Reaching Vulnerable Children Through Health and Education

Over the years (10) I have selflessly and compassionately contributed towards the welfare of children and community. I left the comfort of my family’s wealth and responsibilities as assets manager to transform the lives of most neglected sections of the community –focusing on the children using youth power. 

A community-based approach was employed, where if a community got empowered, the children followed. Both the out-of-school and in-school children reached were 49, 000 and 78 youths, who worked as change agents. The water-source projects were run side-by-side with environment health education, lessons on health decision-making and activities (involving tree planting, hand-washing, use and distribution of mosquito nets, and promotions of donor-supported immunization exercises, family planning, and HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention) in schools and community. 120 schools in 60 different communities directly benefited. Through a community development agency founded and run by me (Union of Community Development Volunteers –UCDV). My work helped to improve safe-water access and use, to scale-up prevention of the most common diseases among children (for example: diarrhea, cholera, malaria, and dysentery). 

While supporting the healthy development of children on one hand, the youths were being empowered on the other hand –with knowledge about their potential and practical skills. Acquired skills brought them income they much-needed to improve their welfare and self-managed projects for sustainable livelihoods. The youth effort under my leadership helped to create socioeconomic and health structures for children to survive and thrive.

While the youth (most of whom had children) were between the ages of 16 and 30), the children in question were from 5 and 18. It is worth reporting though that the programs went as far as helping the in-born and the less-than-5 to thrive parented by the volunteer program youths. 

Partners in that area of work were: local government department, community leaders, and internal and local non-government organizations –mainly with interest in volunteerism for community development such as the Uganda Water and Sanitation Networks (UWASNET), United Nations Volunteers (UNV), Volunteer Service Organization (VSO), and the National Volunteers Association. The partnerships were never in vain; instead they won me confidence, courage, and funding for UCDV –an umbrella under which I now work. 

More of such partnerships and networks are needed. In fact, the rewards from them now compels me to rethink the current partnership policy to include other organizations (non-volunteer based) and development agencies –with interests in children rights and advocacy, public health development, environment conservation, education, and poverty eradication. Strengthening structures for continuity of UCDV programs and replicating benefits to other vulnerable communities in the countryside has been his immediate need which from experience and drive the future is bright. 

By

Mutebi Eddie,

Executive Director,

Union Of Community Development Volunteers
Block 26, Plot 842, Professor Apolo Nsibambi Road, Bulange Zone 'A'
P.O. Box 35792, Kampala - Uganda
Telephone: +256 414 690 897
Mobile: +256 782 713 500