P.O.BOX, 14286 KAMPALA-UGANDA EMAIL; ekapujohn@yahoo.com 2017 ANNUAL REPORT

TABLE OF CONTENT

Acronyms …………………......................................................................................... 3

Acknowledgement………………………………………………………………………………………………. 4

Dedication……………………………………………………………………………………………………………..5

Background of the organization……………………………………………………………………………..6

The vision……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….6

PROGRAMS…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….6

The mission…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….6

Goals and objectives……………………………………………………………………………………………….7

Network/partnership………………………………………………………………………………………………8

Activities and how they were carried out ………………………………………………………………10

The beneficiaries…………………………………………………………………………………………………….13

Community participation………………………………………………………………………………………..13

Achievements………………………………………………………………………………………………………..13

Challenge……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….14

Strength…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………15

Weakness……………………………………………………………………………………………………………..15

Work plan 2018……………………………………………………………………………………………………16

Recommendations………………………………………………………………………………………………18

Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………………………………………18

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Acronyms

CSOs Civil Society Organizations

UHSC Uganda Health Service Commission

GDP Gross Domestic Product

OVCs orphan and Vulnerable Children

UDHR Universal Declaration of Human Rights

CBO Community Based Organization

KCCA Kampala city council Authority

UFNC Uganda Food and Nutrition Council

BBUL Bridge Builders Uganda limited

WB World Bank

ESCR Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

We thank the almighty God who has enabled us successfully to achieve some of our goals and

objectives in the past year2017 toward the work of the organization. He guided us. May he guide us

through the rest of the years

We are grateful to EWAN Mc Vicar for the moral and financial support towards street children and

Bridge builders as an organization.

Great thanks also go to the street children, staff members, partners, volunteers for the parental

guidance that enabled BB to bring back hope and courage to the vulnerable/street kid

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Dedication

This annual report2017 is dedicated to all our stake holders, networking partners, well-wishers, parents,

sponsors and volunteers towards the role they have played in the development of the institution, their

sympathy, guidance, courage and sacrifice is highly appreciated.

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BACKGROUND OF THE ORGANISATION Bridge Builders Uganda Limited (BBUL) is a Registered Non-partisan National Organization formed to protect, promote and protect the rights of the vulnerable street children, youths and the general human rights of the population across the country. The organization was formed in 2007 where it operated as a Community Based Organization (CBO) under the supervision of Kampala City Authority (KCCA). The organization was later transformed into a national organization and formally registered under Company’s Act in February 2016. The organization has its head office in Kampala, located at Bombay Gardens, Old Kampala and its field offices so far in Tororo and Soroti Districts BBUL VISION BUL Vision: A society where children, youths and general population is free from any kind of Human rights intrusions. BBUL PROGRAMS

✓ Street children This basically focuses on work around the retaliation of vulnerable street children and this involves, street outreaches, withdraw of streets children, counseling, health of children, integration. Nutrition, and follow ups.

✓ Youth empowerment This involves the direct provision of skills and knowledge for the youths through, music dance and drama, crafts, entrepreneurships, linking the youth with government programs.

✓ Human rights This focuses on the promotion, protection of general human rights through legislative advocacy, research on human rights issues, provide consultancies in different areas, capacity enhancing on human rights issues. BBUL MISSION The organization is formed to promote and protect the rights of vulnerable children, youths and general population in Uganda through capacity building, skills and knowledge provision, legislative advocacy on human rights, research, and provision of consultancy services on human rights and other fields, and rehabilitation of vulnerable street children.

6 GOALS AND OBJECTIVES i. To promote and protect the rights of the youths and other vulnerable Orphans and other vulnerable groups in Uganda. ii. To empower the youths (boys and girls), orphans and other vulnerable street children with vocational skills i.e. music dance and drama, craft making, agriculture skills, financially and with skills of financial savings culture. iii. To undertake advocacy on the policies and laws targeting OVCs and youths in Uganda. iv. To engage government toward fulfillment of economic, social and cultural rights of the children and youth in Uganda. v. To undertake research, documentation and information exchange in Uganda. vi. Support marginalized children in their struggle for a safe secure just and joyful child hood. vii. To improve living standards of children and families who live in abject poverty by providing skills and relief that are suitable to their situation. viii. To promote the dignity and living conditions of house wives so as to inculcate of taking prosper care of children. ix. To partner with the Governmental and Non-Governmental institutions and other bodies to implement policies and guidelines both under municipal laws of Uganda and international law to improve children’s welfare. In particular, to enter into and carry into effect any arrangements for joint working with other organizations which have similar objectives. x. To help OVCs with medical treatment, shelter, food, clothing, counseling, education and training. xi. To undertake consultancies with the aim of building the capacity of the different institutions on laws, policies, project management, project design, monitoring and evaluation among others. xii. To identify, receive, manage, and resettle street children. xiii. To raise resources including money in such manner as the organization shall think fit and in particular from Donors and such organizations which are willing to fight for the rights of children. 7

