Our Projects - Uganda
Child Soldiers Project
Northern Uganda
Background
The civil war in Uganda has left hundreds of thousands of people homeless. Children have been forcibly abducted by the rebels to fight for them. Stories of the atriocities are horrendous and the humanitariun crisis is probably the worst in the world. There are thousands of displaced people, especially children. A number of international organizations are now working in Uganda. Charity of Peace Foundation is a locally based project staffeed by local people who have lived and worked in refugee camps. This project will provide protection, rehabilitation and family reunification for the children caught up in this violence.
Finance Needed
Action for Street Kids is the main funder at the moment. Funding is needed to work with children who have come out of the bush and are now displaced. Two social workers are to be employed to begin the process of workinmg with children. A family tracing and home assesment unit is to be setup along with a councelling centre. So ASK has donated £20,000 to the Charity for Peace Foundation's work with former child soldiers and displaced children.
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Charity for peace foundation - street children project
Street kids project-funded by action for street kids March to July 2011 progress report
Dowload the progress report in WORD format here.
Background and period progress: Northern Uganda is emerging from over two decades (1986 to 2006) of protracted violent armed conflict perpetrated by the LRA. The conflict, which was in 2003 described as “the worst neglected humanitarian crisis in the world,” is characterized by the abduction of over 30,000 children, internal displacement of an estimated 1.8 million people, deaths of thousands and the devastation of infrastructure and economic livelihoods. The humanitarian situation in Northern Uganda was halted by the August 26th 2006 Cessation of Hostilities Agreement between the Government of Uganda and the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) under the auspice of the Juba Peace Talks, mediated by the Government of Southern Sudan.
While negotiations in Juba brought tentative peace to Northern Uganda, it drove the LRA out of Northern Uganda to neighboring countries in the Great Lakes Region where the humanitarian emergency continues, effectively turning the LRA into a transnational threat to peace and stability. The relative peace in Northern Uganda enabled the return and resettlement/reintegration of formerly Internally Displaced Persons (IDP), and effectively set the stage for reconstruction and development in northern Uganda.
This exodus of street children started in 2006 when night commuters’ centers were closed in northern Uganda and with return and resettlement of the displaced population of northern Uganda.
The survey done by UNICEF and Charity for Peace Foundation attributed the reasons for existence of street children in northern Uganda to; poverty at home, total orphans, child labour, child neglect, domestic violence and some are children born in captivity. CPF continued to work on this issue with funding from Action for Street Children in collaboration with Gulu District Child Protection Working Group and used a protracted strategy which concentrate more on community outreach and on street activities aimed at reducing the levels of child neglect and creating awareness on increased levels of child vulnerability in Gulu, Nwoya and Amuru Districts.
This report covers activities from March 2011 to July 2011. During this period, on average there have been 43 children who are full time street children on the street of Gulu town while 81 were part time on street. It was also discovered that on average 26 children were arrested by the police beaten and remanded in Gulu Juvenile Remand home and later released because of lack of food for feeding them in the remand home while 7 are still in Juvenile Remand Home waiting court hearings.
Activities During the Period
Day of African child: Since 1991, Uganda has joined the world in celebrating day of the African Child. This year the theme was "ALL TOGETHER FOR URGENT ACTIONS IN FAVOUR OF STREET CHILDREN". In a bid to promote the voices of children and ensure that the rights of children are respected and upheld, CPF supported the participation of 17 children from streets of Gulu and 30 children selected from 3 primary schools from Amuru sub county for celebrations in Atiak sub-county and provided Information, Education and Communication materials to bring visibility of the day under its theme. Street children and Pupils were also able to participate through poems and songs that reflected on their rights and needs on the street and within their communities. Some of the core messages that these children passed out to the community included protection against violent on the street and defilement by sugar daddies, rape and demonstrated role models that children require for surviving and realizing their rights.
Family and child tracing; During this period, the Social worker of CPF made 12 family field visits and reunited 13 children out of which 8 have come back on the street of Gulu. There has been a fruitful meeting for partnership with initiative of Mr. Peter Tyrer whereby SAFE founded by Judith, a long time UK based Ugandan will help in tracing children from Kampala. CPF will put up radio messages for children lost from northern Uganda, compile all biographic details on the child, obtain their photos where necessary then submit to Kampala for tracing.
Center based Services; CPF still continue with the counseling of the street children at the center. This is a two hour activities that focuses on group and one to one counseling. Out of 37 children engaged in counseling, 10 confessed that they will leave theft and 13 confessed that they will leave drug abuse while the others think they can’t do without thieving, robbery, burglary, shoplifting and use of drugs.
During this period at least 24 children were able to go for HIV/AIDS testing at Gulu Regional Referral Hospital and TASO. Out of these children 7 tested HIV/AIDS positive. This is because the Street children still continue to go to rape the sex workers in a place know as Buganda PUB at night.
