Our Work
Children and people with disability protection
Despite global declines in the rates of teen marriage, an estimated 1 in 5 girls are married before the age of consent. According to UNICEF data, Teen Pregnancy is also a major social and health issue which can cause severe issues for both, 1 in 10 girls are suffering Sexual Violence, are married before the age of 18, or are trafficked. The situation is linked to broader issues related to Gender Inequality, Gender-Based Violence and wide-spread poverty amplified by inadequate budget allocation and Commitment by Governments in implementing, monitoring and evaluating existing Youth protection laws and policies. As for people with disabilities, the gap can be too big worsened by the cultural setup and norms; threatening their ability to lead meaningful lives and contribute to the social and economic aspects of society. ETU-CBO would like to see more reforms made and funding tailored to this cause.
Key Activities
- Social enterprise as a reach out strategy to break barriers that keeps them from community engagement and inclusion activities
- Rehabilitation programs for youth affected by child labor or trafficking
- Community education on child/youth rights
- Sports engagement programs, clinics, camps and tournaments
- Work with traditional and religious leaders to provide awareness about the crucial role
they play in social norm change and advancing equality for all in line with the 2030 Agenda of “Leaving no one behind” and reaching the furthest, ensuring that every Child is protected from violence and exploitation; every disabled person lives in a safe and clean environment - Engage Government in setting the legal age of marriage for both girls and boys and ensure effective implementation of such legislation by sensitizing and providing relevant training to stakeholders
- Develop coordinated multi-sector approaches to broaden development goals and allocate budgets to support reforms and commitments
Health Care
According to World Health Organization, the world has witnessed significant progress in the health of young people for example the decline in the number of individuals who die before their 5th birthday from 12.7m in 1990 to 5.9m in 2015. Stunting rates have been reduced by 41% between 1990 and 2015; HIV/AIDS infection among young people has been reduced by more than 50% since 2010 and Covid-19 Vaccines are getting to almost everyone across the world.
While these achievements are worth celebrating, other aspects of young people’s lives has seen less progress, for example those from poor backgrounds are 2 times likely to die before the age of consent , 156m experience some form of stunting and have no Access to basic healthcare.
Key Activities
- Covid-19, AIDS/HIV awareness, Prevention and Counseling
- Alcohol/Drug addiction treatment and Counseling
- Youth mental health and well-being
- Nutrition and healthcare
Education
Though greater parity in Education continues to improve in Uganda, a lot has to be done in Sheema Municipality where the rapidly growing population means a lot to be done to ensure that large cohorts of Young people and Children entering the Municipality these years will see similar or greater advances.
ETU-CBO promotes Education as an alternative that girls and boys pursue as a means to their social Inclusion, helping Innovate social engagement that in long run enhances accessibility where young people including those with disabilities interact and learn by doing and learning how-to-learn. Inclusive Education transfers a set of skills for social development; through team building, acceptance, tolerance and discipline.
Key Activities
- Bursaries/Scholarships for underprivileged youth
- After school tutoring and extracurricular activities
- School supplies and equipment
- Community educational workshops and youth vocational training
Economic Empowerement
Women, Youth and People with disability empowerment center: Supports the development of skills for employability agenda (both core skills and technical- vocational skills), progressive elimination of forced labor – including through vocational skills and core work skills to enhance employability for marginalized women and youth; development (including statistical survey, rapid assessments, and baselines), Advocacy and awareness raising to ensure the skills acquired meet the demands of current and future labor market; testing and identifying effective approaches to employment programming that promotes inclusiveness putting more emphasis on workforce development and Programs that target marginalized groups (e.g. programs targeting at-risk young mothers, single mothers, people with disability and victims of domestic violence).