PROGRAMS & SERVICES
Refugees Protection & Resettlement Program
As of February 2023, Uganda hosts 1,529,904 refugees mostly from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, South Sudan, Somalia, Ethiopia, Sudan, Central African Republic, Burundi, and Rwanda. These refugees flee their countries mostly due to war and political instability. Uganda is not just a go-to convenient place for these refugees, but it has been relatively peaceful and politically stable for close to forty years. Thousands of these refugees are children who arrive as unaccompanied minors having been separated from their families as they flee violence. Our initiative supplements government efforts in Nakivale, Rwamwanja, Kyaka and Kiryandongo refugee settlements to offer sustainable solutions that range from temporary relief, local integration (through education and employment opportunities), voluntary & safe repatriation, as well as resettlement to 3rd countries. Their journey is not only complex, but conceals other journeys within its lines and our work eases the process of their integration, keeps their hopes alive, and provides tools and skills for their success.
Community Libraries
To promote a reading culture and information access, CEA establishes and maintains libraries in hard-to-reach rural communities. These libraries provide welcoming environments for all community members to pursue knowledge and cultivate literary interests. CEA Community Libraries provide collections of books, eBooks, magazines, research databases, movies, music CDs, and audiobooks. In addition to our collection, we offer a variety of additional services that enhance the lives of our beneficiaries. We provide free access to the internet, Wi-Fi, meeting rooms, computers, laptops, printers, photocopiers and fax machines. Every library we maintain is fully staffed with on-site representatives who help visitors with the services they seek.
Workforce Development Centers
Communities Empowerment Africa and our partners believe that a great job opens doors to financial independence, self-sufficiency, happy families, and thriving communities. That is why we are working closely with our partners at both local and international levels to establish strong career pathways for unemployed and underemployed people in our communities. We offer several programs dedicated to helping eligible participants train, find, and obtain employment that paves the way for them to get into lifelong careers.
Royal Angels High School - Mbarara Campus
CEA efforts in education focus on the empowerment and welfare of girls to correct a cultural injustice of gender discrimination that persists in Ugandan society to this day (2024). In Uganda, girls and women have a distinctly lower social status than men. This inequality often limits female participation in formal and informal institutions such as family, marriage, and religion. Women generally have little power to make decisions, acquire a profitable job, and be independent. Though education may be a partial means of escape from the patriarchal system, the high poverty rates are a substantial barrier to female education. Many girls are forced to drop out of school to pursue income-generating activities for the household or are married off in exchange for a dowry. Recent data shows that only 53% of girls aged 6-12 are reported to complete the required seven years of primary education, and merely 22.5% of the female Ugandan population enroll in secondary education. The male-dominated society also poses barriers for girls who can pursue an education. Despite implementing free, universal primary education in 1997, Ugandan facilities and teaching styles remain unaccommodating to female students. For example, the lack of security, privacy, and sanitation exposes girls to sexual assault as well as creating difficulties for them to attend school while menstruating. In addition, girls and women are responsible for domestic labor, leaving little time to complete assigned schoolwork at home. CEA works to remove these barriers to make education more accessible to girls. We create educational environments that are safe, sanitary, enjoyable and conducive to allow girls thrive and have a positive educational experience.
Computer Literacy & Internet Technology for Rural Schools
A future filled with autonomous vehicles, life-changing apps, robots and artificial intelligence is already here and has transformed the lives for many around the world. However, many of rural communities in Africa continue to lag behind. CEA is making every effort to integrate technology into general education curriculum of rural schools for the people we serve. Computer and internet technologies are increasingly playing an important role in people’s lives and in the socio-economic development around the world. More than 75% of Uganda public schools are in rural areas and face unique challenges that range from poverty, vast commute distances, to lack of infrastructure and network access. For rural districts, internet access is the most pernicious obstacle that makes it impossible to take the digital leap. Even if the school itself has internet access, many students live far from school, and it’s not cost-effective for telecommunication providers to lay fiber to the remote areas where they live. Consequently, rural students find it impossible to compete with their counterparts in urban districts. Without ubiquitous access to internet services, rural students can’t participate in educational opportunities from home, including class discussions, research and interactions with classmates. Students without internet access also can’t take advantage of distance learning for circumstances that prevent them from attending class in person, which leaves them even further behind. The issue of digital equity is important to our organization and that’s why we provide computers and internet access to rural schools and communities.
Microcredit & Financial Inclusion for Rural Women
Since its inception, our organization has set out to better understand the needs of rural women and to use the research and lessons learned to make recommendations on the design and delivery of microfinance products within Uganda and throughout sub-Saharan Africa. One of the poorest nations in the world, Uganda has the third highest percentage globally of people living in rural areas (88%). Serving the rural women’s market in Uganda is not only possible but can be sustainable. There are two types of obstacles to achieving this objective: demand- and supply-side constraints. Despite the importance of agriculture in Uganda and the dominance of women in the sector, there are currently few opportunities for low-income rural women to access financial services. Current data shows that Ugandan microfinance institutions reach less than one percent of the women in Uganda. While there are many challenges in sustainably meeting the needs of rural low-income women through microfinance, overcoming these challenges and ensuring that rural women have access to finance is critical to the development of the sector. To effectively target and serve rural women customers in Uganda, it is important for the microfinance sector to have a deeper understanding of the roles men and women play in both the economy and the rural household. CEA offers capital and microcredit to rural women operating small businesses in a broader effort to encourage their full participation and inclusion in the economy.
