UG 13 - REHABILITATION AND PREVENTION FOR THE YOUTH PEOPLE OF GULU
Project Location
Gulu is a town in Northern Uganda that emerged from a twenty-year war that ended in 2007. The devastating effects of violence on the social fabric are still present and very heavy: fragility and often breakdown of the family structure, violence, single mothers, growing poverty, youth hardship, street boys/girls, alcohol and drug abuse. A recent article in a local newspaper stated that Uganda has the highest rate of alcoholism in Africa.
For over 30 years, the CSG, (Comboni Samaritans of Gulu), an organization belonging to the Diocese of Gulu (started by Comboni nuns, fathers and lay people) has been involved in social work in favor of the most vulnerable groups: people with HIV/AIDS, child soldiers, single mothers, prostitutes, the poor and street children, and, at the same time, is also very present on the prevention front, through the "Education for life" programs.
Project description
In light of its experience so far and at the request of the people of Gulu, CSG has developed a drug prevention program for young people. These young people live in extreme poverty and marginalization, are often forced into crime to survive, and are exposed to drugs and alcohol at a very early age. The program, called "Education for Life," began during the AIDS pandemic.
This training process was born in American universities and, here in Uganda, has been enriched with the contribution of the local culture. For its participatory and engaging methodology, for its holistic approach that looks at every dimension of life, for the richness of the content and the skill of the facilitators, it has always had great appreciation from young people, parents and educators with an important positive impact on the lives of the participants.
There are many testimonies of the changes among the young generations, and there has always been a very high request to resume the activities interrupted years ago due to lack of funds. For this reason we would like to resume these programs with monthly workshops (lasting four days) for groups each made up of about 30 children aged between 8 and 19, grouped according to age.
Objectives
- Supporting girls and boys living on the streets or in marginalized situations in the city of Gulu and its surroundings
- Start a prevention program on the dangers of alcohol and drugs with elementary and middle school children
Beneficiaries
Direct: about 400 children from the prevention program
Indirect: families and society
Referent sister of the project: Sr. Dorina Tadiello
Project's costs