News

We have been alerted that individuals are falsely claiming to represent Save the Children in Bushenyi, where they are allegedly registering school pupils for bursaries and soliciting UGX 200,000 per child.

The growing child protection crisis in Arua District and City prompted urgent action from Save the Children Uganda. Reports indicate that more than 700 child abuse cases are registered every three months, ranging from defilement and neglect to physical abuse-often fueled by poverty, alcoholism, and harmful cultural practices.

The Humanitarian Leadership Academy (HLA) and Save the Children in Uganda hosted the Humanitarian Xchange (HX) in Kampala under the theme, “Locally Led Response in East Africa – Adaptation and Resilience.” HX serves as a platform to bridge the gap between international humanitarian actors and local responders, ensuring that crisis-affected communities have a direct voice in shaping humanitarian action. 
 

The Uganda Response Innovation Lab (U-RIL) in a panel discussion at Hive Colab-Kanjokya,  social entrepreneurs from across Uganda gathered to explore how enterprises can grow without compromising their social mission.  

Youth Led Organisations (YLO), Organisations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs) and other stakeholders were supported by SCI to collaboratively develop an advocacy engagement focusing on key issues affecting youth in their district. Notably, Nwoya District identified addressing high child pregnancy rates as a priority.

The Karamoja GOATS project, implemented by Save the Children Uganda with funding from Save the Children Korea (SCK), was launched in March 2021 to combat malnutrition and food insecurity in Moroto District. The project focused on supporting agropastoral households, especially women, by providing goats to improve food security and boost livelihoods.

Learning is key to strengthening policies, programs, and coordination in Uganda’s refugee response actors. Over the past five years, U-Learn has played a pivotal role in generating, synthesizing, and disseminating evidence to support adaptive programming and continuous learning. Through cross-sectoral exchange, U-Learn has helped drive the uptake of insights on best practices, challenges, and innovations across key thematic areas.

During a meeting with district officials at the Moroto local government, one official remarked, “Karamoja’s problem is water. Once you solve the water problem in Karamoja, you will have solved Karamoja’s problems.” This statement presents a complex paradox, and anyone who has worked in Karamoja would likely agree with it.

My name is Esther. Iam in Primary 4, 14 years old. Before the Team Up Games I used to have a lot of thoughts, I would isolate myself and would escape from school. My friends and I used to be unhappy, fight with one another and think of the world ending.

The climate crisis is fundamentally and irreparably reshaping our world, with grave implications on the rights of current and future generations of children. The month of March was marked by scorching heatwaves and shortly after, April was marked by seasonal rainstorms characterized by flooding, loss of lives of both children and adults and property in Kampala and most parts of the country including North, North-Eastern and West Nile. 

Uganda hosts the largest refugee population in Africa at a time when the refugee influx is increasing, and the impacts of climate change are placing further strain on communities and ecosystems. As a longstanding partner of the Uganda refugee response, Denmark and Save the Children are pleased to launch the Western regional roll-out of the Uganda Refugee Resilience Initiative in the district of Kyegegwa.

Uganda hosts 1,786,923 refugees and asylum seekers (Nov 2024), 31% of whom are from DRC, residing in settlements in South-Western Uganda. Planning figures indicate an expected increase of 94,321 Congolese refugees in 2025, who will be settled in Nakivale, Kyangwali and Rwamwanja, compounding existing challenges to service delivery (UNHCR). Despite Uganda’s progressive approach to refugee hosting, underpinned by its legislative framework and the Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework (CRRF), which allows refugees to access the same services as their host community peers, barriers continue to exist leading to low learning outcomes.

Save the Children Uganda, in partnership with We Care Solar officially handed over solar-powered lighting kits - We Share Solar Suitcases - to 39 schools [1] in Wakiso District. This initiative will benefit approximately 10,372 (5,189 girls/5,183 boys) children, providing them with a safe, and conducive learning environment enhanced by reliable light and a sustainable clean energy source to power learning devices. 

A rare tropical disease that is the leading infectious cause of blindness worldwide was halved in one of the world’s worst-affected communities due to foreign aid but is now at risk of resurgence following aid cuts, as is another tropical eye disease, Save the Children said.

In Amuru District, learners at Agole Primary School started the new school year in a safe learning environment with the support of Transforming the Future with and For Children program funded by The Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD). 

In an effort to promote food security and combat child malnutrition, Save the Children distributed a total of 1,729 goats to vulnerable women across nine parishes in Rupa, Lotisan, and Tapac sub-counties in Moroto District. This initiative is part of Phase Two of the Karamoja Goats Project, supported by Save the Children Korea. 

The Saving Women and Pre-term babies Project (SWAP) project is improving the survival of small and sick newborns and mothers likely to deliver pre-term babies  through mobile technology. The Protecting Infants Remotely by SMS (PRISMS) which is a mobile technology application is designed to streamline and standardize newborn care in low-resource settings.

The para-social worker system has proven to be an effective approach in strengthening child protection and case management at the community level. By equipping para-social workers with the necessary skills and knowledge, they have become critical frontline responders in identifying, assessing, and addressing cases of child abuse, neglect, and exploitation. The PSWs work closely with families, community leaders, and the police to enhance early intervention efforts, ensuring that vulnerable children receive timely support and referrals to appropriate services.

Save the Children Uganda participated in the Agricultural Technology and Sustainable Mining Conference, organized by the European Union, Private Sector Foundation Uganda (PSFU), and the Government of Uganda. This platform allowed us to share how we work with businesses to prevent and address child labor while calling on companies to take bolder actions in safeguarding children’s rights.

In Uganda, science and technology are a top priority for the Government of Uganda. However, many schools still lack hands-on instructional materials to make these subjects engaging and interactive. To address this gap, Save the Children has introduced mini-science laboratories, also known as science kits, to enhance the teaching of Integrated Science.

Uganda hosts the largest refugee population in Africa at a time where the refugee influx is increasing and the impacts of climate change are challenging the response. As a longstanding supporter of the Uganda refugee response, Denmark is delighted to launch the Uganda Refugee Resilience Initiative. With a budget of approximately USD 40 million (approx. 145 billion UGX), the five-year programme seeks to empower refugees and host communities through climate resilience and inclusive development.