Uganda: lifting families out of extreme poverty and promoting inclusive education
Since 1991, FXB Switzerland has been actively promoting sustainable development and improving the living conditions of the most vulnerable communities in Uganda, where it is registered as an international non-governmental organization.
Context
Uganda has a population of 46 million, over a third of whom live below the poverty line. It ranks 166 out of 191 on the UNDP Human Development Index. A 2017 assessment by Namayumba sub-county, Wasiko district, revealed that 41% of orphans and vulnerable children were living with extended family members, such as aunts, uncles or grandparents. Furthermore, 37% of the children were not attending school.
Over 76% of households assessed lived on less than $1 a day, and only 34% owned or had access to land or income-generating resources. The majority of households were not involved in any income-generating activity. This financial precariousness is mainly due to limited entrepreneurial skills, insufficient access to affordable capital, a lack of professional qualifications and a low level of education, particularly among young people who drop out of school early.
Our work in Uganda
1 Combating the multidimensional causes of poverty: 1 VillageFXB economic and community development project.
The VillageFXB model is being implemented in the Wasiko district, where drinking water and well construction projects have already impacted 265,000 community members.
By 2025, 600 adults and children will receive sliding-scale support for three years: the time needed to move from extreme poverty to sustainable economic and social autonomy.
After receiving training in finance and project management, families are provided with start-up capital to create income-generating activities (micro-businesses) and actively participate in Village Savings and Credit Associations (VSCAs). They also receive food aid at the start of the project, enabling them to return to a satisfactory state of health. This gives them the energy they need to invest fully in their economic activities, while their children are better able to continue their schooling.
Over the course of the three-year project, we provide comprehensive support, including schooling and vocational training for children and young people, access to appropriate healthcare and improved housing and sanitation facilities. They also have the opportunity to acquire key skills in health and social issues, thus promoting their overall development and guaranteeing the sustainability of the project's impact on their quality of life.
FXB also integrates resilience and adaptation to the impacts of climate change into its activities, ensuring that these marginalized communities are prepared to face the environmental challenges that disproportionately affect them.
Equality between women and men is not only a fundamental human right, it is also a condition of possibility for a prosperous and sustainable world. As such, particular attention is paid to the economic empowerment of women and the promotion of their leadership.
Because women play a key role in the development of their communities, FXB implements specific activities to strengthen their skills, promote their access to sustainable economic opportunities and enhance their role as agents of change, notably by encouraging their active participation in decision-making within their families and communities. The aim is also to raise community awareness of domestic and sexual violence and gender equality.
In addition, to extend its impact in this district, FXB is gradually setting up AVEC groups, which benefit 1,200 adults and children from particularly deprived families, in order to strengthen their resilience to socio-economic shocks and improve their access to basic services.
2. promoting inclusive education
In the Wakiso district, vulnerable children, particularly orphans and those from families in precarious circumstances, are often forced to drop out of school for lack of resources or appropriate support. To remedy this situation and as part of the VillageFXB project, FXB is setting up an initiative to ensure that they remain in the education system and improve the quality of their learning.
Its main objective is to ensure that the 2,000 children in the area's public schools stay in school and benefit from a quality education. To achieve this, FXB works with community leaders and public schools to identify and reintegrate orphans and vulnerable children, through door-to-door canvassing and awareness-raising campaigns. For families living in extreme poverty, degressive aid is provided to cover school fees and materials, ensuring that children can continue their education without interruption.
At the same time, FXB is committed to improving the quality of learning by working with schools to assess student performance and provide targeted support in reading, writing and arithmetic. To achieve this, the proven "Teaching at the Right Level" pedagogical approach is implemented, enabling teaching to be adapted to the actual level of each child. To ensure a lasting impact, teachers receive training in this method, guaranteeing that current and future pupils can make effective progress in their learning.
With this initiative, FXB is promoting more inclusive education tailored to the needs of vulnerable children, giving them better prospects for the future.
Our impact in Uganda
conducted since 1991.
have been lifted out of extreme poverty.have been impacted by our projects linked to access to drinking water and the construction of wells in the Wakiso district.
have been impacted by our projects to provide access to drinking water and build wells in the Wakiso district.
Life's journey
"Everyone needs water. My land can help. I'm happy to offer it." So Jane spontaneously agreed to give part of her land to the community for the construction of a well by FXB in the Tuula area.
At 73, this grandmother of six grandchildren, whom she is raising alone for various reasons, is one of the few landowners in the neighborhood. Unlike her neighbors, who rent their land, Jane is fortunate enough to own her own. Until now, she and the surrounding families had no choice but to draw their water from an open spring 800 metres away, shared with the animals and unfit for consumption.
At a community meeting organized by FXB, Jane didn't hesitate for a moment to make her land available, and construction of the well was completed in three weeks. Jane herself had the honor of inaugurating the new water source, named Kavuma Shallow Well in tribute to her family.
This initiative perfectly illustrates the power of collective work: exemplary solidarity between an NGO, beneficiaries and local leaders, guaranteeing sustainable access to clean water for the whole community.