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Writer's pictureOlivia Barker White

Getting ready to DOUBLE our impact through the Big Give

Our CEO and Co-Founder, Olivia Barker White has recently returned from a trip to Uganda, where she visited each of our programmes and the communities they work to support. In this blog Olivia reflects on her experience, and the growing need for our work.

This week you have the opportunity to DOUBLE your impact on the children and families that live here, as from 3rd-10th Dec we are taking part in the Big Give Christmas Challenge. This means that every penny we receive via this link will be doubled! Keep reading to find out more ...

 

I have recently returned from a wonderful week in Uganda with Kids Club Kampala, just in time for our Big Give Christmas Challenge. After almost 2 years away and leaving 3 little ones at home I was nervous to head out but it was honestly such a joy.


I was blown away by the impact, depth, reach, resilience and hope of all of our projects, and by our incredible team who care so passionately about what they do and work so hard in such challenging circumstances. I am so incredibly proud that we have been able to build a unique, holistic model of support which protects the most vulnerable children and unlocks their potential. 


Olivia with one of the teachers at our education centre in Katanga who used to be a beneficiary!

I was really struck by the significant impact that there has been in the lives of vulnerable children and families thanks to our work. Over the past 15 years, we have rescued 229 children from abandonment and abuse; reunited 161 children with loving families; supported 1891 children with free education; enabled 1065 individuals to break the cycle of poverty through vocational skills training; provided over 28 million meals to vulnerable families; and we have supported over 309,000 individuals. 


The thing that I think I am most proud of is how all of our programmes work together to provide a comprehensive, well-connected model of care for vulnerable children and families. We recognise that the holistic nature of our programmes is one of our key strengths and we are working to increase this and to ensure that all of our projects at every level incorporate this holistic approach.


Our unique community-based approach is key to the success of our projects alongside our locally led model of development which has fostered high levels of trust. We are committed to employing local people, shifting power and empowering community members in decision making.

Looking ahead, we plan to invest in scaling up our programmes within our existing communities and expanding our services to other communities in need to increase both the depth and the reach of our impact. Child protection will remain central to our mission as we work to reduce poverty and in particular we aim to enhance our preventative child protection efforts. This includes not only supporting families in crisis, rescuing children in need, and providing emergency interventions, but also addressing the root causes of poverty. We will do this through our holistic model of education, income generation, and community safeguarding support.


Our future plans include setting up a family safe house in Kampala, where families who have suffered abuse or homelessness would be provided with rehabilitation, counselling, and vocational training to ensure sustainable futures; Recruiting and training community safeguarding officers in different districts of Uganda to provide family counselling, and prevent child abandonment through early interventions and community education; and setting up an income generation fund to provide startup capital to families to help them start businesses and escape poverty.


But to achieve these ambitious plans we need your help. That is why this year we have set our biggest fundraising target yet! With help from our incredible supporters, we are hoping to raise £36,000. During this week (3rd December - 10th December) all donations made via our Big Give page will be DOUBLED!


This means that if you donate £75, we will receive £150 which could provide a sewing machine to enable a woman to start her own business! If you donate £125, we will receive £250, which could provide 8 months worth of daily education for an out of school child! 


Your generous contribution will enable us to scale up our work in our existing communities to expand what is working and ensure more children are able to survive and thrive. 




If you have any questions about how you can get involved in this years Big Give Challenge, please contact our team at info@kidsclubkampala.org. Together we can create brighter futures for children in Uganda's slums.

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