CHAPTER ONE

GENERAL INTRODUCTION

1.0 Introduction

The Uganda Demographic and Health Survey (2006) defined an orphan as a child below the age of 18 or below age 15 with one or both parents deceased. The UDHS (2006) further defined a vulnerable child as one below the age of 18 or below age 15 who has a chronically ill parent or who lives in household where an adult has been chronically ill or has died in the 12 months preceding the survey. However, conventionally a vulnerable child is one who , when compared to other children using a selected set of criteria, is at a great risk of suffering significant physical, emotional or mental harm that may result in the child’s  human rights not being fulfilled. Based on this definition, almost all children in Uganda are vulnerable. In 2002 the number of Orphans and other vulnerable children (OVCS) were 3,255,146 (UBOS) that is 13% of the total population.  It is projected to have risen to 7,633,354 by end of 2007 (UBOS, 2007). This is a double and alarming increase as the population is growing at 3.2% annually. The National Population and Housing Census, 2002 indicated the number of orphans in Uganda at 1,763,386 (24.3% of all children). The majority of orphans were paternal orphans living with their mothers. It is also estimated that 80% were double orphans and attributed to AIDS according to UNAIDS report of 2002. This means that the surviving mothers of orphans are a key population whose health and wellbeing will be paramount to the survivability of orphans today.

Further statistics by UBOS, 2012 reveal that 205,272 were children with disability, 461,631 children labourers, 41,822 children heading households, 121,723 girl-children who were mothers and 944,875 idle children. The National Strategic Programme Plan of Interventions for Orphans and other Vulnerable Children (2004) revealed that there are an estimated 10,000 street children living in the municipalities and capital city of Uganda; 10,000-15,000 children living in camps in the northern District as a result of armed conflict; and an increasing number of other forms of vulnerability arising out of poverty; break up of marriages, domestic violence and divorce.

This chapter presents the general introduction of the study with particular focus on the background of the study, statement of the problem, research questions, study objectives, study scope, significance as well as the conceptual framework and the definitions of key concepts.

• Background of the Study

The orphans and vulnerable children face increasing challenges in accessing socio-economic and legal services. According to the situational analysis of OVCS in Uganda conducted in 2009 by the Ministry of Gender, Labor and Social Development, 96% of the children are vulnerable due to mostly orphanage as well as the unconducive social, economic and political environment in which they are growing.in line with the above UNICEF, (2016) Indicates that over the last three decades, the world has witnessed unprecedented upheavals manifesting through civil conflicts, epidemics and natural calamities of varying intensity and scale. As a result, many lives have been lost and maimed, leaving behind thousands of helpless dependants. Children in particular, have become susceptible to social and economic hardships due to loss of parents, illness in the home, displacement and often involuntary neglect. At the end of 2003, there were an estimated 143 million orphans in the world (UNAIDS, 2004). A major contributing factor to these figures is considered to be HIV and AIDS, without which the global number would be declining. In Sub-Saharan Africa, AIDS is said to have increased the number of children orphaned from all causes from 30.9 million in 1990 to 48.3 million by the end of 2005.

The rights of the OVCS are grossly abused and seeking redress is particularly hard given their level of vulnerability. Striking poverty, disease burden especially HIV/AIDS and the political unrests worldwide continue to leave many children orphaned and greatly vulnerable. Although there has been increased commitment on the side of the government and NGOs to protect the rights of OVCS as explicitly indicated in the National Orphans and other vulnerable children policy (2004) and the National Strategic Programme Plan of Interventions for Orphans and other Vulnerable children (2004)

The rights of children are internationally, regionally and nationally recognized as indicated by the various legal and policy instruments like the Convention on the rights of a child (UN 1989), the African Charter on the rights and welfare of the child (1999) as well as the various national constitutions and Acts of parliaments worldwide. Besides being entitled to the whole set of rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) as well as other international, regional conventions and treaties, children need to be accorded special rights to facilitate their proper growth and development in all aspects of life (UNICEF, 2014).

Although the above legal instruments provide a universal guide to the protection and advancement of the rights of the children in general, there has been great realization for the need to enhance the protection of the rights of orphans and other vulnerable children at all levels of socio-economic and political organization (UNDP, 2008). With several studies done all around the globe showing the increasing number of OVCS due to striking poverty, diseases especially HIV/AIDS as well as armed conflicts, putting up special avenues through which the rights of OVCS can be advanced is of paramount importance (International AIDS Alliance, 2008).

Due to the disproportionate presence of the three factors (poverty, disease and armed conflict) on which the high numbers of OVCS is blamed on in the world, undoubtedly Africa has the highest numbers of OVCS (World Bank, 2005). On the national scene, while the accurate statistics on vulnerable children is not known with certainty, Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) (2010) shows that orphans constitute 14.1% of the 17.1 million of the children are under 18 years. Despite the inability to accurately estimate the number of vulnerable children in the country, the poverty levels, disease burden as well as the country’s political turmoil especially in the North and not forgetting the many natural disasters that have hit the country in the recent past, the level of vulnerability the children are exposed to is steadily increasing (Kalibala & Elson, 2009). The 2009 situational analysis of OVCS indicate that 96% of the children in the country are vulnerable and that 51% of these are critically vulnerable. Among these are; neglected children, children with disabilities, street children, child labors, children in child and single mother headed households, children from very poor households and children in areas of armed conflicts (MoGL & SD, 2002).

Due to their predicament, OVCS are powerless and consequently their rights are grossly violated and hence the need for legal aid services (LASPNET, 2009). In most developed countries and a few developing ones like South Africa, Kenya and Ghana, it is the duty of the state to provide for OVCs key services like Education, Health and legal aid services in the national budgetary allocations (Jacqueline, 2008).

NGOs and faith based organizations are playing a big role in providing care for orphans and supporting families using a variety of approaches. However, although the scope of needs and challenges faced by orphans is really wide, not many of the NGOs and FBOs undertake interventions in more than one area. Consequently, their services remain largely limited in scope. As noted by Abebe and Aase (2007), NGOs operate with different principles, have limited outreach capacities, are partial, cost-ineffective and do not reach the poorest of the poor. Loss of parents due to HIV/AIDS is the leading contributor of OVCs, other factors include poverty and preventable diseases. This places children in compromising situations like taking lead as family heads to meet the day-day needs (food, education, clothing and shelter) of their siblings, taking care of their sick parents (Ojo and Olayinka 2019).

In Uganda the care of OVCs has been observed as one having many gaps and many of the orphans are left with no specific care , UBOs, 2019 report indicates that OVCs are most likely not going to be employed, they can’t afford proper medical care and also they lack the basic despite the presence of NGOs in Uganda . It is against this Background that this study intends to assess the effects of NGOs on the resilience of OVCs in Mbuya parish a case of Reach out Mbuya HIV/AIDS Initiative.

1.2 Problem Statement

The striking poverty, disease burden especially HIV/AIDS and the political unrests worldwide continue to leave many children orphaned and greatly vulnerable. According to the situational analysis of OVCS in Uganda conducted in 2009 by the Ministry of Gender, Labor and Social Development, 96% of the children are vulnerable due to mostly orphanage as well as the socially, economically and politically unconducive environment in which they are growing. Within this environment, the rights of the OVCS are grossly abused and seeking redress is particularly hard given their level of vulnerability. Although there has been increased commitment on the side of the government and NGOs to protect the rights and enhance their resilience, OVCS are missing out on key basic needs and this therefore has led to the questioning on the relevance of NGOs towards the resilience. The UBOS 2012, Uganda had population 19,566,000 as children and 52% of the children under 15 years. The OVCs are faced with multidisciplinary challenges ranging from health, education, food security, legal services, and psychosocial support. About 11% of total children under the age of 15 in Uganda are orphaned and 38% of the children under the age of 15 are vulnerable (UDHS 2011), However, despite the efforts by NGOs OVCs are failing to be resilient towards the challenges brought about by the HIV/AIDS as indicated by the UBOS, (2012) that This therefore further indicates that the Presence of NGOs has not aided OVCs much to be in position to be resilient and overcome the challenges brought about by HIV/AIDS, It is against this Background that this study intends to Assesses the effects of NGOs on the resilience of OVCs in Mbuya parish A case study of Reach Out Mbuya HIV/AIDS Initiative.

• Objectives of the Study

This section includes the; general objective and specific objectives.

General Objective

To assess the effect of NGOs on the resilience of OVCs in Mbuya Parish, a case of Reach Out Mbuya HIV/AIDS initiative

Specific Objectives

• To examine the NGO activities on OVC resilience at Reach out Mbuya HIV/AIDS Initiative.
• To investigate the challenges that NGOs face in while supporting OVC resilience at Reach out Mbuya HIV/AIDS Initiative.
• To determine the strategies to curb down the challenges NGO face while supporting OVC resilience at Reach out Mbuya HIV/AIDS Initiative.

