AFRICHILD MONTHLY MONITOR - FEBRUARY

The AfriChild Centre Board of Directors held a three-day strategic retreat in February to assess the Centre’s progress, evaluate the performance of both the Board and Secretariat, and set a clear path forward. The retreat fostered in-depth discussions on key priorities, long-term goals, and strategies to enhance AfriChild’s impact. With their collective expertise, the Board outlined a roadmap for strengthening child well-being initiatives and identified priorities for 2025.

The AfriChild Centre along with partners from government ministries, civil society organisations and academia officially launched of the Multi-Sectoral Child Wellbeing Research Uptake Forum—a platform designed to integrate research findings into practical applications for the benefit of Ugandan children through evidence-informed decision-making in policy and practice.

 

The launch which took place on Friday, 28th February marks a new era of evidence-driven policymaking in Uganda. Bringing together key government ministries, civil society, and development partners, the Forum bridges research, policy, and practice to drive real change for children. With leaders from the Ministries of Health, Ministry of Education and Sports, and The Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development, the Office of the Prime Minister, and APEX Platform, alongside child-focused Non-Governmental Organisations, the initiative ensures research findings translate into impactful policies and programs. This Forum is a bold call to action—turning data into solutions that safeguard every child's future.

OUR RESEARCH WORK

AfriChild conducted an in-depth training for Research Assistants in preparation for an outcome study on the Bantwana Initiative’s intervention addressing Violence Against Children in Schools and Communities in Western Uganda. The training covered an overview of AfriChild, the Violence Against Children in Schools (VACIS) program, study design, data collection methods, and child safeguarding protocols to ensure high-quality research. Following the training, the team conducted a pretest to refine tools and approaches before launching data collection across Kabarole, Bunyangabo, and Kyenjojo. A total of 560 respondents—including caregivers, children, teachers, and child protection stakeholders—were reached. This study marks a crucial step in generating evidence to strengthen child protection efforts and improve children’s well-being.

The AfriChild Centre completed a baseline data collection for the Ubumwe Project 2.0 in Kyangwali Refugee Settlement. Over three days, research teams visited Kentomi, Maratatu, and Rwemisanga Primary Schools to gather essential data through 50 teacher surveys,14 in-depth interviews, and 8 participatory focus group discussions with learners from both upper (P5 and P6) and lower classes (P3 and P4) to understand the status of utilising the arts for learning and for socio-emotional wellbeing of both learners. Each day concluded with a debrief session to assess progress, identify challenges, and refine data collection tools to ensure accuracy and completeness. The collected data will be instrumental in establishing the effect of the Ubumwe curriculum (an arts teaching curriculum) on learners' learning and mental health outcomes, ultimately contributing to informing future interventions aimed at improving education and wellbeing outcomes for refugee children.

The AfriChild Centre, in partnership with the Norwegian Refugee Council, disseminated midline evaluation findings of the Social Cohesion and Livelihoods Empowerment for Youth-Led Durable Solutions (SCALE) Project in Kampala, Hoima, and Isingiro. The sessions brought together key stakeholders, including government officials, refugee-led organizations, international agencies, vocational institutions, local artisans, and project beneficiaries, to review findings, assess progress, and discuss strategies to enhance the initiative's impact. The report highlighted significant insights into the program’s effectiveness, challenges faced, and areas for improvement. Engaging discussions centered around strengthening interventions, improving service delivery, and scaling successful approaches. The collaborative effort demonstrated a shared commitment to driving evidence-based solutions for sustainable impact.

CAPACITY BUILDING

AfriChild Centre successfully conducted Module One of the third Policymakers and Practitioners in the Use of Research Evidence (PPURE) Cohort, equipping 32 participants with essential skills to integrate research into policy and programming. The week-long training featured expert-led sessions on adopting a research culture, evaluating evidence quality, and communicating research for impact. Through interactive discussions and practical exercises, participants strengthened their ability to apply research to real-world policy challenges, reinforcing PPURE’s role in promoting evidence-based decision-making for children and communities.

The AfriChild Centre, in partnership with Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) in Uganda, conducted a tracer study in Kampala, Kyangwali, and Nakivale to assess the skills of youth who received vocational training or financial support under the NRC-SCALE project. The study focused on youth employment outcomes and the impact on early childhood development. Findings will inform future interventions to strengthen programming for refugee and urban youth and their children.

STAKEHOLDER AND EXTERNAL ENGAGEMENTS

The Annual Crime Report 2024 shows a 4.1% drop in overall crime in Uganda, but crimes against children remain a major concern. Cases of child defilement rose to 12,000, while child neglect and abuse cases slightly declined to 9,408. Despite some progress, these figures underscore the need for stronger child protection measures. Stakeholders must prioritise child welfare to ensure crime reduction efforts translate into real safety for Uganda’s children.

The AfriChild Centre, as part of the Kulea Watoto consortium partners (International Rescue Committee, Literacy Adult Basic Education-LABE, Kabarole Research and Resource Centre (KRC) and Madarasa Foundation) conducted a joint monitoring exercise under the Kulea Watoto project to assess progress in Early Childhood Development (ECD) and Economic Recovery and Development (ERD) interventions. Over two days, the teams visited project sites to evaluate implementation, identify challenges, and explore opportunities for improvement. The exercise was concluded with a debrief session, where key findings were discussed in preparation for the Partners Implementation Meeting (PIM). The final day (PIM) was dedicated to strategic discussions, ensuring alignment among partners and strengthening collaborative efforts to enhance program impact. In the meeting, the Centre presented a finalised report on best practices in implementing the Kulea Watoto project and the refined Kulea Watoto implementation model.

UPCOMING EVENTS

STAFF HIGHLIGHT

PUBLICATIONS