Pic 2: Me with one of the families we interviewed for the needs assessment- a grandmother living with three orphans- two from two of her own children that died of HIV/AIDS, and one that she is unrelated to but had compassion on and took in off the street.
Executive Summary
Every child has a right to grow up in a nurturing environment where they can realize their full potential. However, for the approximately 112,000 orphans and other vulnerable children (OVC) in Masaka District of Uganda, this is often not possible due to poverty, domestic violence, and other challenges. Ssenyange Parish in particular is heavily impacted. However, the few existing service providers operate in a limited capacity, and community members are not organized to collaboratively address the challenges they face. BCA has determined that there is a strong linkage between this underserved OVC population and the influx of the children from Ssenyange coming to the streets of Masaka town. Once there, they become even more vulnerable to an array of dangers.
In response to this situation, BCA is proposing the Ssenyange OVC C.A.N. (Community Action Network) Project. The goal of this pilot project is to target OVC households in Ssenyange with interventions that will improve the welfare of OVC and prevent them from coming to the street, while also enhancing the overall capacity of the community to respond to their needs. This project has three main objectives: to establish OVC community action groups; to enhance the ability of group members to meet the basic needs of OVC in their households; and to promote community sensitization and mobilization around OVC issues. BCA is requesting a grant of $900.44 from FSD to carry out the first phase of this project. With this support, two groups will be formed and 3 will be trained, directly impacting 30-45 OVC households. Additionally, two sensitization sessions will be held for a minimum of 50 community members, and groundwork will be laid for additional action on OVC issues.
With 50% of the population below the age of 15, an investment in orphans and other vulnerable children (OVC) through the Ssenyange OVC C.A.N. Project will make a vital contribution to the long-term development of the region. The groups will serve as an enduring structure for promoting welfare of OVC in Ssenyange, and lessons learned can be leveraged to reach out to other needy areas with similar interventions. The project will also fill a major service gap, and position BCA to make significant future contributions to this high priority issue.
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