Welcome to our latest newsletter edition! As always, we're pleased to bring you a compilation of the latest insights, exciting project highlights and noteworthy events from evidence-based research, and our efforts as we strive for an Africa where children's well-being is realised for sustainable development.
RESEARCH AND POLICY
On July 5, The AfriChild Centre in partnership with Child Fund International, Uganda supported The Uganda Parliamentary Forum for Children (UPFC) to successfully organise a High-Level Policy Makers Engagement on Financing for young people at the Sheraton Hotel in Kampala. The discussion was led by The Deputy Speaker of The Parliament of Uganda Rt Hon Thomas Tayebwa and attended by Honourable Ministers and Members of Parliament including Hon Sarah Mateke, Hon Margaret Makhoha, Hon Muwuma Milton, Hon. Isabirye Iddi, Hon Macho Geoffrey and other Ministry representatives.
2023 ISPCAN Congress
Child Focused Research Training - Uganda Police
From September 24-27, The Centre was represented by Clare Bangirana our Director, Research & Knowledge Development and Maria Ndibarekera a Research Coordinator, at the International Society for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect (ISPCAN) Congress held in Edinburgh, Scotland. This was an amazing opportunity for the Centre to network and be part of a global community whose aim is to create a society where children are the most precious resource, and where every individual contributes to the duty to protect children’s rights.
On July 13 our Executive Director, Timothy Opobo and Director of Research & Knowledge Development Clare Ahabwe Bangirana joined the brave & dedicated members of the Uganda Police Forces as they graduated from the Police Senior Command & Staff College. As a part of their training, The AfriChild Centre hosted a module for the postgraduate students in the force, interesting them in the importance of embracing child-focused research.
We are currently implementing the STRETCH Project, ie Strengthen Research and Evaluation Capacity for Evidence-driven policies and programs, in Uganda and Ethiopia. Our goal is to enhance Research and Evaluation capacity to improve refugee child wellbeing in Africa. A delegation consisting of The AfriChild Centre Executive Director Timothy Opobo, The Research Coordinator, John Bosco Apota our Communications Officer, Clinton Twena Tumanye and two Research Associates Dr Firminus Mugumya and Dr Marion Mugisha, visited the the study site. The team curried out stake holder engagements while mapping out the different participants in the study. The team also met with Ms Abina Polyne Irene, the Acting Refugee Desk Officer for South Western Uganda, where they shared the project aims and also established a working relationship with the Office of the Prime Minister in the region. Our goal is to jointly develop outcomes as part of the project for refugee children in Nakivale Refugee Settlement in western Uganda. Under the project, the process of recruitment and training of the research team has been completed.
Mapping Child Protection And Honour in Uganda
The AfriChild Centre has been part of a 3-year (2020-2023) multi-country study implemented in Uganda, Sri Lanka, New Zealand and South Africa. Under the study that was supported by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, our research team successfully mobilized and conducted National interviews with different organizations including; UNICEF, SOS Children's Villages Uganda, Plan International Uganda and World Vision Uganda. The overall purpose of the study was to explore tensions between child protection and rights narratives from the Global North and narratives held by children and child protection institutions and actors in the Global South.
Eliminating Violence in secondary schools through the Good School Toolkit
The AfriChild Centre collaborated with Raising Voices and The London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine to implement a Good School Toolkit (GST) pilot trial in 8 secondary schools in Wakiso and Kampala. The Good School Toolkit (GST) is an innovative pack of ideas developed by Raising Voices. The tool is proven to be effective in reducing violence against children in primary schools by 43%. Our research teams across Uganda finished the collection of data for the pilot study—the pilot trial aimed to understand the feasibility of delivering the Good School Toolkit in secondary schools. Data collection was completed.
Nurturing Children Better Through Research - Kulea Watoto
The AfriChild Centre is actively engaged in a consortium of 5 organizations as a research partner under the Kulea Watoto (Nurturing children) Project . Our collective focus is on promoting Early Childhood Development (ECD) and enhancing economic well-being in Uganda's Yumbe, Kyegegwa, and Kampala districts. In the recent quarter, we established a Community Advisory Board in Kampala to oversee research tools, integrate norms and values, mobilize participants, and validate findings. Reflection meetings were conducted in Yumbe and Kyegegwa with advisory boards to provide a comprehensive overview of the project's progress. In the last quarter, we also completed a 2 generational approach to Early Childhood Care. These activities demonstrate our commitment to improving ECD and transforming the livelihoods of refugees and host communities in Uganda.
We recently hosted an exceptional team from Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA), engaging in enlightening discussions centrered on leveraging evidence-based research to address societal deprivations. Committed to meaningful partnerships for child welfare, our team conducted a reconnaissance visit to The Remnant Generation Programme site, exploring their 3RT model and planning for an upcoming joint research endeavor. Excitement surrounds our nearly established collaboration with the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) in Uganda, as the NRC team visited us to discuss research within humanitarian settings, crucial in a country hosting over 1.5 million refugees and asylum seekers. Additionally, The AfriChild Centre has initiated discussions with UNICEF in Uganda, meeting with Ms. Nada W Elattar to explore collaborative opportunities and potential focus areas for child wellbeing. We eagerly anticipate fruitful partnerships and impactful collaborations ahead.
The AfriChild Centre is excited to her upcoming webinar. This will feature scholars from Nsamizi Training Institute of Social Development and the Coordinator, Education Response Plan Secretariat - Ministry of Education and Sports. Register here to be part.