Sustainable Graduation from Poverty

finished

The consequences of decades of civil war have left their mark on Uganda's society and its social and economic infrastructure, particularly in the north of the country. West Nile is one of the regions with the highest poverty rates in Uganda and is home to most of the approx. 1,5 million refugees, the majority of whom come from South Sudan and are seeking refuge in Uganda. The communities in the north, and especially children, suffer from the effects of poverty. Children’s lives are characterised by hardship, deprivation and violence. They come from poor rural families who try to secure a meagre existence through subsistence farming. However, the productivity of the land is insufficient; the natural resources are overexploited as a result of the rapidly growing population and the adverse effects of climate change. Alternative labour opportunities are rare and the local government's capacity to provide social and economic support to the population is limited. Domestic violence is widespread and affects children in particular. Poverty, food insecurity, domestic violence and social exclusion are the main reasons why children are forced to the street to live and look for work.

Based on Caritas Switzerland’s International Cooperation Strategy 2021-2025, the project focuses the topics of income and migration. It operationalises methods from the areas of child protection, the graduation approach, environmental sensitivity and the rehabilitation of natural resources. The project is implemented in a consortium of Caritas Switzerland together with the Agency for Accelerated Regional Development (AFARD) and the BOMA Project.

Through targeted measures to build sustainable income opportunities, extremely poor families with vulnerable children are lifted out of poverty in the long term. Through a holistic approach, the project preventively protects children from the risks of living or working on the streets. The communities are sensitised on children’s rights and social structures are strengthened to protect children. Furthermore, by mainstreaming climate in the project, natural resources are protected to safeguard livelihoods also for future generations.