• Research Questions
  • What are the NGO activities on OVC resilience at Reach out Mbuya HIV/AIDS Initiative?
  • What are the challenges that NGOs face in while supporting OVC resilience at Reach out Mbuya HIV/AIDS Initiative?
  • What are the strategies to curb down the challenges NGO face while supporting OVC resilience at Reach out Mbuya HIV/AIDS Initiative?
• Scope of the Study

The scope of this study is determined by the time scope, conceptual scope as well as geographical scope.

1.5.1 Content scope

The study will concentrate on the following variables; the

1. To assess the effects of psychosocial support on OVC resilience at Reach out Mbuya HIV/AIDS Initiative.
2. To assess the effects of health services on OVC resilience at Reach out Mbuya HIV/AIDS Initiative.

• To assess the effects of food security on OVC resilience at Reach out Mbuya HIV/AIDS Initiative.

1. To assess the effects of education on OVC resilience at Reach out Mbuya HIV/AIDS Initiative.

1.5.2 The geographical scope

The study will be carried out at Reach Out Mbuya HIV/AIDS Initiative that operates within Mbuya parish.

1.5.3    Time Scope

• Significance of the Study

To the policy makers at ministry and local government levels, findings may inform revision of existing policies and or development of new policy concepts. To the advocators in the support of OVCS, findings may serve as empirical basis for programming and resource allocation implementers. In the academic field, the study results will serve a reference source and as a basis for subsequently researches in related areas.

The study findings will be so significant in academic, policy and service delivery circles. In the first place data on the available NGOs that will be captured during the study will be instrumental in linking up service users and providers. This will be possible as the study will avail information on NGOs as well as capturing the views of the users. This will be a useful guide in formulating and implementing appropriate reforms to improve accessibility to NGOs services not only in the study area but also in Uganda as a whole.

Besides, the factors influencing accessibility to legal aid services that will be captured will go a long way in vividly bringing out the barriers to accessibility to legal aid services. This has the potential of informing policy makers and service providers on how best to overcome the barriers and improve on service provision.

From the academic point of view, the study will make a useful contribution onto the pool of knowledge about the phenomenon under study. The findings of this study will generate useful debates which may in future provide the basis for further research.

• Justification of the study

• Conceptual Framework

The gross abuse of children’s rights, lack of educational resources, and general lack of basic needs due to their vulnerability amplifies the need to question their resilience. Therefore, in order to achieve the objectives of this study as stated above, the study variables will investigate the following variables in a systematic pattern of analysis presented in figure 1.1 below.

This study will investigate the relationship between the effects of NGOs (Independent variable) and resilience of OVCs (dependent variables) by orphans and vulnerable children. The dimensions of effects of NGOs include; provision of education, provision of psychosocial support, provision of health services and provision of food security while the resilience of OVCs is measured on; the ability to attend school, ability to have good shelter, quality health services and ability to have legal services.

• Definition of Key Terms

Vulnerable child:      The UDHS (2006) further defined a vulnerable child as one below the age of 18 or below age 15 who has a chronically ill parent or who lives in household where an adult has been chronically ill or has died in the 12 months preceding the survey.

Orphan:                     Any person who is below the age of 18 years, who has lost one or both parents due to death (MoGL&SD, 2009).

: Any child below the age of 18 years who has lost one or both parents to any cause (World vision 2000).

Violence against children:    All actions or omissions/inactions that harm children’s physical and emotional wellbeing. It includes sexual, physical, emotional abuse, child neglect and abandonment, subjection of children to hazardous work, conscription in armed conflict and child sacrifice (Hunter & Williamson, 2000).

Vulnerable child:                  A child who is suffering and/or is likely to suffer any form of abuse or deprivation and is therefore in need of care and protection;

This is a child who, based on a set of criteria when compared to other children, bears a substantive risk of suffering significant physical, emotional or mental harm.

In HIV/AIDS programing, all children affected and infected with HIV/AIDS           are termed as orphan and vulnerable children (OVC) (UNAIDS 2002).

Children:

Children are defined as boys and girls below the age of 18 years. An orphan is a child below the age of 18 years who has lost one or both parents.