Four Ugandan Communities share incredible stories of change

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“We didn’t believe the CPT at first, when they kept on telling us that change was coming, but the area really has changed for the better.” 
 - Justine, Masese II

This time last year, we began a process where communities could come together and evaluate the changes that have happened in their lives that year. Each group spends time listening to each other's stories, then they vote for the one they feel is the most significant.
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Last year, discussions focussed on the positive impact of the loans and savings groups. What came through was a sense of hope for the future and many individuals described feeling happier, gaining confidence and having pride.

In the last few months, these four communities (Masese I, II, III and Loco) have repeated the process, to evaluate how individuals and communities are being affected by the work of the Child Protection Teams (CPTs).

​These are some of the highlights for 2018:

Better health and hygiene

Raymond and Edwin

Raymond from Masese III said,  “There was human waste everywhere and using the latrine was a taboo because the majority of local people had so many traditional beliefs around it. Many believed that if Karamojong women used the latrine, they would become barren, or if children used it they would become poor performers in school. But now Children on the Edge Africa have helped in changing the mindset of community members, so they know the disadvantages of an unhygienic home”.
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​Harriet is 13 years old and lives in the same community, she described how,  “As children we could never feel free while playing; no matter what we were doing, we had to make sure that our eyes were constantly looking at the ground because of the human waste that would always be dumped everywhere. Since last year though, we can play freely because the whole community has joined together to make the area clean”.

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Harriet and Barbara

A safer environment for children, at home and in the community

This was a strong theme across all the stories, with people talking about improvement in parenting through workshops and support. Children described how they were no longer neglected and how they now felt protected and loved by their parents, many of whom reported that the workshops helped them realise they hadn’t been caring for their children properly. ​​

Esther

Esther from Masese III says, “As a parent I had ignored my role and would just look away when it came to my children’s upbringing. They lacked parental love and care. But when I went to the workshop on child protection I realised that I was being unfair”.

Margeret from Masese I told how “My house was a battleground, but now things have changed. I now hear my husband cracking jokes with the children, something that was unheard of before. The CPT work to create peace and harmony where there isn’t any. It’s not just my house, There is positive change among the neighbours and the community at large”.

Outside the home, neighbourhood watch schemes have helped with the return of many missing and kidnapped children. There have been thwarted abduction attempts and a reduction in the occurrence of child abuse. On the 3rd February 2019, kidnappers stole Raymond’s three year old daughter from his home. The perpetrators gave up, as the community immediately sounded the alarm, and the girl was rescued. Raymond says “Had it not been for the CPT instilling a ‘community watch’ for local people, telling us that everyone counts, and that every alarm is for a reason, my daughter would be no more”. ​

Education loans are having an impact

Loans were a popular topic last year, and this year was no different, but what became even more prominent were examples of how the loans are having an impact on the children themselves.

Barbara is 12 years old and explained how “We used to sleep like soldiers as we had nothing to cover ourselves. In the day we walked around Masese III almost naked and other children would always laugh at us. Since my mother started her charcoal business we now have some bedding, we are assured of a daily meal and through the little money that she earns, she has been able to send me and my brother to school”.

Small business loans go to the most vulnerable households across the four communities, along with business training, savings groups and ongoing support. This year we heard from Aida,  a widowed mother of five, who found out not long after losing her husband that both she and her baby were HIV positive. She was supported by the CPT to get treatment, and given a business loan to help provide for her children. She said “I thought life had come to an end, but since the day I started my business, my life has never been the same, because I can now provide for the essential needs of my children”.

Aida and Edwin

Children are leading and having a voice

Younger voices were featured more in this year’s stories, because younger people are now more active through the activities of the Child Rights Clubs in Loco and Masese I. After a session on rights and responsibilities facilitated by the CPT in Masese I, Harriet said “After this, the community children felt more protected, as before no adult took time to listen to their views”.

Umuru

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​Umuru from Loco Child Rights Club shared a story of how he and the club worked to enable a friend who had dropped out of school, to return to education. This resulted not only in her return, but passing her primary exams and receiving a bursary to start secondary school. He said “Whoever knew that my friend would do all these things! I am grateful that as a CRC member I have had a positive impact in someone’s life”.

​These stories are a tiny reflection of an overwhelming amount of the examples shared and the hundreds of lives changed, all through the dedication of forty local volunteers, across four communities. To support this work further, just click the buttons below. ​

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