Our Services
OUR
Inspiration
Our Inspiration to Start Warm Hearts CBO
Passion
Notwithstanding of our passion to make a positive contribution in the society especially in the lives of women and children, the alarming rates of gender based violence and child abuse caused us to bring WARM HEARTS to life. For instance, the Uganda Demographic Health Survey 2016 indicates that 50% of women experienced physical and sexual abuse at least once in a life time, this itself is alarming.
The Damage
Gender Based Violence slows down economic production and growth. This can be understood from the notion of ‘Two heads are better than one’. The moment a couple separates due to gender based violence, the family’s earnings reduce thus affecting the wellbeing of the family members. Most likely, it’s the mother that will be left with children alone. This has seen may mothers abandon their jobs and businesses to take care of their families. To make it worse, some go overseas and leave their children under the hands of their relatives, some of whom end up abusing those minors. It’s for such strong reasons that WARM HEARTS was birthed to save the situation to tackle the part of the root cause.
Economic Production
The permanent damage that GBV and child abuse bring to the society. Most social, economic and political problems are caused by a broken society as a result of broken homes mainly caused by GBV. For instance, a child who is being abused will find it so hard to achieve her life goals. For instance, according to UNICEF 2018 database, 40% of women had undergone child marriage. This tells you how much their life goals dreams were shuttered and to what extent the economy and social structure got affected.
Abuse
Gender Based Violence has become part and parcel of life and actually, most people take it like its normal most especially physical, cultural and verbal abuse especially in market places. For instance, when a woman passes, its ok and allowed by the society for her to be booed, tapped or touched anywhere and people even laugh it off however much the abused is embarrassed, hurt and insulted. Unfortunately, the abusers are always in groups which makes the victim more helpless and insecure. Such mind-sets need to be changed!
Negative Health Impression
Also, the negative health impression GBV and child abuse come with. Such as unwanted pregnancies, rape, abortion, malnutrition and defilement. For instance, there are so many records where children acquire HIV virus due to defilement and forced marriage cases.
Street Children
Enormous increase on the number of street children. The recent UBOS reports indicate that there are 2600 children living on street aged 7 -17 years. However, these numbers keep on increasing even when the government has put an effort on curbing them down. For instance, a law was passed by the Uganda Government through parliament in mid-2019 that in case one was found giving money to the street children, they shall be attracting a fine of 40,000 = Uganda shillings or imprisonment. These children also experience some abuse like defilement, forced labour/ exploitation and little pay.
Family Neglect
Increase in family neglect. The rate at which single parenthood is increasing in every society is alarming and its worse when both parents abandon the home. This always leaves children as victims of neglect which later puts them at the risk of being abused. WH already devised means of bringing absentee parents on board through many techniques like co-curricular activities.
Drug Abuse
Increase on the rate of drug abuse. This has been escalated by family abandonment and neglect. When a couple gets issues or conflict and the father abandons the home, the whole burden is left with the mother who at the same has to fend for the family. This in the long run leaves the children with less/no time with their parents hence finding solace in the peers who soon initiate them to drug abuse. It’s for this reason that we as WH came up to take back parents to the drawing board of raising their children however busy and deep the conflict between the parents is. Couple’s separation shouldn’t deny a child a right to parenthood.
Burden On Elderly
Increased burden on the elderly. The mortality rate of the elderly still remains high of which one the main causes is increase on the expenditure on the burden of the abandoned children. For instance, Uganda Demographic Health Survey reports 2017 shows that there are 2.4 million orphaned children in Uganda, and 1.8 million of them lived in elderly headed households.
Increased Injustices
Increase in injustices and unattended cases of gender based violence and child abuse. According to legal Aid service providers Network, 84% of Ugandans cannot afford or access legal services. More so, most of the legal service providers are concentrated in the city centres and only available in 18% of the districts. Warm Hearts therefore looks forward to offering affordable and at no cost legal services to the victims of the already mentioned vices.
More About Our Services
As Warm Hearts, we look forward to utilizing all the available resources in order to achieve our goals and the society will be safer place for all, in particular, for women and children
Warm Hearts Foundation
Phone: +256704237170
Email: info@warmheartsuganda.org
PO. Box 109512 | Kasambya Busabala Road | Kampala Uganda.