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UTOPIA
UGANDA TARGETING ORPHANS IN RURAL AREA
CONTACT DETAILS:
DIRECTOR (UGANDA) ... (+256) 784132929
COORDINATOR ... (+256) 779366701
COUNTRY DIRECTOR (UK) ... (+256) 7709967304
EMAIL: utopia456@hotmail.com
COMMUNITY CONTRIBUTION:
LAND
CASUAL LABOUR
PROJECT PROPERTY SECURITY
MOBILISATION
VOLUNTEERS
PROJECT BACKGROUND:
UTOPIA was founded on the 3rd June 2008 as an FBO (Faith Base Organisation) non-governmental, non-profit making organisation.
It is registered in Uganda, certificate no. KCD 00918 in the Kyenjojo District index of registration.
OUR VISION:
We visualise a community where young people and neglected adults have the opportunity to influence decisions that affect their
development; and to develop skills that will help them attain sustainable living.
OUR MISSION:
To develop partnerships with under privileged young people in Uganda, in order to drastically improve their quality of life, to provide
sustainable levels of comfort and access to opportunities for self improvement.
Secondarily, we want to involve impoverished adults in the social/ economic development programs.
PROBLEM STATEMENT:
The HIV/ AIDS epidemic in Uganda has decimated the adult population in many rural villages, leaving scores of orphaned children missing
either one or both parents. Many of these children are infected with the HIV virus themselves.
According to the 2002 Uganda population and housing census in our area of operation of Kyarsuozi sub-county in Kyenjojo district, there are
3,613 orphaned children. Some of these orphans are living in child headed families, while others are looked after by elderly and infirm
caregivers often incapable of providing the full needs required by children such as nutrition, security, education and domestic care. Sometimes
there are as many as 10 orphans living in one home with mud walls and roofs thatched with banana leaves. They don’t have access to proper
footwear, and many are blighted by jigger parasites.
The standard of living in the village homesteads is often phenomenally poor; the household occupants often lack a healthy diet resulting in
malnutrition. There is limited education among the orphans, as there is a lack of money for school fees, or even basic scholastic materials such
as pencils and books.
Child abuse is rife in these areas, with corporal punishment, sexual harassment and early marriages being forced upon many of the orphans.
The caregivers are usually too young or too old to interfere, the children therefore have no choice but to suffer in science, without a voice to
defend them.
Many caregivers aren’t sensitized to the dangers of childhood infection, resulting in that many of the orphans aren’t taken for childhood
inoculations. The result of this is that common diseases such as TB and polio are a major problem.
Malaria affects a large percentage of the target population since mosquito nets are not in wide circulation; it is a key factor in the high
childhood mortality rate.
After as child’s parents die, they lack the care and guidance given by mothers and fathers. They often see this as the end of their own lives and
loose hope in themselves. Especially if the child has been infected by HIV, they develop a poor attitude toward education, thinking they are
going to die soon.
Also; the property of the orphans is often looted by merciless people, taking advantage of the orphans not knowing their human rights.
Furthermore, the orphans are being discriminated in their communities and end up isolating themselves from others, living a miserable life.
PROJECT GOAL:
Our immediate plans revolve around research of need and identification of beneficiaries in our target population. We will be campaigning for
children’s rights, moving from one school to another giving psycho-social support in the form of counselling on children’s rights. We are also
implementing income generating activities in our target area to provide finances to OVC homesteads.
For our long term objectives we intend to provide lasting services to or target of 1000 OVC’s.
PROJECT BENEFICARIES:
• OVC’s
600 in schools, through distribution of scholastic materials
400 out of school through vocational training
• Local leaders
OBJECTIVES:
Planned Activities:
Under this objective, the project intends to give psycho-social support in the form of counselling to our target of 1000 OVC’s in families, and to
educate them on the ways of living a fulfilling, productive life despite their HIV status.
We are distributing scholastic materials to OVC families in order to ease the financial burden of education, thus allowing more children the
opportunity to attend school.
In the long term, we plan to set up our own primary school and vocational training centre for those in our area of operation.
(2) To sensitize the rural community in our target sub-county on the negative impact of HIV/ AIDS and possible
prevention measures, by 2011.
Planned Activities:
We plan to provide a voluntary counselling and free testing service to the community. We have already formed a drama group that carries out
music dance and drama (MDD) performances in the community, in order to sensitize members about the trials of living with HIV and the
problems occurred in society.
We also intend to train peer leaders (such as local council members) to advocate for children’s rights and behavioural change communication
in the community toward OVC families.
(3) To establish vocational training centres and train 400 OVC’s in basic vocational skills by the end of the project
period.
Planned Activities:
We plan to establish sustainable vocational training centres, to give training in such fields as carpentry, tailoring, bricklaying etc. This will be
linked to competitive markets, so the target group can obtain fair price for their produce.
We have already implemented several income generating activity schemes such as the ‘Tie and Dye’ project, where our members produce
handcrafts and African made clothes for sale.
(4) To establish two agricultural demonstration centres to support 200 OVC families with agricultural inputs by 2011.
Planned Activities:
We plan to grow and maintain our own demonstration plots which will enable it to train community members in good agricultural techniques
that they can then implement on their own land. The project will distribute agricultural equipment such as hoes and rakes to caregivers of
OVC’s. Seedlings grown on the projects demonstration plots can then be distributed to OVC families. These will include banana saplings and
pineapple cuttings.
