HIV/AIDS has impacted negatively on almost every family in Uganda. Thank God that the country has done well on reducing the prevalence of the scourge from 28% in 1998 to the current 6.1%. Uganda has become the star of Africa because of this unprecedented effort. However the effects of the pandemic still remain with us for sometime . The orphans left behind form a large number of the population. 15.2% of the children are orphans (Housing and Population census -Uganda 2002). In Kamwenge district 10,050 children in the Primary school are orphans. Parents Concern provides school uniforms, scholastic materials and some school fees for some orphans who would otherwise not have gone to school at all. Their not accessing education increases their vulnerability. It is worse when the children have disabilities. Aziza a blind girl is lucky to be sponsored to school by Dr Leara Lee - USA.


Traditionally in Uganda when children get orphaned they are taken on by the extended family for support. In most cases these families already have large families of their own (Average family is 7.5 in Kamwenge district). The project tries to identify child headed homes, grandparent and sick parents headed homes for counseling and support. Some children stay alone in the family home and the older at the age of 9 years or even younger becomes the head of the household. These are the ones we call child-headed homes. The project identifies foster homes for such children when necessary. These children need the basic needs like clothing, blankets, shelter, food and other items.

Education is the best gift and most sustainable means of fighting the extreme poverty that engulfs the whole community in our project area. We take care of 400 orphans but this is a drop in the ocean. There is no school feeding program in Uganda. So many children who go to school stay on an empty stomach.