Clean Water & Sanitation for Rural Uganda
Current studies indicate that out of 47 million people (current total population of Uganda), 41 million (83% of the population) lack access to a reliable, safely managed source of water, and 7 million people (17%) lack access to improved sanitation solutions. Uganda has experienced two decades of economic growth, leading to large population movements from rural areas to informal settlements around urban centers. The downside of this growth is that it has come with high population growth rates that have overwhelmed existing water and sanitation services. In addition, urban people living in poverty pay as much as 22 percent of their income to access water from water vendors. Spending such a high percentage of earnings on water reduces overall household income, limiting opportunities to build savings and break the poverty cycle. Many families living in rural areas spend more than 30 minutes walking to collect water from open wells to meet water needs for their households. CEA is implementing programs to reduce this burden and to make rural water sources safer for beneficiary households.
Clean Energy Initiative for Rural Households
Studies show that over 90% of households in Uganda and the sub- Saharan region use wood fuel, which is hazardous to both human health and the environment. The use of charcoal and firewood as the main source of energy in rural households is not only the main cause of deforestation, but also has devastating health implications on women and girls due to indoor air pollution. According to WHO, there is consistent scientific evidence that exposure to indoor air pollution is a major risk factor leading to acute respiratory infections in children under five, and ischemic heart disease, stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and lung cancer in adults. In addition, the smoke from burning biomass causes eye irritations. It is not surprising that most of the victims of indoor air pollution are women and children, as they are more exposed to cooking smoke than men. Women spend three to seven hours daily near stoves with their kids breathing polluted air during cooking. At the early age of the children, when they are newborns or infants, their immature lungs and immune systems make them particularly vulnerable. Burning firewood and charcoal is equally bad for the environment and CEA is implementing programs that aim at weaning rural Ugandans off this dangerous form of energy and guiding their transition to clean and renewable energy.
Royal Angels Daycare & Pre-School Centers
As proven by every human development study, early childhood development is key to a full livelihood and future productivity of an individual. When significant investments are made in the health, education and welfare of mothers and children, infant mortality rates go down, children do well in school and go on to become productive members of society. However, only 10% of Ugandan children under the age of 5 are enrolled in formal pre-education centers. Existing pre-education centers are privately-run and are located in urban areas. Community-based early childhood centers receive very little to no state funding; are under-equipped, often lack the basic essentials such as clean water and toilets and are managed by untrained volunteers. Young children also miss out on essential social services in their communities. Uganda has one of the lowest immunization rates in East Africa, one in four births take place outside health facilities and 30% of children under 5 do not have access to clean drinking water. As a result, child and maternal mortality rates remain high and malnutrition is widespread. In addition, hundreds of thousands of children are not registered at birth, preventing them from accessing services and depriving them of an official identity. Investing in the early years is not only in the best interest of children, but also key to developing human capital. Uganda’s future as a middle-income country depends on providing the tools for upward mobility and building an educated and skilled workforce. Early childhood development is the most efficient way to reach this goal and our organization’s work is making a huge positive impact on the lives of children in the rural communities we serve.
HIV Prevention & Awareness in Mbarara City
In Mbarara City, the prevalence of HIV is a significant concern. According to the Household Child Impact Assessment Report released in 2021, the HIV prevalence in Mbarara City stands at 7.2 percent, which is higher than the national prevalence rate of 5.8 percent. This indicates that a considerable proportion of the population in Mbarara is affected by the virus. Several factors contribute to this high prevalence which include Sex Work, Economic Hardships, and Transactional Sex. An increase in the number of women engaged in sex work has been identified as a major factor. Many small bars in areas like Nyihanga, Biharwe, Rubindi, Kijungu, and Ruti serve as meeting points for female sex workers who interact with truck drivers along transit routes. Economic hardships often force women into the sex trade as an alternative source of livelihood. Families facing economic challenges may neglect their children, leading to vulnerable situations. Girls, in particular, may turn to sex work for survival when other options are limited. Additionally, alcohol influence and the city’s status as a transit route with a dense population play a role. Most HIV transmissions occur between the ages of 20 and 49. Adolescents (10-19 years) are sexually active, and the peak incidence occurs among young boys and men in the 20-49 age group. Efforts to combat HIV/AIDS continue, emphasizing prevention through education, awareness, and access to treatment. While progress has been made, ongoing support and funding are crucial to achieving the goal of ending new HIV infections by 2030. Our project is part of this effort.
