training
- Water, hygiene and sanitation initiatives
- Prevention of gender based violence and child abuse
- Engaging children in play, reading, social games, and sports.
A child sponsorship program allows children to benefit from education, and a disability program has broken down bias & barriers to children & families living with disabilities.
IMPACT
The project has observed several successes among the targeted slum populations: women’s financial literacy has improved and the savings and credit scheme has allowed women to start their own small-scale businesses, contributing to family’s income and women’s independence.
More children now attend school thanks to families’ improved capacity to pay for both school fees and medical treatments, and children’s self-confidence & outlook has improved with participation in extra-curricular activities in child friendly places.
WAY FORWARD
The immense needs in the Kampala slums requires long-term support from service providers on the ground.
Joy for Children envisions training teams of service providers who will follow the successful models Joy for Children has developed, in turn training families living in slums to have the knowledge and means to become independent and successful.
Consider joining us as a Partner to extend these vital and proven Programs to a greater number in need – together we can create a better life for the most vulnerable in Uganda.
