School attendance strengthens self-esteem

"The Grail" is an international movement of Christian women who work in medical and social programmes especially for women and girls, are active in education and are dedicated to overcoming poverty worldwide. Many children around Masaka lose their parents to AIDS and other diseases. Some of these children are already infected with HIV from birth. The aim of the work of the Grail Centre Kitovu is to reduce the rate of HIV infections in the catchment area of the project in the long term through targeted prevention work within the framework of "Community Based Health Care", but also to contain other diseases. Furthermore, the medical, social and economic effects for those affected are to be mitigated, with a special focus on the work with orphans. The so-called "Community Based Health Care" provides training and support for volunteer health workers in the villages, courses on health and hygiene education and organic farming, but also AIDS prevention in six communities around Masaka. Specifically, the provision of school fees, medical care for orphans and so-called "Behaviour Change Programs" are the central fields of work of the Grail.

In cooperation with local self-help groups, our project partners try everything to ensure that the children can continue to live in their familiar environment as far as possible and do not have to be taken into orphanages. The aim is to place them in foster families.
The local self-help groups in the surrounding communities, but also relatives and neighbours (so-called "guardians"), support the older orphans who take care of their younger siblings in so-called "children's households". The children's property rights are guaranteed by the Ugandan state so that they can keep their house, livestock and land for their future. One of the biggest problems is the school education of these children. Officially, attendance at primary school in Uganda is free of charge, but due to the poor financial resources of the schools, school fees are charged locally according to need. This is one of the areas where the campaign's help comes in. In order to open up a future for the orphans, project funds are used to pay for school fees, school uniforms and school books, among other things.