Our 5 core programs at M-LISADA are Child Protection & Reunification, Education & Sponsorship, Music to the Rescue, Psycho-Social Support & Life Skills and Community Empowerment & Health, all with one unifying goal to protect, heal, empower, and support the lives of vulnerable children and youth.
Child Protection and Reunification, Psycho-Social Support & Life Skills, and Community Empowerment & Health will be covered in this section. EDUCATION, SPONSORSHIP, and MUSIC, are complex expansive programs and are covered separately.
The children who live on the streets of Kampala have fled abusive situations, extreme poverty, or have been abandoned. Behind their bravado, proclaiming they like their lives and freedom, there is a child looking for a home and yearning for security and support.
M-LISADA is a Ugandan government approved and registered children’s home. We provide a safe and supportive environment for vulnerable children deprived of family and parental care. There are usually about 65 children and youth who live at M-LISADA’s Kampala and Kalangala homes. Many children stay at M-LISADA temporarily, but some remain until they reach adulthood.
Frequently, children who were living on the street or have been abandoned or abused are brought to M-LISADA by the police, the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) and the government probation office. M-LISADA also works in collaboration with other street connected organizations. This includes a strong partnership with CRANE (Children at Risk Network Uganda)-an umbrella organization for all groups working with children at risk. Children brought to M-LISADA are welcomed by both the administration and their peers. The whole organization makes sure they feel valued. If the children came from the streets, they join a special program to reclaim and rehabilitate them.
M-LISADA’s Child Protection Department oversees and promotes the well-being and safety of every child under the auspices of M-LISADA Organization. Our program is responsible for case management and provides legal support for the children in its care. We are strong proponents of children’s rights, and speak against discrimination, abuse, and violence against children. M-LISADA works with parents, community leaders, schools, the police, KCCA, and the community, to promote acceptance and positive parenting for children. M-LISADA frequently speaks against child abuse on the radio and meets with professionals to talk about combating issues of intolerance, and how to implement smart practices.
In the event of an urgent situation, we take immediate action, working closely with the authorities and the community. If we learn a street child is being abused, we hasten to bring the youngster to M-LISADA, contact the authorities, and enlist the help of a trauma counselor. To ensure the child’s welfare, M-LISADA consults with doctors and lawyers.
The children who come from the streets of Kampala often develop unhealthy habits to survive. When a street child moves into M-LISADA’s home, we protect them from the harmful forces of the street and enlist them in programs that work to change some of the behaviors they have acquired. M-LISADA utilizes trauma healing programs to ease some of the damage that has been done and focuses on teaching the children life skills that restore their confidence. It is this level of involvement that makes M-LISADA such a valuable resource.
Some of the children that are brought to M-LISADA have been separated and lost from their families. Frequently, a child leaves his/her family and goes to the streets because something harmful has happened either within the family or in the surrounding community.
M-LISADA works to trace the relatives, repair the relationship between the child and their family, and to reintegrate the child back into their family and their community. Before a child returns home, M-LISADA reaches out and works with family members and the community to make sure that reintegration is achievable. Once reunification occurs, M-LISADA monitors the relationship and makes follow up visits. If a child cannot be reunited with their family, M-LISADA tries to find a vocational training program for them or to enroll them into school.
M-LISADA successfully reunifies and reintegrates children lost from families back to their homes and families. From our long-time experience, we have observed that some children are purely homeless, others run away from conflicts, and violence, and some voluntarily end up on the streets through clandestine movements by some unscrupulous adults.
M-LISADA runs a program for young adults whose families are untraceable. They are enrolled temporarily at Dreamhouse where mentorship geared to transition them to adulthood takes place before they are integrated with the larger community. During this transition cycle, vocational, technical, and university education and skills are emphasized. Entrepreneurship, job application, networking, emotional intelligence, self-awareness, mental health, and problem-solving are some of the focus areas in the mentorship curriculum purposed for transition to a life of self-reliance and interdependence.
