Many children in Uganda have been victimized or left in vulnerable and needy situations. This is due to the lack of adequate resources to meet basic needs in impoverished families; especially those families that are headed by children orphaned due to HIV and AIDS.
The prevalence of HIV in the Ugandan population is estimated to have been reduced from a level of 18.7% in the early 1990s to 5% today. In spite of this many people are affected by the disease without access to life saving Anti-Retroviral Treatment (ART). The death of adults leaves in their wake a generation of approximately 2 million orphans who are vulnerable and often have no access to education, shelter, care and treatment.
In addition to this, the high levels of poverty within Uganda (Uganda is ranked 143 on the UN Human Development Index) leaves most of the children with little or no hope for a better life, hence high vulnerability and a poor livelihood.
In response to such a problem, Arise and Shine Uganda set up a Children’s Care Home, currently caring for 25 both able-bodied and disabled babies and children. Our Home strives to take care of orphaned, abandoned or otherwise vulnerable children, and provide them with a safe, loving environment.
We take care of these children with the aim of restoring them back to their health and reuniting them with their family. Where this is not possible, we work to find adoptive families for those that do not have any family members willing and able to take them back. Those who don’t get adopted are sent to Kibuye village with foster mothers to attend the Arise and Shine Nursery and Primary School. These children are cared for until they finish school and are able to care for themselves.
