Redeemer Children’s Home

Support Child Reunification

Our Approach

Founded in 1991 with a primary focus on refugee operations, the Redeemer Children’s Home played a crucial role during times of conflict. The war in South Sudan and the subsequent civil war in Northern Uganda, led by the Lord Resistance Army, resulted in an influx of orphans and homeless Ugandan children. This wave of vulnerable children began seeking refuge in Uganda from as early as 1988. In response to the growing need for care and support for these refugees and IDPs, the Redeemer’s Children’s Home was established, primarily catering to children above 6 years old and those transitioning into adulthood.

Today, many children who sought refuge in the early nineties have grown into adults. Records and follow-up from the home have demonstrated that many have successfully settled into their lives, underscoring the critical importance of supporting children when they are most in need. It is a shared belief between the Redeemer Home and the government that family is the most nurturing environment for a child’s growth. Consequently, the home has actively pursued strategies to reunify children with their families, place them in foster care with well-meaning adults or kinsmen, and facilitate adoption when deemed suitable.

At IRT, in collaboration with the local community and partners, we also seek to address the economic and social vulnerabilities which lead to exploitation and abandonment. We do this through our economic empowerment programme.

The economic empowerment programme is an  intervention which addresses the root causes of child abandonment. By increasing resilience, understanding of key issues, and the ability to financially support their children, we can work towards breaking the poverty cycle and supporting lasting family reunification. At its core, it supports families to:

  • Gain employable skills;
  • Access life skills training;
  • Increase community awareness of Gender-Based Violence;
  • Access healthcare services
  • Safely welcome their children back into the family home.

 

Recognising the existing gaps in support and care, we remain committed to its collaboration with our local partners. In response to the growing need for comprehensive services, we are dedicated to scaling up these initiatives to provide even more children and communities with the support they need.

Uganda has been actively working on various initiatives to facilitate the reunification process and provide support to families affected by these challenges.