Our Partners around the world
The following are some of the organizations that currently support USDC and we are
gratefull for their continuous support. For more information about the organizations
please click and follow the respective links
Comic Relief The Health Foundation States of Guernsey States of Jersey ICCO
Cordaid Lilliane Foundation Ablechildafrica
NOTE:
USDC UK is now called Ablechildafrica and remains an important partner with
Uganda Society for Children.
Our Local Partners
The following are some of the organizations USDC works with as we implement our
programs. We are also gratefull for their continuous support. For more information
about the organizations please
click and follow the respective links
Action on Disability and Development National Union of Disabled Persons in Uganda
Mental Health Uganda Epilepsy Association of Uganda World Vision Uganda
OMEGA Core Initiative Terre Des Homme
Our Corporate Partners
The following are some of the corporate companies and organizations that have
supported USDC and we are gratefull for their continuous support. For more
information about these corporate companiesand organizations please click and
follow the respective links
MTN Uganda Stanbic Bank The New Vision Simba Telecom SAA
Capital FM NCR
Key Local partners
Local Government: - Parents support groups are responsible for the implementation of the programme activities at the district level. In the course of their work, they the other district partners from the education, health and community development sectors to plan with them on a quarterly basis. At these meetings, the roles are divided amongst the various sectors according to expertise and priority areas.
The role of USDC is that of a supporting role and provides a backstopping mechanism to give technical guidance during the annual and quarterly review and planning meetings; in soliciting expert support for trainings of the PSGs and CRCs initially and in getting PSGs. CRCs connected with the right links.
The role of the local government will be to provide technical services and by participating in this project their capacities will built further so that they eventually begin providing and protecting the basic rights of CWDs.
Key Implementing Partners
Right to Play: - USDC has a standing partnership with RTP on child Rights since September 2004 when we signed the first Memorandum of Understanding. Most of the joint interactions with the child rights clubs have taken place in Hoima district where we now have about 15 trained CRC focal persons and club activities. Jessica the CIDA volunteer, who worked closely with the clubs between 2004 and 2005 also contributed to their growth.
After the expiry of this MOU both organizations wanted to renew this partnership but also find ways of improving the partnership which had not fared very well for some time.
The major issues of contention revolved around poor coordination of work plans and activities in the district. USDC district staff felt they were being left out of the RTP plans and implementation process while, on the other hand, RTP felt staff were not very interested in the partnership.
Key International Partners and Current Donors
Wellspring Advisors
Wellsprings Advisors are a US based donor that will be supporting our “Inclusive Education Campaign”this year. The campaign focuses on helping to remove barriers to learning for children with disabilities so that they could achieve learning within the inclusive setting. This project sets out to address the commitment made by the Ugandan government in the Universal Primary Education policy and will call on Ministers and District governments to take the necessary steps to ensure implementation - including the allocation of specific financial resources - to deliver education services to disabled children.
Terre Des Hommes (TDH)
Terre Des Homme has been supporting USDC since 2008 on a project aimed at “Protecting rights and ensuring access to rehabilitative services by CWDs In Masaka district”. This project will focus on the rehabilitation, education and sensitization of the local community in Masaka about disability so as to influence positive attitudes towards CWDs at family, community and government levels. This was a one year project and currently Terre Des Hommes is supporting USDC for 3yrs more to facilitate rehabilitation for more CWDs and for the project to reach even more communities in and around in Masaka district.
Comic Relief – UK
Comic Relief funded USDC with a 5yrs Investment Grant to increase the organizations capacity to manage its programme and advocate for the mainstreaming of disability in development programes at all levels. The grant provided direct support for organizational learning, increased resource mobilization by the organization and installation of improved management systems.
Cordaid - Netherlands
Cordaid has supported USDC since 2003 to provide Mental Health services in Soroti and Jinja Districts. They also supported the development of disability information management systems and on lobbying and advocacy activities at national level.
