BY ANNAH MARY TUSIIME Rachel’s is a story of a life that was forever changed. She was raised by a single mother who farmed other people’s gardens for a living and, with the little she had, she supported Rachel until Senior 4 (aged 15 years). Unable to find any lasting work within her community, Rachel’s […]
Tag: Africa
Why Families Matter
It’s estimated that there are 145 million registered orphans across the world, and of these only about 9 per cent have lost both parents. Many families are unstable and millions more children are separated from one or both parents due to violence, abuse, alcoholism, substance abuse, HIV/AIDS, and other conflicts. Too many children are suffering […]
Seven more years for Uganda girls’ education project
BY ANDREW DUBOCK Following on from our four-year girls’ catch-up education programme in Kampala, Viva and its Uganda-based partner network CRANE have secured a new seven-year contract with the British government’s Department for International Development (DFID) to continue to build on and increase this crucial work. By 2024, it will directly benefit almost 10,000 girls, […]
Teaching Teachers to Play
BY JANET GAUKROGER Janet Gaukroger has been working with our partner network CRANE in Uganda for over 10 years. On her most recent visit last month, she helped lead a learning retreat for ten young women who are training to be early childhood teachers. She tells of her experience meeting the group of soon-to-be teachers […]
Ending violence in Ugandan schools
A school within CRANE, Viva’s partner network in Uganda, is preventing violence in the classroom and in the wider community – and so changing the culture in a country where many schoolchildren continue to face physical and sexual abuse. Mim Friday reports on how big a problem violence in schools is and the way forward […]
Ordinary people saving lives
BY LIZ CROSS Betty, Anna, Fiona and Harriet really are a force for a change in their communities. Joy radiates from them and they are constantly laughing and joking around with one another. These are four of our volunteer peer health educators who I have the privilege of meeting whilst visiting Uganda. Going for a […]
Community mentors’ crucial role in Uganda
BY LIZ CROSS “The smile I saw that day was enough to make me smile for the whole week. Faith couldn’t believe she was the one wearing the hat and receiving the certificate.” Faith is a girl who attended one of our Creative Learning Centres in Uganda. These centres provide catch-up education for girls who […]
Working together to provide family-based care
BY LIZ CROSS Our dream is for abandoned children to grow up in safe and loving families. The reality of life however means situations are deep-rooted and complex. Liz Cross explains why we believe a network approach is the best way to find solutions to society’s largest problems – in countries such as Uganda. It […]
Kampala discussion focuses on families for children
More than 40 senior leaders in Kampala joined Viva and its partner network CRANE at a landmark meeting last month, which explored how Christians in government and civil society can work together more effectively to ensure that children in Uganda are raised in safe families. Using the vision statement, ‘We want to see every child […]
The Library on Wheels
BY LIZ CROSS “I love science because it talks about everyday things.” This is what Joyce tells me as she reads another science book from the mobile library. Every time the library comes she picks out a different book on this subject. Today she reads to me about photosynthesis. There are words there which I […]