On Street Activities; CPF continues to register new cases of street children entering streets of Gulu.
The Social Workers move day time and night time to discover them. During this activity they also talk to the children and counsel some of them who refuse to come to the center for our daily programme.
Children in conflict with the law; We have experienced a lot of problem because of children getting in conflict with the law. The police tried to forcefully evict children on the street in June but they came back on the street. Their major complain were that these children are criminals. The common cases have been shoplifting, burglary, theft, robbery of motor bikes, rape, drug abuses, pick pocketing.
The community, local leaders, the police, other security guards including parents and care givers now look at street children as problem other than considering vulnerability of the children
Community child Outreach; This activity helps to sensitize the parents of the street children/ Care Giver to reconsider their position on a child. In these months it became impossible to carry this activity because of lack of funding. We plan to continue with this activity including radio programme which we think will go a long way to sensitize community on the plight of the street children.
CHALLENGES; CPF still has limited funding for this particular project and that is why implementation is some time very challenging when there is a lot to be done for the street children of northern Uganda.
- Street children rehabilitation is limited by lack of knowledge on child rights on the site of the police and local authorities and this has some time brought conflict as we try to protect the street children.
- Rehabilitating street children within town setting is very difficult therefore there is need to build street children rehabilitation center out of town. This is limited by lack of resources for this. CPF request ASK to lobby for this funding from Comic Relief and any other donor from the UK and other places.
- There has been no enough money for feeding the street children from CPF center therefore they are always left to use their other time to look for their own ways of looking for food and unfortunately instead of doing petty trade, they go stealing, burglary, pick pocketing, shoplifting, robbery from people around town and the police and the public turn to CPF for their plight.
Planned Activities
WORKSHOP ON STREET CHILDREN. We plan to carry out advocacy workshop on street children in Gulu town involving the police, the prison wardens, private security agents, Community service offices, the children themselves, parents and care givers, local authority and other stakeholders like UNICEF and Save the children due to lack of appreciation of the problems facing street children in Northern Uganda. This activity will focus on the following;
- To challenge the different stake holders to make positive difference in the lives of street children.
- Reversing perspectives from ‘Street kids are criminals and a menace to society ‘to ‘ street kids are vulnerable victims that need care and support’
- Creating harmony and positive dialog among community members, government, and local organizations on determining and addressing the many root causes of street kids.
- Encouraging inclusion of current or former street kids with leadership potential in the process of improving rehabilitation programmes for street children.
- Discourage abuse of street kids by citizens or government authorities.
- Enforcing child rights.
Center Feeding: We would like to continue with the porridge for the children. It has been realized that some street children end up spending their nights with the porridge they take from the center after they fail so sell empty mineral water bottles and scraps.
Community Based Training (CBT): We plan to place street children in community based training whereby the pilot training will start with 6 children to learn on job technical skills that will help the children to leave on their own. In this approach, children will gain skills in selected skills of hair dressing and saloon, bicycle repair, cobbler, shoe polishing, pedicures etc. The children will be placed with existing service provider/ business firm, pay the service provider some negotiated amount of money for six months and the business owner start employing the street child.
Community out Reach: It has been realized that the community outreach has been very useful. We plan to carry out 4 radio talk shows and radio messages that appeals to whoever has lost a child to report to our offices and we intend to provide toll free lines for community to call our offices. We also intend to organize community dialogue that will discuss child rights issues and the plight of the street children.
Report Compiled by
Okumu Charles.
Project Officer-Street Children Project
Approved by
Anthony Akol.
Chief Executive Officer
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Charity for peace foundation - street children project
Progress report (Jan 2010 - June 2010)
Dowload the progress report in WORD format here.
You can also download a detailed EXCEL file of the project work plan here.
Background
Charity for Peace Foundation has been working with Street Children in Gulu District with support from ASK. With the return of peace to Northern Uganda and the apparent movement of some of the displaced persons to their original villages, some of the children who were formerly night committers’ and others whose parents are moving to the villages ended up on the street of Gulu for various problems affecting the parents/guidance and others particularly affecting children. During the community resettlement to their villages, they leave their children behind in the town suburbs for luck of social services in the villages. These unaccompanied children now face the daunting tasks of fending for their own needs and that of their other siblings. This phenomenon has led to an influx of the children on the street. While on the streets they are faced by numerous challenges such as being exposed to the excesses of bad weather, brutal treatment by people on the street, sexual exploitation among others.
Together with the District child protection working group, Charity for Peace Foundation agreed to reduce center based activities for children and carry out more of community outreach activities aimed at reducing the levels of child neglect by returning parents which have increased on the levels of child vulnerability in Gulu and Amuru Districts.
In December 2009, David Beck visited Charity for Peace Foundation and a number of things were discussed and agreed upon; It was agreed that for better identification, rehabilitation and reintegration of street children, children need to be accommodated at the CPF street children centre. CPF agreed to start projects that will support feeding of the children and among them were; Diary cattle keeping, Poultry project and welding as ways of raising money for feeding of the children.