Our Community Empowerment program is designed to expand M-LISADA’s reach and influence in the underserved surrounding community of Katwe slum. This program unites and trains children, parents, community mobilizers, community leaders, and local council members. The community takes ownership of the meeting space and together we have built a structure where information can be learned, shared, and implemented. This program has taught community members how to report issues and challenges, strengthened the local council’s child protection related policies, and has also led to a significant change in parents’ attitude towards children.
Our far-reaching program identifies and works with matters that influence change and quality of life. These issues include self-help groups, building community resilience, food security, conservation agriculture, health, children’s rights, child protection, parenting and environmental education; some of these are discussed below. We regularly invite different organizations that specialize in each of these fields to share their expertise with the community. Up to 500 people attend our biweekly workshops, which are held in three different locations.
Self-help groups empower members to find solutions and power in each other. They make their community stronger by building on relationships that already exist in the community. Together they share challenges as they support each other emotionally and address issues of domestic violence, micro- savings and loans, enterprise, and financial management. The self-help groups also have a program for members to save money for their children’s education.
Conservation agriculture teaches the community about farming and heathier eating. Many of the problems in Katwe grow from families not having enough food to eat. Backyard farming teaches families how to grow food creatively in small spaces. It saves them money and gives them a healthier diet by giving them direct access to fresh vegetables. M-LISADA has also partnered with InterKultura to make Katwe greener by planting more trees.
Environmental education teaches the community about climate change adaption and disaster risk reduction. Most of the people who live in the slum of Katwe are at risk of environmental disasters. This is especially true when it comes to severe flooding and the structural damage done to houses from storms. Even though flooding and storm damage is common, most of the community are unprepared for it. M-LISADA helps offset this by leading flood preparedness and disaster prevention trainings.
This program also draws on the strength of the community’s experience and knowledge. Community members know the places that are most susceptible to flood. They know where systems like gullies and improved trenches are needed for better water flow and drainage. M-LISADA takes their knowledge and connects the community with organizations like CRANE (Children At Risk Action Network) and EVERGREEN, that have resources to help them.
M-LISADA also works with the community on issues related to waste management, sanitation, and hygiene. Poor sanitation and hygiene are the root cause of the sickness and diseases that plague Katwe. The water sources are contaminated and most people in Katwe are uneducated about hygiene. In addition to organizing regular community clean up days, M-LISADA has partnered with Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) to educate the community about solid and liquid waste management and disposal. M-LISADA also informs local council members and community mobilizers about grants for hygiene and sanitation, such as free and safe water.
M-LISADA provides basic health care for the children and youth who live at M-LISADA and for those who come from the surrounding community. These health services include general treatment for children who are sick or unwell, the facilitation of ARV treatments for children with HIV/AIDS, medical assessments for street children, and ear, eye, and throat examinations. For more serious medical issues our resident nurse oversees and coordinates treatments with local hospitals and specialists. M-LISADA has a partnership with CoRSU health services and hospital. The partnership provides bone alignment and surgery for disabled children who are under the care of M-LISADA.
Malaria
For most people who live in Uganda, the risk and worry of getting malaria is part of their daily life. Malaria can have a devastating impact on families who are already struggling to survive. If the main provider of the family gets malaria and is unable to work, the family’s living situation can become critical.
M-LISADA’s health program provides outreach services for the testing, treatment, and prevention of malaria. M-LISADA works in areas that have a very high concentration of pregnant women, babies, and young children. These vulnerable groups are at the highest risk of medical complications and death from malaria. Tests are given on-site, and medicine is given to those who test positive. Mosquito nets are also given out to prevent malaria in the future.
Menstrual Health
Menstrual health education is considered unnecessary or is widely misunderstood. Frequently girls are stigmatized and left without the support they need. Menstrual health education and access to sanitary pads play an important role in the well-being and empowerment of women. Unfortunately, many women in Uganda, (not just schoolgirls) are unable to afford the cost of sanitary pads. Because they do not have access to sanitary pads, girls often miss school, which may result in their dropping out.
