PROJECT TITLE: SOCIAL REHABILITATION/REINTEGRATION OF WAR AFFECTED CHILDREN, AIDS ORPHANS AND NEGLECTED GROUPS OF CHILDREN IN NORTHERN UGANDA. LOCATION: KITGUM DISTRICT N. UGANDA

Background Kitgum District is located at the far northern part of Uganda bordering the Sudan from the south. It has a land size of 16.136 sq km and known to be the largest district in Uganda by landmass with an average population of 437,500 people (1990 population census) currently, it has over 500,000 people 95% of which lives in the rural areas and only 5% live in urban area.

For nearly a decade and half, there has been prolonged insecurity in the region as a result of the civil war and political instability, over 60,000 people have been internally displaced from their homes, over one hundred thousands (100,000) have lost their lives, and about two thousands (2000) children both girls and boys of age 6-18 years have been abducted by the rebels, in Kitgum District, forcefully recruited in to child soldiers, sexually abused, thus defiled and made wives, some are killed, physically and psychologically tortured (traumatised).

The settlement of the displaced persons in concentrated camps and urban centres has favoured increased diseases transmission, poor hygiene, inadequate water supplies and food insecurity. Nevertheless, increased immorality has led to increased sexually transmitted diseases particularly Aids which has led to high rate of mortality, about four hundreds (400) people die of Aids annually in Kitgum district, poverty, illiteracy and inadequate access to information on HIV/AIDS and reproductive health have resulted into over one thousand two hundred (1200) Aids orphans stigmatised by their parental deaths, many of whom are chasing their own ways of lives e.g. roaming about streets, video halls, drugs and other nasty acts.

Kitgum district lacks a rehabilitation centre for the war affected children who have reported back from captivity or rescued by government forces from rebel hands, neglected groups of children and Aids orphans, that would help rehabilitate and reintegrate

Uganda Peace Foundation Initiative,http://www.ugandapeacefoundation.o will establish social rehabilitation centers with adequate psychosocial support and counselling services to enable war traumatized children in Kitgum district, Northern Uganda develop self confidence, self respect and hope for the future. Recreational activities in games and sports will be provided to ensure social cohesion with other fellow children, happiness and wealth brain development, as well as to acquire and improve talents in game and sports for the children who are in and out of school.

Project Cost:$25,000 Contact; Peter P Lukwiya Executive Director UPFI email: lukwiya@ugandapeacefoundation.org website:http://www.ugandapeacefoundation.org