Nurture Africa, Kampala, Uganda

Nurture Africa's work aims to catch those who fall through the cracks in Uganda, by caring for the emotional, physical and mental wellbeing of vulnerable children and orphans. This work focuses on the need for basic healthcare in communities that typically consist of children who have lost their families to HIV/AIDS, but includes those who are infected with the virus where Nurture Africa can provide treatment using Anti-Retrovirals (ARVs). Running 5 programmes across 2 districts in Uganda - they have achieved some remarkable things since the inception of the organisation in 2003.

The community healthcare service that they operate works closely with families where the parents have been infected with HIV/AIDS and provide primary healthcare for the children of families who are too sick or impoverished to provide it themselves. Over the course of 2013, Nurture Africa's work at the health centre saved 9150 orphans, provided 425 HIV infected children with the ARVs necessary to preventing the disease from spreading through their bodies and supplied 170 families with vital nutritional supplements. All of this was on top of the HIV/AIDS screening service that they offer and which 9610 people willingly participated in for the protection of their community.

Last year they supported 1125 students through a variety of levels of education in the hope that with vocational skills, their prospects will be improved and the future of Uganda will look much brighter. There are plans in motion to expand the education programme to cover some local state schools with a view to creating a holistic approach towards education - hopefully this should allow a greater level of access to a better quality of education.

Having provided nearly 300 adults with a micro-loan, the chances of these families lifting themselves out of poverty has greatly improved and the quality of life that many children in Uganda have never known before. 1300 people received the advice and guidance necessary to make a will and have one drafted - this ensures that their affairs are in order before and grants peace of mind to the infirm. The notion of creating sustainable livelihoods for Ugandans is one that many charities overlook - through the empowerment of an independent income, people can take control of their own lives and make decisions themselves. 

Throughout all of their work, Nurture Africa aim to promote and protect equality and children's rights in a bid to prevent gender related crimes and child abuse. This has included assisting the police in reporting the crimes and database training has been provided to sections of the police force to help ensure that these actions are not repeated by the same perpetrators. 

For more information, please visit their website