NETWORKING/ PERTNERSHIPS CSO Partnership BBUL has participated in the number of networking with different CSOs which include JEMI, CSBAG, HURRINET, COUPSTA, ISER,CCFU, PiLAC AND AGHA. in order to effectively address the immediate needs / Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights of the youth. The realization of ESCR that include right to health, food, water, housing, social security, culture, education and adequate standard of living, Bridge Builders Uganda embarked on networking/ partnering with CSOs to monitor and advocate for reforms that will see improvement in the implementation of ESCR. Previous achievements BBUL engages in consultations with key actors which indicate her plans to have a few individual works on a parallel report. This culminated into a CSOs dialogue that agreed on the role of different actors. BBUL has attended several reflection workshops on mechanisms for ESCR monitoring and community mobilization and advocacy. Water project The partnership with schools in Scotland, has introduced water project to the schools of Uganda. BBUL in conjunction with the Scottish school under the help of bird exchange (MR. MC Vicar Ewan), water project is into old Kampala schools. This is a write up competition on “water” that is done by the pupils of old Kampala primary school and Scottish schools, which are later, exchanged as a way of learning from each other. Below is the aerial shot of water project group at old Kampala

Previous achievements BBUL carries out water project with primary school in Kampala. It has grown out of 12 years of exchanges of visual arts and creative writing work between school children in Scotland and Uganda. Many school kids have been helped on scholastic material i.e books, pens, geometrical sets and Uniforms and others have been supported with their school dues. 8 Kampala city council Authority

Other partners include; KCCA which has been the core head of our support from the

beginning of our activities update. It has equipped our members with leadership skills,

management and knowledge for self-development. The organization is supported with youth

funds.

Previous achievements Out of the contributions made by KCCA, the organization has managed to start up different projects that enables youth to develop them self. The organization introduced Cultural group. Asset of Drums, costumes for dancers were brought. This group is trained to entertain on different occasions so that the organization generates some little money that will facilitate its members. The organization also started craft making. Craft Material was got and a team of members are trained to produce bags, carpets, and necklaces etc Here are the samples made 2017

Bags made from beads with different design

Lady scarves with varied materials

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SPECIFIC 2017 ACTIVITIES

1) Street children out reaches

Street outreach is reaching out to their depot (streets where these children lives and work).

We reach out to them so that they understand who we are, to give them another chance of

life, to show them love, care and create friendship with them. We do gloom them to be better

again in life.

2) Mobilizing the children for orientation

Mobilizing the children for orientation, we mobilize them and bring them together in the

community where we share ideas and come to understand their needs and we let them also

understand the activities we have for them and services that they can benefit from afar living

society. This helped this year to together 20 street kids which we focused on.

3) Counseling and guidance

Here at BBUL, Counseling and guidance is done twice in the week on Wednesday and

Saturday, whereby the children come to understand the negative aspects of staying on the

streets. It’s also done to prevent them from abuse of Drugs and other substances that affect

their health. In this case we mostly counsel the street kids, and the disadvantaged children

who live and work on the street and slums of Kampala mainly those who are drug addicts.

This year 2017, 20 street kids are counseled and removed from the street and rehabilitated

in Nasana children home.

4) Medication and first Aid treatment

With the help of Mc Vicar, KCCA, KCCA hospital within the area, we offer first Aid treatment

to those kids who are identified with serious problems/ diseases and wounds in our

outreach program when we reach out to them.

5) Referrals

With the partnership of love and empower African child with facilities that covers the child

needs, Bridge Builders Uganda refer most of the street kids which are identified with good

moral and willing to change but has no parents to Nasana (love and empower African child)

rehabilitation for formal education and for those with serious illness, we refer them to KCCA

hospital in kisenyi for better health. Bridge Builders Uganda took 20 street kids with the

donation of beds which will be used to sleep on. Bed were bought with support from Ewan

mc Vicar

Below are the pictures showing the donation

beds donated to street kids in nasana home by

bridge builders Uganda

Here is the boys domentry in nasana where street kids who are identified willing and in

need of going back to school are rehabilitated by bridge builders Uganda.