M-LISADA leads hygiene and health workshops for schoolgirls and vulnerable groups of women to educate them about their bodies and menstrual health. These workshops take place on Kalangala island and other underserved areas.
Attendance at school on Kalangala island has improved since M-LISADA began their menstrual health education and reusable sanitary pad project.
Nutrition
M-LISADA Organization feeds over 200 children and youth daily. Without M-LISADA many of these children would not get enough food. An insufficient diet affects every aspect of a child’s development and can have consequences well into adulthood. M-LISADA ensures that children under their care with HIV/ AIDS, and other health issues, are given an extra nutritious diet to help support their immune system.
Environmental education stewardship is a largely school-based program. It teaches the community and school children about climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction. Most of the people in low-income communities in rural areas and urban slums are at risk of environmental disasters. This is especially true when it comes to severe flooding and the structural damage done to houses from storms. Even though flooding and storm damage is common, most of the community are unprepared for it. M-LISADA helps offset this by leading flood preparedness and disaster prevention training through environmental scouts. Environmental scouts are mobilized clubs of school-going children equipped with design thinking skills to circumvent contextual climate/environment challenges that face their communities.
This program also draws on the strength of the community’s experience and knowledge. Community members know the places that are most susceptible to disasters. They know where systems like gullies and improved trenches are needed for better water flow and drainage. M-LISADA takes their knowledge and tailors support and intervention in collaboration with other organizations invested in climate action. The environmental scouts also work with the community on waste management, recycling, sanitation, and hygiene. Poor sanitation and hygiene are the root cause of the sickness and diseases that plague low-income communities both remote and urban. The water sources are contaminated and most people in low-income remote and urban communities are less educated about hygiene. M-LISADA has partnered with local government-aided schools in low-income communities to educate the community about solid and liquid waste management, and reforestation. Environmental scouts are always at the lead to transform their communities more sustainably.
Introduction to Psycho-Social Support
M-LISADA appreciates the complex backgrounds of our children. This program teaches children how to adjust to a new environment and recover from traumatic experiences.
Initially, M-LISADA’s outreach program worked with the street children of Kampala. But it was difficult to make meaningful progress because the police frequently removed these children to Kampiringisa where they were placed with juveniles who had committed crimes. M-LISADA saw this as an opportunity to work with two different groups of underserved youth who needed trauma healing and life skills. In 2014 M-LISADA went to Kampiringisa Juvenile Detention and Rehabilitation Center for the first time and M-LISADA’s Psycho-Social Support program was established.
Psycho-social support is offered to the children who live at M-LISADA’s Kampala and Kalangala homes, those who come to M-LISADA for our Bridge Education Program, the children who go to M-LISADA Passion Primary School, the children in our community empowerment program, and to youth who have been in conflict with the law at Kampiringisa Juvenile Detention & Rehabilitation Center.
Trauma Healing
The aim of trauma healing is to help vulnerable children understand their underlying pain, so they can heal their wounds and make positive life changes as they grow into young adults. We achieve this through practical lessons that are centered on different topics and themes like anger, forgiveness, and love. Various group sharing and role-playing exercises are used as tools for children and youth to talk about their experiences, and to express their feelings about what has happened in their lives. M-LISADA covers issues of self-confidence, self–esteem, self-awareness, critical thinking, interpersonal relationships, emotions, anger management, problem solving, forgiveness and stress.
Trauma healing sessions may include Art Therapy, covering topics like Top Secret Stuff, All About Me, Safety and Comfort, I am Mad, and Two kinds of Touches
Life Skills
Life Skills works hand in hand with the topics covered in psycho-social trauma healing. Life Skills teaches vulnerable children capabilities that help them in their day-to-day life. We teach them how to know oneself, live with others, make effective decisions, and embrace new opportunities and tasks. Examples of life skills taught by M-LISADA are communication, empathy, teamwork, problem solving, and conflict resolution.
