Who are you trying to help? What issue are you trying to address?

Project Beneficiaries: HIV/AIDS Orphans, Children Living with HIV/AIDS, Children of Parents Living with HIV/AIDS, Abandoned children. The issue is that it is difficult to find family members to care for these children.

Problem Statement
HIV/AIDS prevalence rate in Kamwenge district is relatively higher (6.8) compared to National prevalence rate (6.4). The need for a Children’s crisis care Centre has emerged as adult mortality due to AIDS makes it increasingly difficult to find family members to care for orphans.

Many children in AIDS crisis are in care of their grandparents. The elderly have no social security whatsoever; they depend on their earning children to support them, as is the tradition. But with those supporting children who are dying of AIDS, the elderly are not only left destitute, but they inherit anywhere up to 5 to 10 orphan grandchildren.

Many of these children are already HIV positive. Many of them, thankfully, are not. There is a desperate worry, though, a plaguing concern about what happens as this group of children ages. Some of these little hearts and personalities are often left alone, regularly ignored, rarely cared for.

V40RC has registered about 800 children of sick parents who are healthy themselves, but who in future will become orphaned. The majority of them is not aware and is not prepared for the next steps of their lives.

What is your project and how will it help?

Support is needed for the construction of The Children’s Crisis Care Centre in Kamwenge District. The center will offer temporary placement for Children in crisis.
The establishment of the project will include a 10 beds room for boys and another one for girls, a play-therapy room for traumatized children a 100 capacity conference and training hall for children in crisis, care givers and community service providers, an administration and office space for the Centre, a sleeping room for the caretaker, a counseling room, a kitchen and store.

The center will offer temporary placement for Children in crisis, targeting children living with HIV/AIDS, Children orphaned by HIV/AIDS, and other Neglected/abandoned children. Children can stay temporarily when a parent (especially mother) is too sick to cope, when a mother dies suddenly or when a child living with HIV/AIDS is sick and needs special attention and when an abandoned child is being helped to trace parents or relatives.

It will be a safe haven for children who are caring for sick parents where they come to learn and where they can always come to get advice, moral and emotional support, prepare for life without parents, learn to care for sick parents and also how to bring up their young brothers and sisters when their parents pass away.

The Centre is expected to offer services to over 2000 children per year. This figure multiplied by a family unit shows the center’s work directly and indirectly will impact on over 12000 people annually.

Children of sick parents will be invited to join the Centre in order to prepare for life without parents. They will learn to care for sick parents and also how to bring up their young brothers and sisters when their parents pass away. While learning, they share a great deal together, and also form supportive groups that, it is hoped, will help them in the future.

Children who are living with HIV/AIDS and the orphans will be offered psychosocial support at the Centre. They will be informed about the existence of other social support services in the community, and will be referred for such services such as clinical services, economic support, and education support.

How can other people partner with you on your project?

Partners can contribute both financial,in-kind and physical support. We already have children supported by the center (217 children supported from their homes) Their needs are overwhelming, for schooling, medical, economic/income support and household use materials.

Also Volunteers from abroad are welcome to volunteer their time and skills on this project. they can spend time on mentoring the children and their families, training our staffs, local volunteers and care givers. (At V40 RC we link our volunteers program to the tourist centers around for relaxation and adventure to places like Queen Elizabeth, Kibale Forest, Lake Mburo and Semuliki National Parks).

Financial funding is needed for the construction of The Children’s Crisis Care Centre in Kamwenge District.

Please detail the resources that you need.

Project Budget Summary
Grand Total 68,705,000 (26,859 USD)

No / Activities / Budget (UgSh)

1 Substructure / 7,490,000
2 Roofing / 16,618,000
3 External walls / 2,495,500
4 Windows and external doors / 10,300,000
5 Internal walls and partitioning / 1,448,000
6 Internal doors / 3,387,000
7 Internal finishing / 3,387,000
8 Fittings and furnishings / 2,452,500
9 Mechanical Installation / 6,680,000
10 Electrical Installation / 6,458,000
11 Furniture and equipment / 7,989,000

NB: This does not include purchase of the land. We have already secured a 100 by 50 meters land for this project.