FIDA Uganda Partnership
I Am Somebody's Child Soldier is pleased to announce that we have partnered with FIDA Uganda.
Our partnership will help develop and implement programs for former child soldiers and victims of war/women returnees, by providing support that will enhance:
Personal development and rehabilitation
Household income
Mental health
Education
FIDA Uganda is a leading women's rights organisation and a pioneer of legal aid in Sub-Saharan Africa. The organisation has a successful track record of promoting female empowerment and defending human rights, specifically focusing on the rights of women with children, many of whom have been affected by war.
FIDA uganda website
Who are Women Returnees?
Women returnees are female victims of war who were abducted from their villages and schools across Northern Uganda, with some taking part in active combat while the majority were forced to become wives to the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) rebels.
Most of them were very young when this occurred and suffered sexual violence during the conflict, bore children for their captors and now live with an everlasting reminder of their attackers. These vulnerable women are some of the victims of war that I am Somebody’s Child Soldier works with to provide self-sustainable business opportunities as a form of rehabilitation and reintegration back into the community.
I am Somebody’s Child Soldier has worked closely with Victoria Nyanjura, a woman returnee, who in November 2016 spoke to BBC HARDtalk’s Stephen Sackur about former LRA commander Dominic Ongwen. The International Criminal Court in The Hague has accused Mr Ongwen of 70 charges, including crimes against humanity and war crimes allegedly committed between 2002 and 2005 while he was a commander in the Lord’s Resistance Army. He has pleaded not guilty and his trial is due to start in December 2016. Ms Nyanjura was abducted by the LRA in 1996 when she was 14-years-old along with dozens of other schoolgirls from a boarding school in Northern Uganda. She escaped in 2004, but during her abduction she knew Mr Ongwen.
Please click the button below to watch Victoria's interview with the BBC.
bbc interview
Current Campaign
IamSCS is currently at a crucial stage of developing sustainable livelihood initiatives for local groups of female victims of war/women returnees in collaboration with FIDA's Women Advocacy Network (WAN) and local beneficiaries, to ensure that female Victims of war/women returnees in Gulu, Northern Uganda are able to successfully reintegrate into society and provide for themselves and their children.
IAMSCS and FIDA Uganda Partnership & Donation Event
So far the charity has successfully organised donation events in partnership with FIDA in Gulu, Northern Uganda, at which goods were donated to groups of formerly abducted women/child soldiers based on need. Previous donations included sewing machines, Bitenge (traditional material), food items and other materials necessary for making bags, dolls and elephants which enabled female victims of war/women returnees from Can Rwede Peke group to improve the quality and quantity of their locally sold products and rent a location for products to be made. At the second donation event in July 2016, the charity donated farming equipment, arts & crafts supplies and clothes to various groups of female victims of war /women returnees who had never received any form of help since escaping from the war. The women also performed cultural dances, singing heartfelt songs about their life experiences and were also able to engage in open therapeutic dialogue about mental healing and psychical well-being.
Women Advocacy Network groups
Donations based on need went to the following:
Kica Pa Rwot Women’s Group
Group Members: 40
- Materials for Bitenge
- Liner
- Zips
- Sponges
- Tape Measures
- Thread
- Needle
Lacan Pe Nino Group
Group Members: 26
- T-Shirts (26)
- Materials For Making Skirts & Trousers
Tam Pii Anyim Women’s Group
Group Members: 30
- Seeds To Grow Crops
Dii Cwinyi Child Mothers Women’s Group: 34
- Hoes for maintaining their crops
Rwot Lakica
Group Members: 35
- Equipment for cutting papers for making beads
Can Rwede Peke
Group Members: 30
- Bitenge
- Sewing machines
- Food Items
- Materials necessary for making bags, dolls and stuffed elephants
Your Donations Make A Difference
Your contributions to our donation events help us to make a direct impact on the lives of former child soldiers, victims of war and their families.
Your continuous support will help us:
Empower female victims of war/ women returnees by helping purchase much needed items to help them advance in their line of work
Improve the quality and quantity of products made by female victims of war/ women returnees, resulting in more income for them to provide for their families
Create positive spaces for therapeutic dialogue about mental healing and well-being
Raise awareness about mental health and socio-economic issues affecting former child soldiers and victims of war
Organise larger annual events to reach more female victims of war/ women returnees
Build stronger community ties with local groups
Donate
learn about our new campaign
We are in need of your support to ensure that we can improve the lives of hearing impaired pupils attending Laroo ADRA school in Gulu, Northern Uganda.
learn more