Transforming Slum Communities in Jinja | Children on the Edge

Endemic poverty in the slums surrounding Jinja puts thousands of
children at risk of abuse, trafficking, neglect and exploitation.

Children on the Edge work with six slum communities in the suburbs of Jinja to create protective environments for their children; transforming them into safe spaces where children are protected from harm and are able to thrive.

Watch more videos about our work in Jinja, Uganda on our Youtube channel

Harriet and another girl leaning on a narrow wooden bench. They are looking down writing on a large piece of white paper. In the background is a washing line with clothes hanging up to dry. The girls are outside and are standing on red dusty ground with grass and vegetation behind them.

HARRIET lives in Masese III. She told us how her friends could never play freely outside, as they had to watch out for human waste on the ground.But after working with Children on the Edge, her community worked to make the area clean.

Workshops with our Child Protection Team, helped Harriet and her family and her mother began to be more protective of her and her sibling. Rather than let her out without any guidance, now she sits her down and talks to her about safe places to play.

Her mother pays her school fees on time and works hard to make sure she has everything she needs before starting class, something she didn’t take an interest in before.

Harriet feels safer in her community now and is especially proud of how much her Mum has changed.

WORKING ON 'THE EDGE' IN JINJA, UGANDA

Thousands of people are crowded into eight slum areas surrounding Jinja in Eastern Uganda.
Slum dwellers face endemic poverty, poor sanitation, low employment and high crime rates.
A prevalence of HIV/AIDS has resulted in a high level of single mother, child and grandparent headed households.
High levels of alcoholism often lead to domestic violence and abuse.
All these challenges have led to unsafe environments for children, leaving them vulnerable to maltreatment, neglect, exploitation and even child sacrifice.

A young Ugandan child standing in a slum area next to two large puddles of black filthy sludge. In the puddles are sticks, rocks and litter. Behind the young girl are two large black barrels and a few single storey buildings. There is a brick building to her side and a pile of barrels, woods and sheets of metal. Click here to read more about where we work in Uganda.

Find out about our lead storytellers in Uganda

WHAT WE DO TO HELP

We work closely with Children on the Edge Africa, our sister organisation, to support six slum communities around Jinja (Masese I, II & III, Loco,Wandago and Mafubira). We work with community members to help them transform their areas and make them safer for their children, creating a protective environment where children can safely live, play, learn and grow.

Six voluntary Child Protection Teams work with community members and families to keep children safe from harm and small business loans are offered to ensure families can earn enough money to send their children to school.

Two Early Childhood Development Centres in Loco and Wandago provide education and support for the youngest children from the most vulnerable families at a vital time in their development. Three Child Rights Clubs in Loco, Masese I and Wandago empower children to change their communities for the better.

At the national level we have been lobbying for a change in the law to protect children from Child Sacrifice. The Prevention and Prohibition of Human Sacrifice Bill 2020 was finally passed into law by the Ugandan President on the 14th July 2021.

The back of six Uganda children, wearing tshirts that say on the back - 'Ask me about child rights'. The 6 children are sat at a desk outside in a line, they are facing a large group of schoolchildren, all wearing purple uniforms. The children are looking at the 6 children sat at the desk.

Child Rights Clubs empower children to transform their communities

Blue icon of two children with their hands in the air.

3 CHILD RIGHTS CLUBS

6 CHILD PROTECTION TEAMS

Blue icon a box with a heart in the centre

2 EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT CENTRES

CHILD PROTECTION TEAMS

Three Ugandan men, who are members of a Child Protection Team. They are walking along a dirt track towards a large white building that looks like a church. They are walking away from the camera, wearing bright yellow tshirts which say: 'Stop Violence against children' on the back. Ahead of them is an area of grass with some tall trees.

Child Protection Teams work to protect children in their communties

Since 2012 Child Protection Teams, set up, trained and supported by Children on the Edge, have been working successfully across slum communities in Jinja to make them safer for children.

Child Protection Teams are made up of local volunteers, men and women, elected by their communities, who understand the problems that need to be tackled. They receive training on child protection and child rights, how to deal with emerging community issues and serve as a voice for the children. They are supported to uphold children’s rights and tackle child abuse and neglect.

Their regular physical presence in the community acts as a deterrent for crimes including child trafficking and because they are trained to intervene and advise in situations where children are at risk, communities see a reduction in child abuse, child sacrifice and child labour.

The Teams become ambassadors for the welfare of children and their communities look to them for support and advice. The Child Protection Teams build better relationships between communities and the police, meaning more crimes are reported and dealt with effectively.

Team members work with the community by facilitating workshops to around 4,000 people each year on a range of children's issues and social problems, to change mindsets and culture. Here, families learn how to care for their children and make their homes safer, so we see a reduction in domestic violence and abuse. Parents become more aware of the risks to their children and why it’s important to keep them safe. Workshops also focus on hygiene, health and sanitation and encourage people to change habits to keep their communities clean.

Watch more videos about our work in Jinja, Uganda on our Youtube channel

“WE DIDN’T BELIEVE THE CHILD PROTECTION TEAM AT FIRST, WHEN THEY KEPT ON TELLING US THAT CHANGE WAS COMING, BUT THE AREA REALLY HAS CHANGED FOR THE BETTER.”

Justine, Masese II

Kasobya Aisha, an older Ugandan woman, stood outside her house in Masese II.

KASOBYA AISHA from Masese II described transformation in her community thanks to her Child Protection Team:

“Before, our village was badly off, especially in terms of hygiene. People used to fight a lot, men used to drink recklessly and would resort to beating their spouses and children.

