In 2021, your support has transformed the lives of thousands of vulnerable children. To celebrate the incredible difference your donations had, we have been sharing the ’12 days of impact’ on our social media. Your support helps in so many ways, but here are some of our proudest achievements from the last year:
500 children built a life away from the streets through dance in Kenya
Over 500 children have been supported to build a life away from the streets and have found safety thanks to dance! Once schools reopened in Kenya, we were able to bring back dance classes for street-connected children as part of the Dance Off The Streets programme. The sessions give children a chance to improve their confidence and well-being. They also help them to stay in school and avoid a life on the streets. None of the children who went through the scheme returned to the streets. Even after the sessions ended, a group of children continued to organise their own dance classes together!
Providing vital aid to 2,780 households in DRC after the Mount Nyiragongo eruption
When Mount Nyiragongo erupted in May, thousands of families were forced to flee and have now become internally displaced, living in makeshift and temporary camps. But your support meant we helped our local partner Children’s Voice to support the community in the aftermath of the crisis. They distributed emergency food parcels to 1,359 families and provided safe drinking water to more than 2,780 households! Mado, who fled with her children after the volcano destroyed her home, said “thanks to you I still have hope. Children’s Voice gave us water, oil, beans and maize flour, taught us how to fight against disease.”
Reuniting 5,000 children in orphanages with their families in Rwanda
We teamed up with UNICEF Rwanda to help Rwanda become the first orphanage-free country in Africa, by reintegrating children with disabilities with their families! While orphanages often portray an illusion of child protection, they are very harmful to children’s health and development. Children become outsiders to their communities which has long-lasting impacts on their mental health and development. This crucial project continues into next year and we’ll reach 5,000 children with disabilities!
Supporting families of 250 children with disabilities to earn an income through pig farming
Your support meant our innovative pig farming project has helped over 250 children with disabilities in Rwanda! We’re working with families in poor, rural areas. Children with disabilities often don’t have access to education, medical care, or healthy food. But pig farming is a sustainable way of providing an income to these families. We started with 43 pigs and through breeding programmes now have over 500! Through selling piglets and using manure for farming, families can earn an income to feed their children healthier food, cover educational costs and buy medical insurance.
Bringing together organisations from 6 countries for our Community of Practice in Mental Health
Along with our partner, Street Invest, we ran a series of sessions to unite practitioners from 6 countries to share their expertise and experiences and develop their own practice in mental health. Covering topics such as ‘communicating with people with mental health challenges’ and ‘what is trauma and how to respond to it’, the sessions are a safe space for shared learning. So many vulnerable children will have experienced trauma which will impact their mental health. These sessions mean that our partners have the skills to support children to process the traumas they have been through.
Providing justice for 350 refugees in Uganda
Children as young as 12 are being locked up for petty crimes, like stealing food. They live in poverty and are forced to commit crime just to survive. They need support, but the system doesn’t help them. The vast majority receive no legal support at all. This year, your support is providing critical access to justice. Alongside our partners, AWYAD and Penal Reform International, we’re providing quality legal support to women and children, as well as medical help and counselling for those suffering abuse!
Will you help to reach more children this Christmas?
Every donation makes a difference. By donating today, you’ll help to support more of the most vulnerable children in 2022.
Government accreditation for The Deaf School we support in Rwanda
The school for deaf children that we support in Rwanda received accreditation from the government! This means they receive funding and support, such as to pay teacher salaries, and so can plan further into the future with security. The school provides a quality education for deaf children, where they learn the national syllabus alongside Rwandan Sign Language and lip-reading in English and Kinyarwanda. Run by our partner, EmCD, the accreditation will help to support long-term sustainability of the school so more deaf children are able to get an education long into the future.
Opening a new safe space for over 600 children on the streets in Kenya
We were thrilled to open a new centre for children on the streets in Mombasa with our partner Glad’s House Kenya! Your incredible support helped to crowdfund £12,000 to get the centre up and running and we are so grateful for the support of the Anam Cara Trust who funded the build. It’s a place to escape the dangerous streets. Every day, the amazing Glad’s House Kenya team support children with education, counselling, medical care and more. Over 350 children have been supported so far this year!
Educating 1,400 refugee girls and children with disabilities in Uganda
In the Kyaka II refugee settlement, 40% of girls are out of school compared to 28% of boys. Girls are excluded just because of their gender. And children with disabilities are almost left out altogether. So, this year we launched a new project to get 1,400 children into education! We’ll supply school uniforms and other essential materials, like pens and books, which refugee families are unable to afford. Plus, we’ll create lasting change by training 130 teachers and staff in inclusivity and safeguarding. And we’re working in the community to foster a culture of inclusivity.
Providing a safe place to learn for 400 street-connected children across Kenya
In November we launched a new project to support children living and working on the streets with education across 25 schools in Western Kenya! With support from Theirworld, 40 Learning Support Assistants are being recruited to provide bespoke support to 400 children with special educational needs. They will support them to learn inside, and outside, of the classroom – increasing their chances of staying in school and off the streets!
Tackling sexual abuse against girls in Rwanda with Comic Relief
Your support is tackling sexual abuse against girls with disabilities in Rwanda and empowering them to shape their own futures! In northern Rwanda, we found that 92% of victims of sexual violence were girls with communication disabilities. Our project uses dance classes to build children’s self-esteem. They will bring hearing and deaf boys and girls together to tackle stereotypes and negative attitudes. As well as improving children’s self-esteem, they will also be safe spaces for girls to express their opinions and concerns with inclusion-trained dance teachers. The video shows dance instructors in training sessions before heading into schools!
200 young people equipped with skills to start a business in Uganda
This year 200 young people graduated from the Patongo Youth Centre we run with our partner, P4C, in Uganda! They learned different skills, including tailoring and hairdressing, as well as entrepreneurship classes so they can turn their skills into successful businesses. Unemployment is extremely high in northern Uganda and many of the young people we support have had their lives affected by war. So, the training is a lifeline – giving them the skills and support they need to build a bright future!
