Universal Child Sponsorship Fund
Mildmay Uganda’s Universal Fund brings healthcare, education, food security and economic empowerment to children, young people and families living with HIV.
It is only because of your support that 10-year-old Nantume can attend school. Thank you!
The impact of COVID-19
There is a visible impact of COVID-19 on education in sub-Saharan Africa, where the inequities that affected children and their families prior to the pandemic have intensified during and after school closures. It is estimated that 15 million pupils have not attended school in Uganda for almost two years.
Uganda enforced the longest period of school closures worldwide – 22 months – during the COVID-19 pandemic. The compound effects of school closures, loss of livelihoods and caregiver stress during lockdowns increased the risk of domestic violence, with increased instances of verbal and physical abuse of children. Based on the lessons learned about school closures in response to the July 2012 Ebola outbreak, we know that the longer children stay away from school, the less likely they are ever to return, so children were quickly provided with additional support, thanks to funding from the UK.
Mildmay Uganda first opened in 1998 to provide comprehensive HIV care to the public, with over 3,000 children waiting for life-saving drugs through the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). Today, Mildmay Uganda (MMUg) supports over 100,000 clients (13% of all people on antiretroviral therapy – ART – in Uganda. 8,000 of whom are children).
Since its introduction in 2002, the Fund has supported 1,923 children and adolescents (872 boys and 1,051 girls) with psychosocial support services, including economic empowerment of vulnerable households.
In 2017, Mildmay Uganda replaced individually-allocated support for children with the Universal Fund to bring the same healthcare, education and food security benefits more equitably to more children and young people.
Mildmay Uganda continues to make significant contributions toward the United Nations’ five-point plan for ending HIV by 2030
2022 Report
In 2022, the Universal Child Sponsorship Fund supported 96 orphans and vulnerable children/youth (OVCY) with formal education, while 30 received apprenticeship skills training.
Education support
A total of 23 candidates were supported to sit for their final examinations, out of whom 11 sat for Primary Leaving Examinations, 10 sat for the Uganda Certificate of Education(UCE) and 2 sat for the Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education (UACE). Due to financial constraints, 2 of the children who completed Primary level will be supported with Social /Economic Skills training while those who sat for Senior four and Six will be supported with vocational skills.
Summary performance of supported OVCY for the last four years
Year
Formal education
Socio-economic skills
Vocational skills
Tertiary education
2020
2021
2022
2023
Total
129
65
96
5
295
-
13
30
50
93
-
7
7
2
16
-
3
3
1
7
There is a significant decrease in the number of children/young people supported through the universal fund. This is attributed to the decreasing amount of donations being received in the UK.
OVCY plan for 2023
OVCY will be supported to acquire enhanced Social Economic Strengthening for vocational skills/apprenticeships.
Thank you letters from Sponsorship Fund recipients
Letters from some of the children that were supported in 2022, expressing their gratitude for the support received.
Please enjoy reading them.
Economic Strengthening
Economic wellbeing and the ability to provide for one’s household is the foundation for behavioural change; a significant contributor to ending the HIV pandemic.
Poverty limits the uptake and impact of HIV and AIDS prevention and treatment services; HIV and AIDS are known to further exacerbate pre-existing economic vulnerabilities by interrupting income streams, depleting assets and introducing labour constraints.
Mildmay Uganda's economic strengthening model is designed to mitigate economic shock for the most vulnerable households that could potentially affect the uptake or retention of HIV services.
A tailoring class (vocational training).
*MMUg’s apprenticeship programme is aimed at supporting livelihood skills for adolescents and young people with hands-on training in skills such as tailoring (majoring in reusable sanitary pads), hair plaiting & weaving, among others. The programme also supports vocational skills such as fashion and textile design, catering and plumbing. A total of 30 OVCYs were trained in this period.
We have also helped 823 individuals (90% of whom are caregivers) to enrol in Village Savings and Loan Schemes in various communities to help strengthen and stabilise family-centred care.
Providing Education support for a sustainable livelihood: Kintu Kenneth tells his story
Growing up in a very low-income household located in Mutungo Central Division, Makindye Ssabagabo-Wakiso district in greater Kampala, Kintu grew up with three siblings. Kintu is the only child out of 3 children born to his mother who did not get HIV through mother-to-child transmission. Kintu’s siblings and his mother have since died due to HIV/AIDS. Kintu’s father was a security guard earning a meagre salary which could not sustain the household needs and support Kintu's education. The situation worsened when he lost his job in 2008.
Through the Orphan and Vulnerable Children Initiative, Mildmay Uganda Hospital identified, enrolled and supported Kintu to pursue his dream. Kintu was supported with school fees from Senior One to University.