When Children on the Edge Africa came, they taught us how to live harmoniously, and about children’s rights and other human rights. We start inviting both men and women to the community workshops. People in the community learnt that domestic violence interrupts the rights of children. They also came to learn that living in an unsanitary environment is so impoverishing, as one always ends up in hospital.

At the moment, our community is better".

EDUCATION LOANS

A group of Ugandan women, some sat with their children, all sitting on mats and rugs on the red dirt floor outside some basic houses in a slum community. They are all looking towards a women who is standing up at the front of the group delivering a workshop. The workshop leader is talking, using her hands to gesticulate and is wearing a blue shirt with a black skirt. The women in the group are all listening intently.

Workshops advice on saving and offer basic business training

Households facing the greatest challenges are resourced with sustainable, safe incomes through a small business loan scheme.

The Child Protection Teams manage the scheme, identifying those households most in need and offering a series of workshops on saving and basic business training to support recipients. Small loans of around £20 are given to recipients which are used to help set up small businesses, enabling parents to build a source of income which covers the costs of providing for their children and sending them to school.

Prospective business owners make a business plan and write an application with support from their Child Protection Team. They are given a timeframe within which to pay it back, by which time they have a thriving business, a child in school and a good knowledge of how to manage their own finances.

Repaid loans are then available to be passed on to someone else in need. With recipients paying a little interest, the loan pot can gradually grow, in order to help an increasing number of households. The repayment of the loan with a little interest also teaches business and budgeting skills, rather than dependency, and makes the fund itself sustainable.

59 year old Akurut Leah who is kneeling on the floor in front of a building on a dirt path. She has some white and yellow mats laid in front of her and on the mats are vegetables and fish laid out neatly.

AKURUT LEAH is a 59-year-old resident of Kikaramoja in Masese III. Leah is cares for her three children and two grandchildren.

She ran a business, but it collapsed after the death of her husband. Leah began babysitting to try and earn money but she struggled to earn enough to pay for food and school fees for the children.

She received a small loan from Children on the Edge to help set up a new business selling vegetables and fish and now earns enough to afford rent and food, and is able to send her children and grandchildren to school.

EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT CENTRES

Early Childhood Development Centre in Loco

To support younger children from the hardest pressed families we have built two Early Childhood Development (ECD) Centres in two slum communities, Loco and Wandago.

These centres provide 140 children aged 3-6 with bright and colourful classrooms and an outdoor playspace in which to learn, play and grow. The children benefit from a high quality curriculum developed within the Ugandan ECD framework; learning and developing through songs, dances, crafts and games.

The children learn in their own language and are helped to deal with routines, learn about health and hygiene, build friendships and improve their behaviour so they can transition well to primary school. Regular health checks pick up on any concerns, and nutritious snacks and porridge are provided to help combat malnutrition.

The ECD Centres focus on creating a protective environment for the children at the most vital time in their development, ensuring they have the best possible start in life and are enabled to thrive. Read more about the importance of Early Childhood Development >>

Dembe, a young Ugandan boy running along a dirt path next to a lush green hedge. He is being chased by another small child.

DEMBE joined the Loco ECD centre when he was 4 years old. At first he was shy. Dembe used to cry when spoken to or invited to play with others. According to Dembe’s teacher, he would never share toys with others and used to abandon any game if a classmate came to join in.

After meeting with his mother, Dembe’s teacher learned more about his home life and were able to better support Dembe at school. They helped Dembe to become more confident playing with other children and a year later Dembe was described as “the most changed pupil at the school”.

He began participating in almost every extra-curricular activity and answered questions straight away when asked in class.

CHILD RIGHTS CLUBS

8 Ugandan young teens standing in two rows wearing white tshirts with 'Masese I Child Rights Club member' on. They are standing in what appears to be a classroom next to the window. They are looking at the camera and smiling.

The Masese I Child Rights Club members

Child Rights Clubs have been developed in Loco, Masese I, and Wandago enabling children to learn about their rights, express their views and shape their communities. The Clubs are given regular workshops on rights, responsibilities, how to work hand-in-hand with local Child Protection Teams and how to prevent instances of child labour, exploitation and abuse.

The children then use what they have learned to train their friends on staying safe. The Club members are often so well known that other children go straight to them with any problems. The children also come together to campaign for change in their communities, organise cleaning days, or advocate for other children who need support.

A young Ugandan girl, Nassali, around aged 10. She is standing in front of a wooden hut facing the camera. She is wearing a yellow tshirt and black backpack.

NASSALI is a Child Rights Club member. She told us:

"I have learnt that it’s our responsibility to go to school, help with general cleaning and participate in activities concerning our well-being as children. I am very happy with the 'new me' because through the teachings of the Child Rights Club I have helped children know their rights”.

CAMPAIGN TO END CHILD SACRIFICE

Child sacrifice is startlingly common in Uganda, with more abductions, mutilations and killings than the authorities acknowledge. After our pilot scheme eradicated child sacrifice incidents in one slum area, all six Child Protection Teams in Uganda are now employing the same prevention methods and we are currently working to expand the model to other areas of Uganda.

On a national level, after lobbying for five years, The Prevention and Prohibition of Human Sacrifice Bill was finally passed into law by the Ugandan President on the 14th July 2021. Communities now have the backing of the law to protect their children.

Watch the highlights from our panel event, where we tell the inside story of the fight to change the law in Uganda.