FFC intends to contribute to the implementation of the National Child Policy 2020 of Uganda. The policy promotes the wellbeing of all children given that all children have varied vulnerabilities by nature of being children. FFC contributes to the following key priority areas: Child survival and health, education and development and care and protection.
Designed for children aged 9-12 (Pre-Adolescents)
Focus Areas: Reproductive Health, Child Protection, Climate Change Adoptation, Sanitation and Hygiene Promotion, Life Skills and Behavior Change, Nutrition Training, Mental Health, Parenting Training and Engagement
Activities: Training, Cultural Presentation, Dialogue with Parents & Their Children, Counselling and Guidence
The ‘Bana Thukule Ndeke’ (Responsible Upbringing) project targets pre-adolescents aged 9-12 as an entry point to families. This age has peculiar vulnerabilities. It is at this age when parents are letting their children interact with others with minimal supervision. At the same stage, they are strengthening their social skills and what they have learnt in their early childhood. They are however, at risk of being introduced to negative behaviors learnt from peers and their environment. If children are not ‘armed’ with life skills as they transit to adolescence, they might experience challenges to adapt. It is no wonder that the country is experiencing significant sexual activity among teens, coupled with teenage pregnancies, and substance use.
FFC Bana Thukule Ndeke (BTN) project, takes children through content that prepares them for adolescence and adulthood. They meet in safe spaces located within their communities as agreed upon by their parents. The Bana Thukule Ndeke model integrates modern approaches with traditional/cultural childcare and protection practices in promoting the protection and wellbeing of children. This includes provision of mental health services. The organization believes that individuals, families and communities that are mentally healthy tend to produce mentally healthy children, resulting into a healthy society. That is why emphasis is placed on preventive interventions.
Preparing the pre-adolescents for successful transition to adolescence
Three safe spaces (one in each of the 03 current sub counties of operation) have been created and shall host a cohort of 20 children (9-12 years) each, with special consideration for gender balance within the community. It will be one child per family. The 60 beneficiary children have been selected, using a criterion that was shared with the facilitators and the local council chairpersons of the hosting villages. Six community facilitators have been trained along with social workers to manage the safe spaces. Content has been developed and more shall be developed to guide this intervention. At the safe space, children shall meet to reflect on norms, beliefs and attitudes. The content has aspects of reproductive health, self-awareness, etiquettes, self-care among others. The children shall be mentored for one and a half years before they graduate.
In order to reach more children with content shared in the safe spaces, annual children’s holiday camps are organized to target children aged 9 – 17 years. These camps are hosted on a rotational basis among the sub counties and these sub counties take technical leadership in organizing these camps.
As part of family strengthening, the parents of the children on the program are trained in parenting skills to cement and the training and mentorship being offered to the children. Other areas of intervention relating to adolescents, youth, including child mothers are yet to be implemented but are part of the program design.
Provision of counseling services to children and families on matters of family strengthening. This is done through home visits, at children camps, and community dialogues.
Response to abuse and violence through psychosocial support, promoting access to justice by supporting medical referral and treatment. Counseling services are provided at court to victims that are traumatized, for healing of victims and aid testimony sharing without retraumatizing.
Livelihood support is provided through the promotion of kitchen gardens.
Sanitation and hygiene are mostly promoted through the children camps. This is to limit disease at household level. Sanitation related diseases are avoidable and yet take a lot of family resources.
Climate adaptive programing. Children who participate in the camp are given a package on climate change. They are trained on hoe to utilize plastic bottles that would deplete the environment. In 2023, they were trained to utilize used plastic bottles to plant vegetables. The camp of 2024, they are being trained to make charcoal briquets and utilize plastic bottles for latrine handwashing facilities.
Children Camp 2023
In 2023), FFC held a children’s camp for the first time, in a bid to reach more children with content of BTN. The camp was held at Nyakiyumbu Senior Secondary School in Nyakiyumbu Sub county, and 83 children participated. One key feedback received from the community was the call for FFC to publicize the activity early enough prior the camp, so that parents prepare funds for their children’s participation. It was agreed by parents and children that the next camp be hosted by Mpondwe Lhubiriha Town Council. There was a request to include all teenagers because the content shared was fit for all. Key areas of concern from the camp:
The second (2024) Bana Thukule Ndeke children’s camp has been organized in partnership with the Community Development Officers of MLTC, Bwera and Nyakiyumbu Sub Counties. The camp is planned to contribute to the activities commemorating the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Based Violence; although the activity shall be implemented slightly after the 16 Days.
The nonresidential children’s holiday camp, is targeting 335 children aged 9-12 from the three sub counties of operation. The camp shall be held for five days, from December 16-20, 2024, starting from 8:00 am – 4:00 pm daily. The sub counties of Bwera and Nyakiyumbu shall target/mobilize 100 children each, while MLTC shall have 135 children, since they are hosting and have a larger population.
The overall goal of the camp is to prepare 335 pre/adolescents for safe and responsible adolescence; with three objectives to be achieved as follows:
