Samantha’s story

Meet Samantha: a remarkable young woman who is achieving her dreams thanks to a programme run by Viva and CRANE, our partner network in Uganda. Discover how she is also now helping other girls to follow their passions too. The opportunities for a Ugandan girl accessing education are threatened by many factors, poverty and death […]

“I’ve learned how to support my baby”

BY ELEANOR SIMPSON With the support of Viva and its partner network, CRANE, teenage mothers in Kampala, Uganda, are now able to return to school whilst free child care is provided for their babies. They also receive training, which provides them with knowledge about how to best take care of their young children. The family […]

A dream fulfilled

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 […]

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 […]

From cot to classroom to community: Claire’s story

Over the last three years, the Creative Learning Centres (CLC) we run with our partner network CRANE have helped more than 2,700 out-of-school girls in Kampala receive catch-up education. More than six in ten girls have gone onto ‘graduate’ to some kind of further learning, and we continue to support those who are yet to. […]

Ensuring these girls’ stories are different

They speak confidently and show independence in their learning. These girls are certainly not what many people would associate with the word ‘disability’. I am at the Mukisa Foundation – a member of CRANE, Viva’s partner network in Kampala – to see the difference it is making to the lives of girls with special needs. […]

Mobile libraries and missing shoes

Reflecting on his recent visit to Uganda, Viva’s Monitoring and Evaluation Manager Martin Hull writes about some of the people he met, stories he heard and sights he saw – and the impact our partner network CRANE is making for vulnerable children. Here are some snippets of what he wrote.

School starter packs for 1,000 girls

Going back to school is exciting but expensive! And it’s especially difficult if your family is unable to meet the costs of the essential items needed – stationery, books and uniform. We’ve got 1,000 teenage girls in Uganda ready and enthused to be educated – but they urgently need a basic ‘back to school’ kit. […]