7. Christmas party 2017.

Bridge builder organized a Christmas party of rover 50 kids on 24th of December 2017 in kisenyi slum.

The party was part of a bigger spiritual rehabilitation aimed at making children follow the day when

Jesus was born. This included activities such as martial arts, games-such as football, volley ball, music

dance and dram among others.

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8. Training in life skills

Unlike other training that BBUL conducts, but this training was done mainly to help the

children to practice and copy with the emotional intelligence stress, self awareness,

expression, Conflicts resolution, problem solving among themselves, effective

communication and deep listening for the better living in the society. This training was

carried on by REV. father from Maria Mulumba church in old Kampala

9. Music dance and drama

BBUL has been involving the children in music, dance and drama, at first, music was seen as

away one can cry away his/ her problems while sing but as years went on, with an

introduction of Cultural group, BBUL saw an opportunity of acquiring money .as we sing and

dance, we capture people’s attention. And in 2017 a number of ceremonies and wedding

have invited us and we have generated about 2M.

Brass band group is also introduced to the kids of old Kampala. Here, many kids have

benefited by learning more of different instruments and how to play them. We wish come

next year to introduce it to the community.

10. Resettlement/ Home Tracing

As it is in the policy of the government that children home must be a last resort mainly we

embark in resettling those children back to their community with their respective parents

and guardians so that they can take full responsibility of the kid. But before that is done,

Home tracing is vital because after identifying the children who are tired of the life at street

and willing to go back to their homes , we trace for their families, and talking to them in order

to see that they are willing to receive the child. And also to understand the issues that led

their child to the street.

BBUL has this year managed to resettle 34 street kids, with the help of other partners who

are sharing the same goal and objectives toward helping the vulnerable.

11. Art and craft

As our aim, we have trained youth on making craft, sharing ideas on how to improve, today we can do lady bags, and we can do carpets of good quality, necklaces and different designs. Our craft has hint on the market and we are able to sell bags to ladies, and carpets. We wish to learn more skills so that we reach that quality of the desired market.

12. An example of African crafts 11

Small carpets for sit rooms

door mates

All these craft making is trained and financed by bridge builders to the youth of old kamapla

and to the community of Kampala.

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13. The beneficiaries

The beneficiaries are the vulnerable street and disadvantage children who live and work on

the street and slums of Kampala and the parents of those kids.

14. Community participation level

BBUL is located just with the central city of Kampala, Many people around are business

oriented. Their focus toward our activities is too limited in that they come in when they are

touched of something, May be sensitization of diseases (HIV), community clean up by the

organization. In this case, BBUL has embarked on organizing community networking

partnership with the community based organizations to have joint team that will reach out

to all community people and letting them know what our aim is to the community.

And in May 2017, a joint meeting was held where all leaders of different CBOs and the local

councilors, agreed to have one joint group and that it will be super headed by Bridge Builder.

The re union has help BBUL to be known to all people in the community.

15. Achievements 2017

The organization has achieved some of its goal and objectives through net working with

other key stakeholders to address the immediate needs of those children.

BBUL engages in consultations with key actors which indicate her plans to have a few

individual works on a parallel report. This culminated into a CSOs dialogue that agreed on

the role of different actors. BBUL has attended several reflection workshops on mechanisms

for ESCR monitoring and community mobilization and advocacy.

BBUL with bird exchange in Scotland, have integrated with different school in Uganda and

other countries at large. Children have benefited in water project as writing competition.

BBUL got Brass Band instruments donation that was made from Mr. Ewan from Scotland. We

received trumpets, guitars and bass band. This helped the team to improve on their musical

skills.

BBUL also got office equipment which includes computers and printer. This made our

stationary very easy and the expenditure reduced by 50%

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16. CHALLENGES

FUNDING

Limited resources and funds to accomplish our mission has been the major challenge we

faced, this occurred due to a numbers of activities and an expect high prices that could not

fit our budget. The organization also has no funders to help it grow its day today activities,

and the little earned are got for the activities supported by the community members.

