Kitgum Project, Uganda

See the progress you helped make happen in your sponsored community

When the project started this community, which had been devastated by conflict, was dependent on aid for survival. Clinics, schools and water sources were badly damaged and illness and malnutrition were common among children.

Thanks to your support, your sponsored child and other children in the Kitgum community have improved access to education, healthcare and nutritious food and their families have more opportunities to earn income.

Together we've achieved so much

80 percent of children were attending school in 2017

This is up from 71 percent in 2016.

The project helped to improve facilities and education quality in 22 primary schools. This included building 34 classrooms, 40 toilet blocks and teacher accommodation and supplying schools with desks, books and learning resources.
Parents and teachers are working together to improve education standards. School Management Committees and Parent Teacher Associations have received training and support to raise awareness about the importance of education and ensure all children are enrolled and attending classes.
The project supported 693 children to obtain birth certificates, which are required for access to healthcare and other government services and to enrol in school.

87 percent of households had year-round access to clean water by 2016

This was up from 66 percent in 2010.

Three water boreholes have been dug and fitted with hand pumps. Local community members have been trained as hand-pump mechanics so they can ensure the boreholes remain functioning in the future.
The project supported the construction of treatment rooms at four health centres and one maternity ward.
Local health committees have been trained to raise community awareness about the importance of child immunisations and regular health checks for young children and pregnant women.

Over 1,000 families are now saving money

40 savings groups have been set up to enable families to save money and access low cost loans.

The project collaborated with the government to train farmers on practices including land preparation, timely planting, weed control and proper post-harvest storage. Farmers also gained access to improved planting materials to grow nutritious crops including sweet potato, beans, peanuts and maize.
Four farmer cooperatives have been set up through which 191 farmers sell their produce collectively to achieve better prices.
704 families learned how to build energy-efficient cooking stoves so they can reduce the amount of wood they burn and cut down fewer trees.

"Before World Vision had provided desks to our school, I used not to enjoy coming to school because my uniform used to be dirty due to sitting on the floor and my handwriting was poor. When our school received desks, I am able to sit comfortable in class."

- Gloria, aged 12, sponsored child

Skills training: a path to success

Wilberforce, aged 18, was forced to drop out of school in 2015 because his widowed mother of six could no longer cover his school expenses. With just a small plot of land on which to grow food, his mother relied on finding casual work on other people’s farms to bring in income.

“Sometimes we could go a whole day without food in cases where my mother was not paid in time for providing labour on people’s gardens,” says Wilberforce.

After completing a motor mechanics course, Wilberforce secured an internship at a prominent garage in Kitgum town. Because of his passion for the work, the garage owner gave him the opportunity to operate his own business from the garage using tools he received through World Vision.

He is now fully established and his work is progressing well. With the income he earns, Wilberforce can support his mother and siblings by buying items like soap and salt and occasionally meat and fish. He has also joined a savings group so he can access funds to grow his business and learn to drive.

"Life was not easy. We depended a lot on our mother to have food on the table. But now I am able to support my mother to meet basic household needs."

- Wilberforce, aged 18, mechanic