The Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC) Project equips vulnerable youth aged 15–17 with essential vocational skills to promote self-reliance and improve livelihoods. These skills include training in tailoring, embroidery, commercial agriculture, tree growing, and energy-saving stove production. Through this training, OVCs acquire valuable knowledge and entrepreneurship skills, enabling them to make informed decisions and generate income to support themselves and their households. Upon completing the program, each participant is provided with start-up toolkits to help launch their businesses and facilitate economic independence.
A key focus of the project is commercial agriculture and sustainable farming. OVCs are taught modern agricultural practices, including crop production and animal husbandry, with a strong emphasis on income-generating activities. Sustainable techniques, such as drought-resistant crops and bucket irrigation systems, are introduced to enhance productivity in challenging environments. This training empowers youth to select and manage profitable agricultural enterprises within their communities, fostering economic growth.
In addition to agricultural training, the program includes income-generating activities (IGAs) tailored for OVC households, especially those affected by HIV/AIDS. Business management training is provided, and beneficiaries receive agricultural inputs, such as seeds and poultry, to help them start or scale small businesses. By establishing Self-Help Groups (SHGs), the project promotes financial literacy, savings, and access to credit, ensuring that both OVCs and their caregivers can secure a sustainable future.
The project also addresses food security and nutrition by improving household agricultural practices. OVCs and their families are trained in kitchen gardening and other sustainable food production methods at demonstration sites. This focus on local food production not only supports family incomes but also ensures better nutrition and long-term sustainability for vulnerable households.
Ensuring the protection and rights of OVCs is a critical element of the program. UTNU collaborates with local child protection committees, law enforcement, and legal entities to safeguard these children from abuse and exploitation. The project takes a proactive approach by working with the Ministry of Gender, Labour, and Social Development to ensure that child protection mechanisms are in place and that any reported cases are handled swiftly.
Furthermore, the program integrates health, safety, education, and psychosocial support for OVCs, especially those impacted by HIV/AIDS. It aims to improve access to comprehensive HIV care services for both OVCs and their caregivers in districts like Masaka, Kyotera, Rakai, and Kalungu. Vulnerable groups, such as pregnant adolescents, HIV-positive youth, and young women involved in transactional sex, receive specialized attention, ensuring their health and well-being are prioritized. By integrating health services with education and economic empowerment activities, the project fosters a holistic approach to addressing the complex challenges faced by OVCs.
In terms of education, the project aims to reduce dropout rates and improve academic performance by providing OVCs with school materials, uniforms, and life skills training. School-based clubs focused on HIV/AIDS awareness, hygiene, and agriculture help equip students with vital knowledge while reducing stigma. The project’s educational support goes hand in hand with its health and protection interventions, offering OVCs a stable environment for personal development and academic success.
The project’s family-centered approach is designed to align with the National Strategic Programme Plan of Interventions for Orphans and Other Vulnerable Children (NSPPI). It emphasizes building the capacity of families to care for OVCs by offering them economic, social, and educational support. By delivering vocational training, ensuring food security, and safeguarding the rights of vulnerable children, UTNU’s OVC project aims to foster resilience within these families. The initiative also focuses on reducing stigma and discrimination against People Living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) and OVCs, promoting social inclusion and an improved quality of life for Uganda’s most vulnerable populations.