1. Children Home:
CPF fixed windows and accommodation for children and as we report now, 57 children use the center for in center programme of 3 hours a day and they are commuting from the street of Gulu to the center on daily basis. The children should have been staying full time in the street children center at CPF but because of lack of meals for the children, CPF still gives time for the children to do their petty work on the street for their meals.
2. Street out reach Activities
CPF has started a two hour on street program per day for street children. Our social workers talk to the children from the street and register them using a developed registration form as a way of finding out part time street children and full time street children. The Social Workers visit the homes of children living on the streets. The visits are intended to check on the history of the children while at home, to build good relationship between the families and their children and to provide Psychosocial Care & Support.
3. Home Visits:
CPF social workers are now travelling to the villages of return and visit the homes of children living in the slum communities from where majority of the children come into the streets. The visit is intended to check on the progress of the children at home, build good relations with their family and also to get an insight into the living conditions in these families.
4. Psychosocial Care & Support:
CPF is running on street and in center counseling activities for Street children. Street children are traumatized by different situations. There is also home care counseling session developed to help the parents on how they can deal with their own problems and how to handle difficult children. Out of 57 children registered, 31 parents/Care givers have been visited and counseling sessions carried with them and others are still on going.
5. Parent/Guardian Meetings:
Four meetings have been held in this year for 69 parents/guardians of street children who came from both the rural villages and suburbs. A lot more things were discussed among them to have monthly meetings, they express their vulnerability and wanted CPF to help them with income generating activities that will make them survive on their own and eventually take care of their children, they express difficulties of handling their own children and wanted CPF to make weekly visits to their home since most children come back to street after reintegration.
6. Resettlement/Reunification:
CPF is working towards reintegrating children with their families as a lasting solution instead of providing residential care. Resettlement involves tracing for their homes, reconciling the child with the family and supporting the child in school or vocational training. Follow up is done until the child is fully resettled in their home. A total of 19 children; 14 boys and 5 girls have been reintegrated into their families through our center this year as a result of the psychosocial support provided for them and their families by our Social Workers. Out of the 19 children, only 7 have permanently remained in their villages while the rest have come back on street. We are aware that merely returning the street children may not be a viable solution to the street children problem so there is need to go an extra mile to support the families since upon return to their home, the children find life at home is worst than life on the street due to poverty at household levels.
7.Theft/Crimes commuted by children:
There are a lot of registered theft and crimes on the street of Gulu commuted by street children. Among them includes; Robbery using toy guns, Pick pocketing, theft at night, braking shops at night, Rape commuted by children and many others. The major causes of these theft cases have been drug abuses and the need to have some food to eat daily. On 22rd July 2010, 10 street children were arrested and beaten by the police over theft and CPF is still following the case with the police.
Challanges:
- The project of Dairy cattle and Poultry have not taken off therefore rehabilitating children has become difficult for the staff of CPF since what they do on the street like smoking marijuana, drinking local waragi and sniffing petrol opium makes it difficult for CPF staff to control. Therefore, there is need to make the children full time in the street children center for better rehabilitation. This can be done by starting the 2 projects to support the feeding for the children.
- The welding project has all the equipments but the 3 phase power supply connection has some cost implication of 750,000/= which CPF has failed to pay. There is need to start the welding work that will help the skill development of the children and at the same time will support the street children project in that the income that come from the project will be used for buying food for the children and other administration cost.
- The staff of CPF has been working almost on voluntary basis since the project didn’t fund the personnel cost when in real sense the rehabilitation work depends on human being. CPF office has been paying Project Officer only 150,000/= per month and she resigned this month until the CEO of CPF talked to her then she agreed to resume work again. There is need to put aside some personnel cost that will motivate the staff to work hard sine working with street children needs total commitment.
- The Care givers of the street children are really in poverty and this makes the street more favorable for the children than their homes because they can afford to eat three times a day and eat what they want to eat. There is therefore need to involve the Care Givers in household income generating activities that will make them provide for their families.
- There is problem of the involvement of police in abuse of children especially beating them during their arrest and investigation. There is need to sensitize the police on child rights in a workshop organize for the police officers. This will help them in handling children.
- Rehabilitating children at the center of the town has become difficult because where CPF street children center is located is just within the town and the fence is now torn and children snick out from the center at night. In the long run, Street Children Rehabilitation center need to be built out of the town. CPF has already obtained land from the community some 5 KMs out of town and this can go along way to help in rehabilitating the children.
- There is also challenge of transport at CPF. The Social workers have difficulties to visit homes which are far away because of the cost implication involved. There is need for only one motor cycle that can be used by the staff in implementing their activities.
Compiled by
Innocent Akena.
Program Coordinator
