Children Education for a Bright Future

With generous funding from IOGT-NTO Movement, Uganda Girl Guides Association is implementing the ‘Children Education for a Bright Future’ Project from July, 2024 to June, 2026 in the West Nile region of Uganda particularly in Arua City, Arua District and Yumbe District through 60 schools, communities and local leadership structures. Our project goal is to create a more inclusive, equitable and safe environment for 10–17-year-old vulnerable children in the project area while addressing the limited access to education, alcohol harm prevention and social support caused by humanitarian refugee crisis by June 2026. Our primary target group is the children: 4,000 girls and 4,000 boys (10–17 years) where the secondary beneficiaries include the teachers, peer educators, parents, community leaders and duty bearers.

This project is important because the West Nile region hosts large refugee populations, leading to strained resources and increased child vulnerability. The region continues to face high school dropout, especially among children aged 10–17 years. The key drivers here include poverty, teenage pregnancy, early marriage, alcohol exposure, and weak child protection structures. Mental health and psychosocial support services for children are also limited and unevenly accessed, especially outside urban areas.

The project has done a number of interventions to mitigate the above-mentioned challenges and has achieved transformative results, significantly exceeding its targets to empower and protect Uganda’s youth. Through a newly developed comprehensive training manual, we have equipped 111 teachers and Guide Leaders with essential skills in child safeguarding and rights. Our impact reached over 2,400 children—tripling our original goal—with vital sensitization on education, life skills, and alcohol harm prevention, while 962 learners received critical scholastic and hygiene supplies. Beyond the classroom, we’ve provided counselling to over 770 children and trained 1,380 on abuse prevention, supported by a network of 75 peer educators who engaged 2,300 community members.

By strengthening partnerships with local government and stakeholders through radio campaigns, parenting workshops, and advocacy for safer school facilities, we are building a robust support system that ensures every child can stay in school and thrive in a safe, nurturing environment.