We also want to establish a small poultry centre where eggs can be hatched in rapid succession using incubators and the chicks used to finance
the project, and to distribute to OVC families.
(5) To create community awareness on the rights of orphans and vulnerable children in our target sub-county.
Planned Activities:
We will broadcast community radio programs promoting the rights of children, and establish community child advocacy boards. Furthermore
we will give psycho-social support and counselling in the community and visit the major parishes with our drama group to sensitize about the
basic rights of children to security, nutrition and education. Specific issues under community advocacy and sensitization that we intend to
address will be child protection, sexual harassment, forced marriages and defilement.
We will distribute translated information, education and communication (IEC) materials in the form of brochures and posters promoting
human rights.
(6) To provide basic health care services to 1000 OVC’s and their families/ caregivers.
Planned Activities:
Initially we will provide health care services through out-reaches and by training the OVC caregivers in primary health care (PHC) so as to
create a healthy home environment for OVC’s. We intend to mobilise OVC’s and caregivers to go for HIV counselling and free testing, so that
they know their HIV/ AIDS status for future planning. OVC’s with HIV/ AIDS will be followed up by us and provided with psycho-social support
and referred to a government health facility for paediatric care and treatment.
In addition, we plan to distribute insecticide treated mosquito nets and to promote childhood inoculation among OVC families to minimise
infections such as malaria.
In the long term we plan to build permanent health facilities such as clinics with medical personnel, providing ready health care to OVC’s and
the community at large.
Sustainability Statement:
Initial funds and donations will be invested in training OVC’s in vocational activities. OVC’s trained in the initial phase will become trainers of
trainers – for sustainability.
Income generating activities like poultry, carpentry centres and tailoring centres will in future finance the activities of the project.
UTOPIA
Goal: To provide lasting services to 1000 OVC's • Decrease in % age of OVC school drop • Educational • Community participation
in our area of operation of Kyarsuozi sub-county out Surveys • Funds are available
in Kyenjojo district, Uganda. • Reduced number of OVC in absolute • Household • OVC willingness to
To implement sustainable income generating poverty Surveys engage in Project
community activities, and train OVC's in • Increase in income generating activities • Poverty activities
vocational skills. among OVC reports
• Reduced cases of child abuse, neglect • Police and
In the long term, to set up a permanent health and exploitation health reports
centre and primary and vocational schools to
provide education to OVC families, and the
community at large.
Objective 1: To strengthen service - No. Of OVC trained and attending - Project reports - Training environment
provision to orphans and vulnerable vocational training - End of training remains favourable
- Drop in OVC mortality rates reports - Resources are available
children (OVC)
- Health reports
Objective 3: To establish vocational - Number of OVC’s supported with - Receipts - Funds are available
training centres and train 400 OVC’s in scholastic materials and other - End of training
education support. reports
basic vocational skills by the end of the
project period.
Objective 5: To create community - Reduction in the prevalence of child - Project - Funds available
awareness on the rights of orphans and abuse reports - Stakeholder
- - Police records participation
vulnerable children in our target sub –
- Open
county testimonies
Objective 6: To provide basic health care - No. of OVC’s receiving medical care - Project - Active community
reports participation and
services to 1000 OVC’s and their families/
ownership of the
Caregivers program activities
Construction of Targeting dry seasons Project and staff Distribution of hatched chicks to 50 OVC families
poultry centre
To create Community X X X Project & partners 8 children parliaments in schools
community advocacy
awareness on the meetings and child
rights of orphans parliaments
and vulnerable Radio shows X X Project staff Raise children’s rights to mass audience
children in our
target sub - county Production of IEC On going Project & partners Produce & distribute t-shirts + 500 posters and brochures
materials
Establish parent X X X X Project & partners Training and encouraging parents and guardians to care for
and guardian their children
associations
Sensitization X X X X Project & partners Local council made aware of project work in our area
seminars
Medical care Outreach program X X X X X X X X Project & partners Test for HIV/ AIDS in the community
services to 1000 & testing
OVC’s Sensitization X X X X Project & partners To encourage positive living among OVC’s
seminars on life
planning skills
Training caregivers X X X X Project & partners 4 courses per year in major parishes
in health care
Distribution of X X X X Project & partners Distribution of mosquito nets to OVC’s
mosquito nets
Construction of X X Project & partners Specialised facilities for providing health care
health care
facilities
OBJECTIVES ACTIVITIES 3 6 9 12 15 18 21 24 RESPONSIBLE OUTPUT
PERSON
Creating a good Food security X X X X Project & partners Distribution of seedlings
environment for
child headed Orphanage for X X Project & partners Construction
families and those homeless children
in conflict & those in conflict
Peace building X X X X Project & partners Domestic care
seminars
Core program Monitoring and X X X X X X X X Project staff Project objectives achieved as planned
support evaluation
Documentation X X X X X X X X Staff Best practices recorded for future reference and
of best practices reporting
Registration, X X Staff and local Criteria used to select household beneficiaries
identifying leaders
households
Staff orientation X X Project staff Vital tips and staff ready for action
meetings