Rwenzori Center for Research and Advocacy Uganda
Rwenzori Center for Research and Advocacy Uganda
Developing integrated supports to grandmothers in Uganda who are caring for children and grandchildren affected by HIV/AIDS and poverty. It includes health promotion, livelihood support, educational supports, intergenerational learning, life skills and nutrition. An additionally, to educate grandmothers about healthy lifestyle, nutrition, and disease prevention and to give them confidence in their nurturing and educational role.
The project aims to develop integrated supports to grandmothers in Uganda who are caring for children and grandchildren affected by HIV/AIDS and poverty. It includes health promotion, livelihood support, educational supports, life skills and nutrition. An additional
objective is to educate grandmothers about healthy lifestyle, nutrition and disease prevention and to give them confidence in their nurturing and educational role.
The project is integrated with the other programmes, including the 1000 Women’s Gardens, and is unique in targeting grandmothers who are often the sole careers for their grandchildren and receive few supports. Under the programme the grandmother-headed households
receive a goat, seeds/training for kitchen gardens, materials and training for soap making, help to buy scholastic materials, reusable sanitary pads, and support to establish Village Savings and Loans Associations (VSLA).
An initiative to support intergenerational learning (IGL) was introduced to the Programme in 2022. The IGL initiative was successfully implemented in three primary schools.
Grandmothers spoke to the older pupils about the importance of remaining in school and avoiding teenage pregnancy. The grandmothers and grandchildren shared knowledge about
sustainable growing and the grandmothers learned basic greetings in English.
To date 400 grandmothers who are caregivers of Orphan and Vulnerable Children (OVC) have participated in the programme. This project is funded by individual voluntary donors in
Ireland.
