EDUCATION
When we began in 2003, we sponsored 3 orphans, but now we are glad to announce that this number has risen to 40. 4 are at pre-school level, 22 in primary schools, 11 in secondary and 3 have completed tertiary courses. Of our original 3 orphans, Peace completed the Hotel and Catering course, and is now employed in Nairobi, Kenya. Stella likewise, studied Business Administration, and has recently finished her field attachment at Sugar Corporation of Uganda Limited (SCOUL). Mumbejja completed a teacher training course and Blessing completed a hairdressing and skincare course, and is now working in Mukono.
Last year, 6 of our children sat the Uganda National Exams (UNEB), all of whom passed. 4 were admitted to secondary schools, 1 achieved a top grade in his Uganda Certificate of Education (GCSE equivalent), and 1 passed at advanced level.
HIV OUTREACH PROGRAMMES: PREVENTION, CARE AND SUPPORT
Through our HIV programmes, we have provided 27 communities with counselling and testing services, and encouraged people to use them in order to allow people to access treatment and ultimately reduce the prevalence of the disease. With our counselling services, we help to educate people on how to minimise the risk of infection. We target all persons from the age of 18 months upwards for these services, with a particular focus on this living at the banks of the River Nile and Lake Kyoga landing sites, which have been identified as high-risk areas.
We found that taking the testing facilities into the communities themselves —making them easily accessible— encouraged people to use them. Following this logic, we also invested in a van in order to transport people to health facilities.
MICRO-CREDIT SCHEMES
This programme is intended to provide people living with HIV/AIDS with finances to provide money for transport to health centres for routine check-ups and treatment, and equally to enable them to meet domestic and educational requirements for the people in their care. The programme has 40 beneficiaries.
Bogere, for example, borrowed money for a pedal-powered sewing machine, allowing him to set up a business mending clothes.
ANIMAL AND POULTRY KEEPING PROJECT
We provide goats, chickens and bees for the guardians of our children, enabling them to increase their incomes and feed the children eggs, milk and cheese, vital sources of protein. This makes a huge difference, as children previously suffered from malnutrition over the holidays. A further benefit of the project is that it allows the guardians to use the manure as fertilisers on their land
HEALTH CAMPS
Currently, we have 3 health camps in operation, which are attended by around 40 children. Their aim is to educate children about their health and about how to protect themselves against STDs and unwanted pregnancy, as well as life-threatening diseases, such as AIDS. The children are equally taught where they can access counselling and treatment. We are grateful to Plan International and AMREF, who helped out at the camps.
CHRISTMAS PARTIES
The Christmas party is an annual event in order to give Kayunga’s orphaned and poverty-stricken children the chance to celebrate Christmas, regardless of their financial situations. In 2015, we hosted and fed 127 children, the funds for which were donated by Woodhouse College, London and Preston Sunday School. (See Special Occasions)
FUTURE PROJECTS
THREE-YEAR PILOT FOOD SECRUITY PROGRAMME
This programme has 3 main aims, intended to benefit 896 people directly:
- To increase the amount of food produced by farmers
- To improve the nutritional value of the food produced, thereby improving the health of orphans and farmers alike
- To increase the incomes of the farmers, and therefore their capacity to care for the orphaned children
We intend, by addressing these three issues, to tackle the high level of malnutrition amongst orphans, a problem that is impeding physical and mental development, adding to health problems, and resulting in poor school attendance, as well as combating extreme poverty amongst the guardians of orphans.