"We have continuously supported Kintu to attain his career goal. He graduated in May 2022 with a Bachelor of Science in Engineering from Mbarara University. We are happy that he will bring happiness and total transformation to his family," says Agnes Nakanwagi, Psychosocial Services Manager, Mildmay Uganda Hospital.
Kintu is among the 1,200 vulnerable children that have been supported by the Mildmay Uganda Hospital led Orphan and Vulnerable Children initiative.
"After excelling in my Primary and then my Ordinary Level Exams, I was stuck! I could not continue to an advanced level of education due to limited resources. My father could not afford the school fees. My dream of being an Engineer was shattered," Kintu told us.
Upon identification and support by Mildmay Uganda Hospital, Kintu was enrolled into secondary school and eventually university to pursue his dream.
He graduated on 26th May 2022, with a Bachelor of Science in Petroleum Engineering and Environmental Management at Mbarara University. "I have acquired interpersonal, entrepreneurship, computer and many other skills in addition to the course skills that will help me compete favourably in the job market. I was also a peer leader at the University. I engaged fellow students in efforts to fight HIV/AIDS at the University.
I am now looking forward to working in the petroleum industry of Uganda as a Production engineer. I will be able to give back to my community, and one day, I will hold someone's hand!" Kintu happily narrates.
Sebayiddu Richard, Kintu's father, says, "If it were not of friends of Mildmay, my son would not be an Engineer today. In 2011, I had no income. Mildmay came to our rescue and enrolled Kenneth on education support. He was enrolled on 13th February 2011.
The little earnings from my casual work would meet the household needs and give Kintu transport to school. Since then, through secondary to University, Mildmay has been supporting him. I am incredibly grateful for the support."
In 2017/18, 5,643,654 orphans and other Vulnerable Children (OVC) were supported across the six core programme areas; economic strengthening, food security and nutritional support, psychosocial and basic care, child protection and legal support.
952,555 households were provided with social services, including Education.
OVC Database 2018, Ministry of Gender, Labor, and Social Development
Mildmay seeks to empower communities for healthier lives among these empowerment initiatives is the support for education.
Case study: Catherine Nassanga
“My name is Nassanga Catherine, am 22 years old and live in Konge, Makindye, Kampala District with my impaired grandmother. I have been an orphan since 2007 as I lost my parents due to HIV/AIDS.
In 2008, I discovered that I was HIV positive and enrolled for care and treatment at Mildmay Uganda Hospital. Since then, I have been taking my drugs well with good adherence and my viral load is undetectable, but after I completed my Primary Leaving Examination Level in 2014 with 14 Aggregates; my aunt stigmatised me due to my HIV status and stopped her support.
In 2009 I joined Mildmay Uganda Choir which is a club that offers peer support services in music, dance and drama skills. I was regularly active and in 2014 I was recommended for education support from the Mildmay Uganda OVC program. In 2014 I joined Ordinary level and completed in 2018 with 50 Aggregates. Due to my performance, I was supported to acquire a certificate in guidance and counselling from the Mildmay Institute of Health sciences, which I completed in 2021 and also successfully competed for a YAPS (Young People and Adolescent Peer Supporters) position.
I am now providing others with support in mobilising and linking peers for HIV testing services; index case testing; conducting pre-test peer counselling and information giving; tracking and following up all identified HIV positive adolescents and young people and linking them to care and treatment.
I am also supporting health workers to run adolescent clinics that are conducting health education; pre- ART counselling; physically escorting Adolescent and Young People through service points; appointment tracking and monitoring; following up of lost clients; adherence support to adolescents and supporting peers to disclose to significant others.
With my earnings, I have enrolled for the Diploma in Guidance and Counselling to be a professional counsellor.
I am very grateful for the gift of life and career opportunities facilitated by my friends at Mildmay Uganda. I am happy that I will be able to support my siblings hereafter.
Thank you so much to the Mildmay family. I will forever be grateful to you for upholding my future.”
Catherine at graduation in 2014
Working as a Young People and Adolescent Peer Supporter
Catherine training her peers
Graduating as a counsellor in 2022
Activities
Financial report 2021-2022
Funds carried over from the previous period
Budget - current period (Jan-Dec 2022)
Total funding available in the current period
Amount expended in the current period (Jan-Dec 2022)
Amount carried forward to the next period (2023)
£11,900
£4,007
£15,907
£24,295
-£8,388
Mildmay Uganda spent 100% of the funds available for the reporting period and incurred a deficit of 35%. The deficit was because of economic instability.
As we reach more vulnerable, at-risk people every year, our small surplus is reducing. To continue to work strategically and plan for the long-term benefit of communities, we very much rely on the generous support of donors to help us improve and save lives, and help equip communities to respond effectively to HIV and other health issues.