Uganda Women’s Effort to Save Orphans (UWESO)

UWESO has a volunteer membership of over 20,000 people. This volunteer structure provides the basis for mobilization of communities to participate and share responsibilities in improving the quality of life for orphans and other vulnerable children in Uganda.

Direct Interventions

UWESO provides support to vulnerable children and families such that their capacity to sustain themselves is strengthened; and Provide residential care for orphans and other vulnerable children as a last resort

Mobilization and Advocacy

UWESO Mobilizes resources to ensure that it’s 5 years strategic plan is implemented; It advocates effectively at all levels to ensure that concerns of orphans and other vulnerable children are appreciated;

Collaboration and Linkages

UWESO implementing its services through its regional offices, local authorities, CSOs, and at the grass root UWESO Works with communities organized in clusters each containing 35-50 members based at the village level to enhance capacity and increase outreach;

Leadership

UWESO works through leaders in the country, influential men and women from all walks of life, through its National Executive Board, Branch Executive Committees, and Sub Branch Executive Committees work with us to cause change in the life of the vulnerable children

Monitoring and Evaluation

UWESO monitors and evaluate programmes and organizational structures on a regular basis. Efficiency of our services is maintained through continuous feedback from cluster members and regional staff about their needs and the successes or failures of our interventions. UWESO documents and disseminates practices and experiences learnt

What does UWESO Mean?

UWESO stands for Uganda Women’s Efforts to Save Orphans.

What is UWESO?

UWESO is an indigenous, non governmental development agency concerned with improving the lives of orphans and other vulnerable children affected by the demise of their parents and/or guardians.

How did UWESO begin?

The Uganda Women’s Effort to save Orphans (UWESO) was founded in 1986 by Ugandan mothers mobilized by Mrs. Janet Museveni the First Lady of Uganda to provide relief aid to needy children left parentless by the civil turbulence of the early mid-1980s, and the HIV/AIDS pandemic in war-torn areas of the Luwero Triangle which in today’s districts includes Luwero, Mubende, Kiboga, Nakasongola, Mpigi, Wakiso, Mukono and Kayunga.

What makes UWESO Different from other organizations?

UWESO’ implements its programs following a principle of making the family and community first line of response to ensure that children receive the love and care they require within a family setting. To support this UWESO provides a comprehensive and holistic package aimed at empowering the OVC and their caregivers as well.

Who are UWESO Beneficiaries?

UWESO’s target beneficiaries are orphans and other vulnerable children and their caregivers

How does UWESO work?

We work through grass roots community groups called clusters each made up of around 30 households meeting once a week. We work to mobilize and support these groups to enable them meet the needs of OVC within their communities.

Where does UWESO work?

UWESO works across Uganda with active programmes in the following districts; Lira, Apac, Soroti, Kabelamaido, Katakwi, Kumi, Mbale, Mbarara, Rukungiri, Bushenyi, Ntungamo, Kiruhura, Ibanda, Kibale, Mukono. Wakiso, Masindi, Nakasongola, Masaka, Rakai and Ssembabule

How does UWESO care for Orphans, and other vulnerable children?

UWESO cares for children within their communities and families by providing the following interventions to the OVC and their caregivers;

Ensuring Socio economic Security for the OVC caregivers through savings and loan associations (SLAs).
Ensuring food security and nutrition for OVC caregivers
Provision of Education and child protection services to OVC
Provision of Health services.

How does UWESO select the beneficiaries?

UWESO identifies the neediest OVC within a community through its OVC caregivers cluster groups, the community leaders and local authorities with approval of the Government of Uganda. These children are some of the 2 million Ugandans who have been orphaned and made vulnerable due to AIDS, poverty and wars.

How is UWESO funded?

UWESO is funded internally through income generating activities and externally by international donor agencies and private sector organizations.

What are UWESO’s contributions to the available over 20,000 members supporting 100,000 OVC it reaches?

We contribute directly towards some needs where appropriate such as school fees and provision of shelter but largely help communities to look after their own orphans.

How can I make a donation?

When you decide to Sponsor a child, you are partnering with us to ensure that each child accesses education. If you want to sponsor contact UWESO.

In Uganda, only a fifth of the country’s population has access to a secondary school education. The majority of these belong to families from the urban areas which also have enough money to send children to school. Many children long to continue with their education after finishing primary school but there are parents unable to pay for their secondary education. The introduction of Universal Secondary Education only helped a small fraction of Uganda’s children to access free secondary school education.

UWESO aims to partner altruistic professionals in Uganda and abroad with secondary school students in need of school fees sponsorship for at least one year. Children who are part of the program attend the Migyera UWESO Training Institute (MUTI), UWESO’s dynamic vocational and secondary boarding school. UWESO recognizes that many of these children require more than just school fees to achieve academic success.

How can I support a child?

Interested Young professionals can choose to make payments towards a child’s school fees for secondary education for a minimum of one year and basic school requirements such as sugar, soap, and toothpaste. Community members and guardians are required to support the sponsored children by providing the necessary scholastic materials. The professionals are only asked to donate the equivalent of 200,000/= per term for a minimum of 3 terms. A profile of the sponsored children which includes photographs is availed the sponsor on request.

Contacts

Uganda Women’s Effort to Save Orphans
P.O. BOX 8419, Kampala.
Tel: 0392-777448 / 0414-532395
Plot 2, Tagore Crescent, Kamwokya
Email: uweso@uweso.org

UWESO History

UWESO has implemented the following projects in the past

· The UWESO Development Project (UDP i): 1995 to 1998

· The UWESO Savings and Credit Scheme (USCS)

· The UWESO Development Programme (UDP 2): 2000 to 2005

· Split of UWESO

The UWESO Development Project (UDP i): 1995 to 1998

UWESO received a grant from the Government of Belgium under its Belgium Survival Fund wamounting to US$ 1.45 Million, this fund was administered through IFAD to implement the UWESO Development Project for orphans and their families in the UWESO Core Districts of Mbarara, Masaka, Lira Kumi and Soroti. This project offered primary school scholarships and vocational training for orphans and also supported income-generating activities for orphan families and community volunteers who take care of orphans.

The UWESO Savings and Credit Scheme (USCS)

In early 1996 with the HIV/AIDS prevalence at 15%, UWESO stakeholders subsequently revisited this approach and this led to the establishment of The USCS. The scheme aimed at creating income generating and food generation opportunities for families that were fostering orphans, the scheme eventually developed into a successful field activity, which dominated UWESO branch operations in the five pilot districts of Kumi, Soroti, Lira, Mbarara, and Masaka.

The UWESO Development Programme (UDP 2): 2000 to 2005

In 1997 UWESO conducted a Mid-Term Review (MTR) and also an IFAD Interim Evaluation in 1998, and major recommendation to implement the UWESO Development Program (UDP2). This was designed to improve the economic, social and self-sufficiency status of orphans and foster families in other districts beyond the five original “UWESO CORE Districts” UDP 2 had the following components, which deliberately targeted to benefit a larger proportion of women (80%) taking care of orphans: i) Development of UWESO Savings and Credit Scheme, ii) Cluster Based Training, iii) Programme Expansion and Advocacy ans iv) 3.3.4 Institutional Development

Split of UWESO

2004, UWESO was divided into two separate organizations specializing in two distinct areas. The two organizations became i) Success Microfinance Service Ltd (SMS) and ii) UWESO.