CVOVS
&
WdK
Where are we?
Oldenburg, Germany
The first part of our work takes place in Germany. Here is fromWdKinterest in the cooperation is generated through educational work and advertising and money is collected with the help of fundraising campaigns, which is then sent to Uganda to support the children. We are networked throughout Germany and are always happy to meet new people who support us in our vision.
Bunyangabu District, Uganda
Our work takes place in the Kasunganyanja community in Uganda, East Africa. The education system in this already financially weak country is reaching its limits, especially in rural areas. The schools that exist there have been abandoned by the government and left to fend for themselves. Qualified teachers, functional classrooms and sufficient school supplies are rare. That's why we want to help exactly where help is needed. We want to support the community to help themselves, their schools, teachers and students to better meet the needs of particularly vulnerable children.
The former colonial state of Uganda is located in East Africa, directly on Lake Victoria.
And in the very west of Uganda is the Bunyangabu District, just a few kilometers from the border with the Republic of Congo.
Within the Bunyangabu district are several primary and secondary schools. This is the area where CVOVS supports children with special needs.
In Uganda: our office
The meeting place and administrative center of CVOVS is the office. This is centrally located in Bunyangabu District, more precisely 6km away from the Commercial Center in Kasunganyanja Village.
Our office is provided by a local volunteer. The furniture was only bought at the beginning of 2022 and technical equipment and office supplies are still missing. So, at the moment we only work with pen and paper.
Profile of Uganda
Facts and figures:
Official languages: English and Swahili
Size: ~ 214,000 km²
Population: ~ 47 million
Population growth: ~2.9 children per woman
GDP (Gross Domestic Product): US$638/person/year
Capital: Kampala
Politics: Presidential Democracy
Business:
With 638 US dollars per person per year, Uganda is one of the poorest countries in the world. And this despite the fact that this country is well-supplied in nutrient-rich soil and gold deposits. However, due to the colonial era, which lasted until 1962 and the continued exploitation of expensive raw materials and land, Uganda is only slowly regenerating. The rapidly growing population and high unemployment lead to children dropping out of school. Instead of expanding their knowledge and talent in the classroom, they have to support their families with sometimes heavy work, for example on plantations.
Politics and Law:
Uganda approved the eleventh article of the African Charter of Children's Rights in 1994, which defines the right of every child to education. But children are deprived of this right when the government does not focus on the young generation, when even basic education costs money and theoretically good approaches are not put into practice.
Education System:
In Uganda there is - as well as in Germany - the kindergarten. This may be attended from the age of 3, but is not available everywhere, especially in rural areas. From the age of 6, elementary school imparts basic knowledge for seven years, which is compulsory for all children. The secondary school is divided into two parts, so that a qualification can be obtained after 4 or 6 years at such a school.
Schools in Uganda can be divided into state and private institutions. According to their policy, state-financed schools are not allowed to charge school fees, but receive so little support from the government that money is lacking at every corner: the result is poorly qualified teachers, non-existent school materials, insufficiently equipped classrooms and no proper meals. Private institutions, on the other hand, charge school fees that vary greatly depending on the institution, which the majority of families cannot afford. Added to this is the fact that in Uganda almost half of the total
population is 14 years or younger and therefore has to be schooled.
However, the number of schools and teachers does not even begin to
cover the required facilities. As a result, a school
class includes up to 120 children! Within this framework
pupils with individual and special needs and requirements fall completely
out.
Too few schools also means that children from rural
areas have to travel miles to attend classes.
This is why boarding schools are
being set up in which the students learn, eat and
live while the term lasts.
The parents have to bear the additional costs and the fees become
higher at every new level. At this point, one of the main reasons
why the majority of children leave school after the 7th grade becomes clear.
Thus, a high-quality school certificate after the 13th grade and a
qualification for colleges and universities is impossible for most students.
Future prospects of the children:
Especially for children from poor backgrounds, with deceased parents and/or physical and mental disabilities, there are many factors that make it difficult for them to learn and thus have a secure future: Families with low income - especially single parents - cannot afford to send thier children to well-resourced schools with qualified teachers. Often there is not even enough money for the books, notebooks and pens that every child has to bring with them when they start school. Children with special learning needs, such as students with physical disabilities, need special material that their parents would have to provide, but in most cases they cannot afford financially. For many children from troubled families, these tangible deficits are compounded by the experiences they have at home. Although violent upbringing is a punishable offense in Uganda according to the African Charter and child protection policy, it is practiced daily by the majority of the population. This includes psychological, physical and emotional abuse as well as sexual abuse in any form. Some human aid organizations are striving to elucidate the consequences of such upbringing, but the number of children suffering from these acts and an improvement through respect for children's rights cannot be statistically proven. However, it can be assumed that particularly vulnerable children, including those with disabilities, suffer from the abuse of their parents and other adults due to a lack of understanding and protection.
Having these risk factors, CVOVS explicitly starts with these children in order to help them out of the cycle of poverty and oppression by promoting their education and to increase the chances of a self-determined, responsible and financially secure future.
