By Caroline Nansukusa S.
From April 1st to 18th, 2025, the ARU–Catholic Care for Children in Uganda (CCCU) team undertook a “Journey of Support and Transformation” across 17 schools serving children with disabilities (CWDs) in all four regions of Uganda.
The mission aimed to strengthen child safeguarding and school-based case management, ensuring that every child is supported—one file, one family at a time. With hearts set on holistic child development and inclusive care, the team engaged with children, educators, and families that define this unique landscape of compassion and service.
The team visited both special schools and inclusive annex schools. On-site, the CCCU staff provided practical guidance, helping schools customize safeguarding policies, establish proper coding systems for confidentiality, and organize child-friendly file preparation. They also reintroduced tools such as child and family assessment forms. Job aids were shared, and model file boxes were displayed to inspire uniform, standardized recordkeeping.
Beyond schools, the team visited families of children with disabilities. These encounters revealed both deep struggles and inspiring resilience.
In Gulu, the team visited a family where the father and all the children—except the mother—had partial blindness. Disowned by their clan and community, they were unaware of nearby government health facilities supported by donors and of the government disability grant. Thanks to the visit, the school administrator committed to helping the family access these services.
In Madera, through the visit, an extended family led by a grandmother learned of the Parish Development Model (PDM), Emyooga, which is a presidential initiative to transform homesteads to market-oriented production and other support programs. One single mother, supported by CCCU in 2022, is now thriving with her piggery, soap-making, and garden projects—proof that family strengthening works.
While some schools showed strong progress, the journey revealed several challenges: limited staff to support case management, inadequate funding, incomplete documentation, and families facing extreme poverty. Yet within these challenges lay opportunities for growth. The team emphasized the need for continuous mentorship and refresher training, stronger family-school-community linkages, improved use of child assessment tools, and household economic strengthening—particularly for the most vulnerable families.
During the journey, CCCU honored one of its long-term partners by formally closing its partnership with St. Theresa Primary School–Bbika. The school, once vibrant in the program, no longer served the target group of vulnerable children. The decision, though difficult, was taken with grace and gratitude. Fr. Ronald Bwanika, the school coordinator, received the closure letter with appreciation for the many years of support.
This journey was more than monitoring—it was a movement of hearts and hands, committed to making children with disabilities visible, supported, and safeguarded. From school halls to village paths, the CCCU team carried a message of hope, leaving behind footprints of transformation and a strengthened commitment to care.
As one school staff member movingly expressed during a debrief session:
“We are now more than ready to walk this journey of change because now, we know how.”
