In 14 days time, we are going out to Uganda for 3 weeks to conduct a planning trip.
Our aim is to build a centre of excellence to provide life saving care to abandoned babies and return children to their own families or to foster or adoptive families. This trip is going to determine just how we are going to deliver our promise.
We are taking Brian Waller, our most capable social work adviser who is now working with us to develop our social care approach. He has worked in Uganda and has years of experience in working with families and young children.
21 days is not a lot of time especially as we need to find the answers to some fundamental questions including:
Why are babies being abandoned?
More to the point why do mothers abandon their babies? Is there anyway we could help prevent mothers abandoning their babies in the first place? Tackle the root cause of abandonment and work with mothers to prevent abandonment and ultimately be the people they turn to instead of abandoning their newborn baby in a derelict building?
William from the Sanyu Babies' Home
What?
We now need to decide exactly what extra services we are going to provide beyond the immediate care of newly abandoned babies. Should we, for example, design our centre to accommodate mothers too on a daily or residential basis? We need to talk to government, existing projects and, if possible, mothers themselves about our plans and see where the gaps in provisions are in childcare.
Where?
Location is key. Our project must be firmly based in a local community. It has to be genuinely supported by the local people and local agencies and feel “African” and not something transplanted from outside the continent. If we cannot achieve that ‘buy in” from the very beginning our project will never be sustainable.
How?
We want to find foster or adoptive homes for abandoned children but this is not so common an idea as it is here. It would be easier to look after them long term in an institution but we don’t believe being another orphan statistic is best for the child. Our challenge is to find existing and reliable charities who do this and family support work well and who could work in partnership with us.
And there’s more…
Every day we want to upload a daily video and blog to keep supporters updated on the progress of our project but we need to see if this works on a practical level. We are lucky enough to take out Saffron Jackson, Producer of The Gap Year who has travelled around Africa and is an expert at filming, shooting and uploading videos so if anyone can do it Saffron can but it will be an interesting exercise to see if the idea in theory works in reality. We’ll find out soon enough…
What you can do…
We need your input as this is your charity and we want you to get involved. We want to have a conversation with you so please send us your questions, add your comments, send us ideas, give us advice and support and help us create a centre which we can all be proud of.
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March 31, 2009 at 9:34 pm
Julian Bray
I know Uganda was there in the 60′s, Oboti was president and have also personally met Amin. be advised Uganda is 12 kingdoms, twelve main tribes, all different. To have any effect you need to be well away from Kamapala say Mbale. Too far north, pretty but as it it you have a security and supply train problem. Cut your aims and mainfesto down to a minimum. get clean water in, maleria nets, drugs and medical supplies. Seed and basic agricultural tools, ground is so fertile everything grows if they have water. the locals are very hard working get some kind of self help co-op going possibly coffee find them an export market your job is then done. babies are abandoned if they do not have a history of funds to support them. Deal with the elders in each village be prepared for multiple rejection these people have seen it all and all the horrors…best of luck
March 31, 2009 at 10:58 pm
Lucy Buck
Thank you very much for your advice Julian. We would absolutely love to meet you one day to chat about Uganda and find out more about your incident with Idi Amin. I have spent a lot of time in and around Kampala and we agree with you that the key is definitely to remain as focused as possible and not take on too much.
As you advise, local culture and tribal identity plays a very significant part of everyday life. The tragedies of Rwanda, Congo and, more recently, Western Kenya are terrible reminders, at national or regional level, of what happens when these affiliations are overlooked.
I have been researching baby abandonment for the past 2 years and sadly it is in Kampala where the main problem lies. Our aim is to rehabilitate children back into their extended families or foster care in the local community and focus on a section of the city from where referrals would be taken and in which relationships can be developed with local agencies, local government offices and with local groups.
There are some inspiring co-operatives and micro lending initiatives which make a huge difference to lives of many. We want to concentrate on providing care for mothers and babies and we need to remain focused and not take on too much. We’d love to keep you posted.
April 2, 2009 at 8:01 pm
sarah
Hiya!
Lucy – do you remember Joe from Sanyu’s? His friend Paul’s mother runs a project over in Namirembe which assists young pregnant teens with counselling, community outreach, and boarding, among other things. She’s a wonderful, inspiring woman, and it’s great project.
April 2, 2009 at 9:42 pm
Lucy Buck
Hi Sarah,
Of course I remember Paul and his infamous chocolate cake! I’m looking forward to catching up with you in Uganda. How is Volunteer Support Network going? I joined your fanpage.
We definitely want to visit Mrs. Vivian Kityo at Wakisa Ministeries. She is an inspiration to us all and we can learn a lot from her crisis pregnancy centre.
April 3, 2009 at 1:18 pm
sarah
Hi Lucy,
That’s great, and thank you for your support! Going well so far, but slow (Africa time)! Oh, that cake, it’s been a long time… though I’ve found the most amazing chocolate brownies in gulu of all places.
Really looking forward to meeting up! Let me know if there’s anything I can help with:).
Hugs,
Sarah