SOCIAL SUPPORTThe TASO Social Support vision is self-sustenance for all TASO registered client households through Orphans and other Vulnerable Children and Sustainable Livelihood Programming.

PROMOTING one client at a timeSELF-SUSTENANCE

Education – Over 5, 000 families have benefited from short term assistance such as scholastic materials and school dues for children. Under this several children have improved in school, gained confidence, developed social and life skills. They are also able to support their siblings and supplement the family income. In addition, 4,000 children who either failed to continue to higher education or dropped out of school, benefitted from the vocational/apprenticeship scheme. Courses include; hairdressing, brick-laying and concrete practice, motor vehicle and motorcycle mechanics, catering, carpentry, tailoring, welding and electrical installation.

Food and Nutrition –TASO set up partnerships with local governments, NGOs and development partners to support and facilitate clients with resources, skills and information to set up sustainable livelihood programmes. They set up farms and other agricultural programmes to ensure food security and income generation. Since 2005, over 10,000 households have set up livelihood programmes either individually or in groups

Health, water, sanitation and shelter – 3,500 OVC have received services such as treatment of Opportunistic Infections, information on hygiene, nutrition, HIV prevention, PMTCT, de-worming, immunization and referral to other health facilities for malaria prevention. Those eligible have also been enrolled on ART and Septrin. This has greatly improved their wellbeing and therefore enabled them to live healthy lives.

Economic strengthening – OVC households are also trained in different economic aspects e.g. agro business management skills, poultry keeping, mushroom growing, bakery and cookery. An example is Gulu (a war ravaged area) where 20 girls were trained to make sanitary towels using banana fiber and cotton gauze. Village loan and Saving Schemes have been set up in some centers among the peer support groups.

Psychosocial support and basic care – OVC and their families receive child, adolescent and family counseling services at the TASO facility, home and school. Issues discussed include modes of transmission, HIV/STD prevention, strategy and the role of life skills in prevention of HIV. Each TASO facility has a Child Care Center where OVC receive medical services.

Child protection – through a partnership with community structures, TASO facilities work with Probation Officers, Police-family and Child protection units in their host districts. Activities such as child counseling or child rights, child/parent, guardian workshops, community dialogues and training of service providers on child rights are conducted. Programmes such as AIDS Challenge Youth Challenge Club (ACYC) are organized where adolescents offer peer support and other youth friendly services to each other and their communities.

The AIDS Support Organisation

Uganda

Old Mulago Hospital Complex P.O. Box 10443

Kampala, Uganda

+256 414 532 580mail@tasouganda.orgwww.tasouganda.org

SOCIAL SUPPORT

TASO Social Support involves promotion of self-sustenance for all TASO registered clients households. It targets 6,400 Orphans and other Vulnerable Children (OVC) households annually. It has two major components: Orphans and other Vulnerable Children (OVC) and Sustainable Livelihood programming (SLP). The Sustainable Livelihoods Programme (SLP) was introduced in response to the poverty and vulnerability that exists among TASO clients. The OVC programme operates under six Core Programme Areas (CPAs) as per the national guidelines which are;

STRENGTHING

one client at a timeCOMMUNITIES