It takes a village

PROTECTING CHILDREN

Endemic poverty in the remote Karamoja region of north eastern Uganda puts children at risk of abuse, trafficking, neglect and exploitation. Cattle raiders attack remote villages who have little police protection, and infertile soil leads to famine.

Children on the Edge support local people here to transform their communities into safe places, where children are protected from harm and able to live, play, learn and grow. 

We support six Child Protection Teams made up of local volunteers, who understand the problems that need to be tackled. They receive training on a range of issues, including child protection, hygiene and sanitation, positive parenting, child labour and child rights. They work closely with their communities to change mindsets and ensure children are better protected.

COMBATTING HUNGER

The Child Protection Teams support communities to grow their own food, which helps to combat hunger. They’ve constructed nursery beds and shown community members how to grow vegetables using sack gardens. Now many people are able to not only feed their families but make a living selling surplus crops, providing an income that funds children going to school. 

IMPROVING SANITATION

In some villages open defecation had become normalised but, as a result of hygiene and sanitation workshops, hundreds of latrines have now been built by local people. Since the training, levels of disease have decreased and villages are now cleaner and safer for everyone.