Former street children rescued from Kampala streets during the first lockdown in Uganda in May 2020 have eventually completed their industrial training apprenticeship. Kampala Capital City Authority worked with various NGOs to get children off the streets of Kampala whose lives were in danger after every sector closed due to the lockdown as a result of Covid-19.
The children’s future was foreseen to suffer from various tragedies if not given immediate attention by the duty bearers. Some of the projected social effects included hunger, escalated abuse of drugs and substances, crime, diseases including Covid-19 among others. However, no chance was given to such eventualities, arrangements were put in place and several children were rescued and placed with organizations with reputable child protection services.
UCC received 62 children who got equipped with marketable trade skills and entrepreneurial knowledge ready to apply in enterprises when lockdown ceases. All learners skilled by UCC were subjected to industrial training / apprenticeship for purpose of applying acquired knowledge and skills in a workshop setting. To ensure this is achieved, UCC collaborated with other organizations which had funding for such services namely, trade incentives to purchase small tools, feeding of learners during the training and provision of accommodation. Thanks goes to Benjamin House
Ministries (BHM) for accepting to take on the children until they completed their six-month industrial training. UCC social workers continued to provide supervision, monitoring and psycho social support until all children completed the training.
UCC is grateful to the children for manifesting resilience throughout the training. It has not been easy to conduct such trainings in the lockdown because there was need to strictly observe the standard operating procedures. Secondly, work has been slow in all sectors especially for people working in the informal sector. We thank the children for being patient, understanding and forward looking especially with their local artisans who had to explain to them about the situation at all times.
Lastly, UCC management expresses its appreciation to KCCA, BHM and the local authorities for all the support they have rendered to the exercise. Most communities still have negative attitudes towards street involved children wherever are taken for rehabilitation or training. That ‘s why the campaign to create awareness about child rights is unceasingly conducted by child rights NGOs to have everyone brought on the same page.
This work is always made easy with engagement of KCCA as city bosses who pass child friendly policies that strengthen child protection. This gesture gives tremendous support to NGOs as child
advocates and hence induce a conducive environment for children in the city. UCC social workers have also played a very important role in ensuring that the children maintain good behaviors and should not backslide. In the situation where life has been unpredictable, there has been extremely high need to have strong attachments with the children as a strategy to avoid them from
developing negative thoughts that would lead to anti-social behaviors.
Thanks, that this has not occurred and all children remained stable throughout the training. UCC continues to look forward for further collaboration with other partners in the promotion of child rights in the country.