The COVID-19 pandemic increased risks for children, exposing them to violence, neglect and disruptions in essential services. In response, the Joining Forces Alliance (JOFA) project worked to strengthen child protection systems. This included facilitating case conferences that provided justice, counseling, and family reunification for 1,742 individuals, including children with disabilities. Additionally, the Hands for Good campaign, aimed at reducing corporal punishment, reached over 4.6 million people through media campaigns with 1,500 children and their parents participating in sessions on Parenting Without Violence.

• Strengthen national and local protection and response systems.
• Improve protection in resilient families, communities, and institutions in the context of COVID-19 and during the recovery phase.
• Increase capacity and agency of children to prevent and respond to violence against them during COVID-19 crisis and recovery phase.
• Increase learning and sharing of knowledge and best practice related to child protection approaches.

Learn More: https://european-union.europa.eu/index_en

Role: The Joining Forces (JF) Alliance, a collaboration between the six (6) biggest children focused agencies ChildFund Alliance, Plan International (lead for Uganda), Save the Children International, SOS Children’s Villages International, Terre des Hommes International Federation and World Vision International initiated in June 2017 to accelerate the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for children while achieving measurable improvements in the lives of children through ending violence against children and advancement of children’s rights.

Learn more: https://joining-forces.org/jofa/uganda/

• Wakiso
• Kampala

• 603,002 children and 4,095,655 adults reached through the Hands 4 Good Campaign.
• 97 children and 24 teachers in 12 schools trained as Child Friendly Accountability facilitators, who went on to reach 9,130 children.
• 94 para-social workers, Community Development Officers, and Probation and Social Welfare Officers trained on Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development case management tools.
• 1,880 child protection cases managed.