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Who are
Childcare Kitgum Servants?
Childcare Kitgum Servants (CKS) care for child victims of
the vicious and bloody, 20-year, Lord’s Resistance Army rebel
war in northern Uganda.
Founded by Irene Gleeson in 1991,
Childcare Kitgum Servants are now supporting over 8,000
children in 3 Primary and 2 Vocational schools with free
education, two free meals a day, medical care, fresh water
and sanitation.
Working through our 400 indigenous staff: teachers, cooks,
nurses, builders, mechanics, CKS are creating an educated,
sustainable community for the long term social and economic
regeneration of northern Uganda.
Based in Kitgum (40 kilometres from the Sudan border)
Childcare Kitgum Servants (CKS)
provide primary school pupils, many of them ex-child
soldiers, seven years of education leading to their Ugandan
Primary Leaving Examination. The more practically orientated
students go on to attend
Childcare Kitgum Servants (CKS) vocational schools to learns
skills in tailoring, computer, construction, and carpentry
which enables them to earn a living and become self-sufficient.
The LRA war has led to increased poverty in the north,
living standards being at least 30% below the rest of
Uganda. Uganda itself is ranked 156th poorest out of the 177
countries in the world in terms of life expectancy,
literacy, education and income.
 The
local people, the Acholi tribe, were moved from their own
traditional farm lands for fear of abductions, rape and
death to the safety of Internally Displaced Person camps,
which led to further poverty, malnutrition and high levels
of endemic diseases such as Malaria and now AIDS/HIV. This
has resulted in many orphan families where the children have
no living adult relative. Whilst peace has come, aid
agencies have left and the children of northern Uganda have
now been left without any resettlement support to restart
life in a post-war world.
Childcare Kitgum Servants (CKS) support, food and schooling is
vital to their survival.
Aims and Goals
To assist as many children as possible in northern Uganda
reach their full potential through good nutrition, clean
water, schooling and basic medical care.
In Practical Terms
Childcare Kitgum Servants (CKS) is impacting the war-traumatised children and youth of
Kitgum through daily activities on the three school sites
under the supervision of Director Irene Gleeson and John
Paul Kiffasi,
Childcare Kitgum Servants (CKS) Uganda Chief Administrator. All sites have
water bores provided to ensure freshwater is available. In
addition, Childcare Community Churches are providing
counselling and practical social services and the CKS
'Mighty Fire' FM Radio Station is giving war traumatised
children a voice. Gloryland Junction AIDS Hospice is a sixty
bed hospital providing free care and medicine for child and
adult AIDS victims. As well as attention and regular meals,
infants are provided daily milk formula whilst adults are
given anti-retroviral and other required medication.
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New
Projects
A new Primary School at Orom will provide all children in
the area with a
Childcare Kitgum Servants (CKS) education, medical assistance, clothing
and meals. To help people regain their traditional culture,
a Cultural and Arts Studio on the main school site is
currently being built.
How can I help?
If you would like to be part in this great rescue operation,
every single contribution makes a measurable difference. By
making a donation, you will be:
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Supporting CKS to give these desperate children hope and a
future.
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A specific donation through Child sponsorship which can
enable an individual child to benefit from the free
Childcare Kitgum Servants (CKS) food
and education programs.
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Specific projects such as the Water Harvesting Tanks which
are collecting the wet season's rainwater to protect the
schools’ water supplies.
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Paying for homes and self-sufficiency livestock, seed kits
for the child headed orphan families.
'Apwoya' (thank you). |