DRUGS AND SUBSTANCES ABUSE; this is also a challenge that we faced and it has affected

and killed many street kids; most of the street children are drug addict; they smoke, sniff bad

petrol in the community . It becomes hard to change him, takes too long to learn, listen and

discover who they are.

HOME TRACING

After identifying the children who are willing to go back to their homes, now here comes a

hard time of tracing who his parents are; talking to community (we talk to the community

because some time people refuse him to come back due to the incidences that happened that

time before the kid run to street). Home tracing/ tracing his parent, takes us to move long

distances with extra costs.

LACK OF DOMENTRIES (HOME)

It could be very easier accommodating the vulnerable in one place where they can sleep and

meet them flesh and ok the next day, but counseling them then you let them to go back to

their streets is not suitable in other word, it keeps them the same each day. We try but little

does change.

Education

The right to education involves the availability of functioning educational institutions of

sufficient quality; schools should be accessible to all without discrimination; acceptable in

form and substance to all and flexible or adaptable to the needs of the society which is not

the case in Uganda; and as the organization, part of our objective and work is affected this

year. And here we have witnessed the problem, however, has been the declining quality of

education in schools caused by infrastructural and staffing problem in addition to lack of

instructional materials which is a challenge to the youth in the society.

17. STRENGTH

The organization have got both moral and financial support from the community members for example if it comes to the case of team work they do work hand in hand with the organization; and the number of partnership with different CSOs within and out of Uganda have inspired and strengthened our mission.

The activities that are desired by the community; the MDD groups that have welcomed more youth, trained to have talent have acted as our voice to whatever we would want to pass to the community. Many youth are learning music, and the instruments at all level.

The social media connection; Website, face book and twitter have sold us and passed our information to the concerned

18. Expected work on 2018

Bridge Builders Work plan for 2018 Overall objective: Promotion and protection of vulnerable children, empowerment of youths and women and general promotion of human rights in Uganda; Rehabilitation of vulnerable street children J F M A M J J A S O

0.1 Outreaches Identify the children, identify depots,

Betters children with respect

0.2 withdraw Transport, letters, drinks, stationary

Reduced number of children on the streets

0.4 Re-integration Counseling, identification of families, meetings with communities, resettling the child, transport, clothes, mattresses,

Re-union with the families

0.5 Monitoring, evaluation and reporting

Transport, stationary, allowances,

Monitoring, evaluation and reporting undertaken

Skills training for the youths at central Kampala /Tororo 0.6 Training MDD Transport,

trainers, equipment,

Improved skills

0.7 Training brass band for school children

Transport, trainers, equipment,

Improved skills and performing

0.8 Craft making Art items, transport, trainers, purchase crafts

Improved skills and marketed

0.9 Search for market

Internet, face book, website, transport,

Income generated

Empowering women in Sorot

0.10 Saving schema Collecting saving, resource mobilization, transport, weekly meeting, stationary

Clear system for the women group on savings

0.11 Craft training for soroti women

Items, meeting, trainers,

Improved crafts sold internationally

0.12 Awareness creation on HIV/AID and other health problems

Meetings, transport, stationary,

Improved knowledge on the dangers and effects of HIV/AIDs

0.13

Spiritual development for women

Visits, meetings, bibles, transport

Women who respect God

Partnership with other CSOs 0.14 Partnership

meetings MOU, Transport, meetings, refreshments, reports

Improved collective advocacy

General human rights awareness 0.15 Training school

clubs on human rights

Trainers, stationary, reports, disseminations, flip charts

Improved knowledge on human rights

0.16 Training the community to monitor human rights

Trainers, stationary, reports, disseminations, flip charts

Improved knowledge on human rights and actions taken

0.17 Participating in human rights foras

Transport, invitations, reports

Improved partnership and collective advocacy

0.18 Monitoring and documenting human rights

Stationary, staff, reports

Improved information sharing as result

violation at the community level

of evidence based reports

0.19 Linking children to access juvenile services

Transports, meetings, lists, reports,

Improved representation of children in court and access to justice

19. Recommendation

Basing on the observation made the organization need to be provided with more support in

terms of cash in kind so that it carries out its work effectively and to avoid the delay of the

implemented activities.

We also call upon the international communities and organizations to join the chain and

support the organization in all aspects so that the implemented activities are put forward

towards achieving the goals and the objectives. We also call upon the government to partner

with us toward rescuing those children who live and work on the street.

Kind Regards