Lilliane Foundation
USDC has worked with Lillianne Foundation for a number of yrs to support individual Children with disabilities to access education and rehabilitation services in our districts of focus across Uganda. With the support of Lilliane Foundation, Children with disabilities have been enabled to regain mobility, achieve an education and generally live more fulfilling lives
International Republican Institute (IRI)
Advocacy & Rights of Persons with Disabilities Sensitization, Masaka. This project aims at promoting and protecting rights of children with disabilities in Masaka district by removing the barriers which prevent them from enjoying their rights like all other human beings. The project funded by the International Republican Institute compliments USDC’s ongoing program specifically in the area of building capacities of the children with disabilities and their parents to voice out their own issues & engage other stakeholders on their rights.
Civil Society Fund (OVC/CSF)
Since 2008, USDC has been working with the Civil Society Fund for the promotion of the quality of life of children with disabilities and other OVC and their families in Soroti and Hoima District. The project focuses on 7 of the CSF’s core programme areas namely; Education, Psychosocial support, Basic Health, Care and Support, Food security and Nutrition, Social economic security and child protection.
Based on USDC’s achievements over the last 20 years, we have found that the best way to address the exclusion of children with disabilities from society has been by integrating services for children with disabilities in mainstream planning, budgeting and development processes; this, whilst also providing direct support to children with disabilities and their families.
States of Jersey – UK
States of Jersey funded the construction and refurbishment of Special Needs Resource Rooms in Soroti, Lira, Masindi and Buliisa respectively through our UK partner Able Child Africa in 2008. The aim of the project was improving the quality of education of disabled children in school by providing special needs facilities for their education.
States of Guernsey– UK
This donor supported the formation (16 groups) and strengthening (8 groups) Parent Support Groups (PSGs) by building their capacities to advocate for the rights of children with disabilities (CWDs) and monitor activities that are implemented by the districts to meet the needs of children with disabilities.
The State of Guernsey Overseas aid committee offered to USDC a grant of £22,000 for the construction and equipping of an Ear, Nose, Throat (ENT) unit at Arua hospital in Northern Uganda. This unit was put in place to help facilitate the work of the ENT specialist posted by government to work at the hospital in the year 2000 but who has no specialized unit or equipment to do his work.
This is an important project to USDC because for many years specialized services like ENT were only available at the national referral hospital at Mulago. This meant that only very few privileged citizens had access to this service. The biggest problem in the districts and rural communities is lack of specialized personnel and equipment for persons with disabilities.
Guernsey also supported the purchase of a vehicle for our Hoima district field office entitled This was done under a £21,938 project entitled “Vehicle for Community Based Rehabilitation (CBR) programme, Hoima district” funded by States of Guernsey was to strengthen a new Community Based Rehabilitation (CBR) programme to support children with disabilities in Hoima district, which started in August 2001. Components of that programme included outreach activities to people at grassroots, establishing a Children’s Rehabilitation Centre in Hoima hospital and training and rehabilitation of disabled children and their parents.
MEDICOR - UK
In 2007 USDC received four grants from MEDICOR for a ‘Medical Care’ project in North-western Uganda. The project provided for surgical intervention to 160 disabled children to help increase their mobility. As a result these children are able to move around more easily, attend their local school and play a fuller part in the development of their facilities and communities. Next year, Medicor will support intends to implement another outreach project with the aim of bringing healthcare services closer to children with disabilities across five districts in the West Nile region of Uganda. This project will be implemented by USDC in partnership with local Parents Support Groups in the West Nile region.
Bread for the World (Germany)
Bread for the work has been funding USDC since January 2002 and supported our Community Based Rehabilitation project in Hoima for 3yrs. The project aimed at improving the health and social well-being of children with disabilities in Hoima and the surrounding region through the provision of a one-stop rehabilitation facility and out reach services. WE are currently in the process of renewing our relationship with this donor and plan on carrying out more CBR projects in other districts within our areas of focus across Uganda.
