Uganda - the pearl of Africa

According to surveys, Uganda is among the 10 countries in the world with very high percentages of child and maternal mortality. In fact, young people under 25, represent 77% of the population of Uganda. At the same time, AIDS is the second leading cause of death among adolescents, coexisting with malaria, diarrhea, pneumonia and other serious infections. Some of the biggest barriers to providing medical service include: insufficient funding for health services, and weak state and communal infrastructure for prevention and treatment. The percentage of children deprived of access to safe water amounts to 30%.  And, of course, the plight of disabled children in this environment is of strong concern.

Regarding education:  while Uganda has done important steps in the expansion of primary education, school dropout rates remain high.

Inadequate funding, and disasters (both natural and man-made) continue to undermine and to disrupt the provision of education and child welfare in general. At the same time, the expenses related to school enrollment and attendance, tend to be such that they reduce the chances of enrolling children, leaving the poorest families to choose to keep children out of school to work.

Children who experience difficult and adverse emotional experiences in their daily lives from early childhood are at risk of developing psychopathological reactions or deviations.

The above challenges are particularly acute in rural areas, where the quality of basic services remains very low and the needs are extremely high.

Rwanda - the country of a thousand hills

The Republic of Rwanda, is located in east central Africa and its capital is Kigali.

Since 1994, Rwanda has taken significant steps towards ensuring peace, security, economic development and ensuring human and children’s rights.

Children represent a large percentage of the population of Rwanda, (42.9% of the population is between the ages of 0 and 14 and the average age is 18.8). In addition, Rwandan children often live in precarious situations. Especially children living in rural areas are often limited access to basic needs such as nutrition, access to health care, education and protection. Only 47% have access to a clean, safe water source. The very young Rwanda population is a consequence of the horrific genocide which occurred in Rwanda in 1994, where approximately 1,000,000 people were killed in about 4 weeks.

It is estimated that more than 10% of Rwandan children are orphaned today. Mostly, this is because of the genocide, however, there is a growing number of orphans due to HIV / AIDS. Some of these kids live with foster families, others are migrating to city ​​streets in an effort to survive. Regardless of what led them to their current situation, all the children have one thing in common: the need for protection, care and education.

The quality of the primary education provided often is not good, as about 54% of teachers do not have basic qualifications and the classrooms are overcrowded. A large percentage of children who enrolled in school are likely to be expelled due to non-tuition payment.

Despite the introduction of free education until grade nine in 2007 (primary and lower-secondary education system), the attendance rate remains low in secondary education. Access to education is of paramount importance in a developing country such as Rwanda as it allows for children to escape or avoid child labor, but also, it develops knowledge and skills needed to influence society and its development