Uganda
September 2021 – August 2024
VITOL FOUNDATION (funding partner)
African Women and Youth Action for Development (AWYAD) and Embrace Kulture (EK) (local partner)
Why is the project needed?
Many children in Uganda, especially girls and children with disabilities, face significant barriers to accessing education. These barriers include poverty, stigma, discrimination, and the lack of resources. Families struggle to keep their children in school due to economic challenges, while educators often lack training in inclusive practices. The EQUAL project addresses these challenges by ensuring children have the support they need to access education, and by working with families, educators, and communities to create an inclusive environment where all children can thrive.
About the Project
The EQUAL Project aims to help 1,100 out-of-school children (OOSC) in Uganda, including girls, children with disabilities, and children from economically vulnerable households, access quality primary education in the context of COVID-19. The project works through a partnership between Vitol Foundation, African Women and Youth Action for Development (AWYAD), and Embrace Kulture (EK).
The project focuses on identifying and enrolling these children in school, supporting their families to ensure long-term school attendance, and improving teachers’ capacity to provide inclusive education. Additionally, the project fosters a culture of inclusion in the community through awareness and training efforts.
Goals and Objectives
The project has four key objectives:
Promote Inclusion in the Community: Raise awareness and improve community attitudes through monthly community events, radio sessions, and training for local leaders and officials on disability inclusion and safeguarding.
Increase Access to Education: Identify and enroll 1,100 out-of-school children, including 550 out-of-school girls, 250 children with disabilities, and 300 from extremely vulnerable households, and provide them with school materials and support to stay in school.
Empower Families: Strengthen the economic resilience of disadvantaged families through financial literacy training, small business grants, and Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs) to ensure long-term school enrollment for their children.
Strengthen Teachers’ Capacity: Provide inclusive education training for 70 teachers and 33 teaching assistants, focusing on special needs education, safeguarding, and supporting girls’ education.
Our impact so far
Education Access: 1,160 marginalized children, including 239 out-of-school children and 595 children with disabilities, have been enrolled in school.
400 adolescent girls have received Menstrual Hygiene Management Kits, along with education on menstrual health and hygiene.
39 children have been referred to specialized NGOs for further support, with 29 receiving assistive devices, such as eyeglasses and hearing aids.
Family Empowerment: 120 households have been supported to form 4 Village Savings and Loan Association (VSLA) groups. The groups have collectively saved 4,456,000 UGX (1,200 USD) and provided loans to start small businesses, which help families pay for their children’s education.
Teacher Training: 104 school staff, including 71 teachers and 33 teaching assistants, have improved their knowledge of inclusive education and are now better equipped to support children with disabilities in their classrooms.
Community Awareness: Over 6,790 community members, including parents and local leaders, have been engaged through consultations, dialogues, and community events. This has improved knowledge and attitudes toward disability inclusion and safeguarding.