At Child’s i Foundation, our commitment to transforming care systems extends beyond us; we believe that fostering collaboration and partnerships is essential to bringing about sustainable change.
The power of Learning visits in advancing care reform can not be overstated! Sharing knowledge and experiences around care reform plays a crucial role in transforming care systems and benchmarking best practice
We had the incredible opportunity in partnership with the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development (MGLSD) to host a delegation from Tanzania in collaboration with our partners, Railway Children Africa for a focused learning visit aimed at exploring effective strategies and sharing learning on care reform.
The primary objective of the visit was to provide the Tanzanian delegation led by the Minister of Community Development, Gender, Women, and Special Groups, Hon Dr. Dorothy Onesphoro Guajima insights into Uganda’s successful strategies for fostering care reform.
“I am interested to learn more about child protection and alternative care strategies and how they have been implemented in Uganda. This is due to the success stories that we have read from you” the minister expressed during the visit entry meeting.
The delegation had the opportunity to engage with officials from the Ministry of Gender Labour and Social Development and the Child’s i team to understand Uganda’s care reform Care journey and the crucial MIS system that tracks significant data which was a key learning for them.
“The Ministry thanks Child’s i Foundation for the work that they have done on the deinstitutionalization of children and we are happy to share with you on care reform in Uganda,” Dr. Aggrey David Kibenge, the Permanent Secretary of Ministry of Gender Labour and Social Development shared at the end of the engagement.
As part of their learning experience, they had the chance to visit; St. Michael, a former institution under Kampala Archdiocese that has been transformed into a community hub due to the dedicated efforts of Child’s i Foundation and Families First, a partner who now runs a Early Childhood Development Centre.
Here, they engaged with our Community Development Network (CDN) supporting the Probation and Social Welfare officers to work with vulnerable families in the communities. The volunteers shared with them the innovative approaches used in the community for the prevention of separation of families.
“While conducting our work in the community, we offer psychosocial support to the families at the verge of separation. We also encourage parents to engage in income generating activities to prevent the separation of families and Child’s i has supported some of them with start-up capital,” Masiko Violet Rachael, a community volunteer in Makindye.
Furthermore, care experienced youth also offered valuable insights by sharing their life-changing experiences in care with the delegates. They spoke about their isolated lives in the institution, the challenges they faced when leaving, and how they have been supported to live independently.
“Life in the institution is different from life outside the institution. When I left the institution, I struggled to adapt to life in the community but with the support and guidance I received from Child’s i, I managed to start my own business which is thriving. I feel happy living on my own and being able to support myself,” Innocent, a young care leaver shared.
This exchange proved to be a significant learning experience for the delegates, who were deeply impressed by the work that has been done in care reform, especially the innovation of the Association of Care Leavers in Uganda.
These learning visits are crucial for us to showcase the success of our innovative approaches to care reform within communities and share good practice that can be replicated within the region.
“I appreciate Child's mission and vision and I hope that one day this will become a reality,”
