Friends of Orphans

FRO's key strategy is reaching out to vulnerable and displaced person of all ages through community-centred education-, health, peace building, and rights-related programming. The aim is to build awareness, strengthen skills, and heal those who have suffered because of conflict, through face-to-face contact. In these interpersonal encounters, FRO focuses on exchanging information; engaging youth through entertainment (sport and play); and empowering women, AIDS orphans, and others by meeting basic needs and supporting vocational skills that foster economic development.

FRO offers several different programmes, including:

Human rights, peace building and conflict management programme - FRO has created a forum for women and children to express their views on peace building, conflict management, and human rights. The programme uses games and sports, music, and cultural activities to mobilise and encourage communities to engage in peace, human rights, and reconciliation activities. It also uses Christian values as a reference for moral counselling and mentorship amongst the disadvantaged communities in Pader internally displaced people (IDP) camps.

Specifically, the sports competitions draw teams together from many different IDP camps. According to FRO this encourages interaction and engenders a sense of community. FRO believes that music and culture can be powerful tools for reconciliation; cultural activities, music, and competitions are arranged so that different communities are brought together. FRO also trains human rights’ trainers - who are able to educate people and monitor human rights violations - and community groups.

HIV/AIDS programme - FRO addresses gender-based violence and harmful cultural practices related to the spread of HIV/AIDS. It works with a range of stakeholders to ensure that all voices are represented. The organisation offers HIV/AIDS home-based care, support, and prevention amongst the community of Pader district. FRO also provides care to women who are dying of AIDS with the hope that their last days will be free from pain and indignity. The organisation also supports people living with HIV/AIDS in their efforts to educate themselves and share information with the broader community on prevention, treatment, care, and the elimination of stigma.

FRO Atim Kikoma “Let me do it myself” vocational training centre - The centre provides free vocational training, entrepreneurship, and sustainable income generation skills for child mothers, vulnerable women-headed households, out-of-school-youth, and former child soldiers in Pader district IDP camps. When training is completed, the programme provides a sum of capital (including equipment and supplies) to launch a sustainable small business or income-generating activity.

Income-generating programme - FRO's animal husbandry initiative involves donating an animal (pig, goat, cattle), training the beneficiary in animal husbandry, offering guidance and expertise, and encouraging recipients to donate a female of the litter to another vulnerable household.

Home visits and monitoring of the rehabilitated, reintegrated and empowered beneficiaries - FRO conducts home visits to monitor the progress of those who are being supported in its health, human rights, education, or peace-building programmes.

FRO Wadongo Kacel "We Are Growing Up Together” educational programme - This holistic education programme serves over 400 children in Pader district IDP camps. Wadongo Kacel provides tutoring, mentorship, counselling, sports, and arts and culture programmes. As part of this programme, FRO supports 69 formerly abducted children and orphans (as a result of war and HIV/AIDS) from Pader district IDP camps in secondary and vocational schools. The project pays their school fees, providing items to meet basic needs as well as scholastic materials. FRO is also providing mentorship, counselling, and school enrolment to 220 former child soldiers in Pader Town Council IDP camp and 120 HIV/AIDS orphans in Arum IDP camp.

Rehabilitation programme - FRO provides psychosocial support to war- and HIV/AIDS-affected children, rape and land mine victims, and other vulnerable community members as well as internship and volunteer programmes for those both within and outside Uganda.

Children, Youth, Women, HIV/AIDS, Conflict, Education, Poverty, Rights.

According to organisers, political upheavals in Uganda and Northern Uganda have deprived members of the community, most of whom are farmers, of their means of livelihood. Specifically, rebel activities and insurgency have driven people to live in IDP camps away from their homes and farmlands. As a result, children have been deprived of education and health care; many of their parents have been kidnapped or killed.

Furthermore, FRO claims, more than 30,000 children (average age = 12) have been abducted, sexually abused, maimed, and tortured by rebels and forced to fight in wars. Many children have been orphaned by HIV/AIDS and the war. Girls have been raped, forced to marry rebels, and used as sex slaves; many then become child mothers and contract HIV. Some of these children have escaped from this situation, but then roam the streets of Gulu, Kitgum, and Lira. The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICE)-sponsored research carried out in May 2005 indicates that 6 out of every 10 women living in Pabor IDP camps have been raped.

In 2005, FRO advanced a 5-year strategic plan, which includes activities such as a programme for pre-school children up to age 8, a community health centre, and a human rights and peace building centre that would provide training on human rights, information about human rights, legal services, and networking with other organisations working on human-rights-related issues.

In 2008, the international organisation Free the Slaves, working to abolish slavery around the world, awarded the Friends of Orphans, the Harriet Tubman Reintegration Award for its work with former child soldiers. In addition, FRO leader Anywar Ricky Richard received a 2008 World of Children Humanitarian Award.