Keep hope alive

Stay Alive in Uganda

The Stay Alive program was introduced in Uganda in the year 2001, as a pilot phase in Mukono District in central Uganda. The children welcomed the program through songs, parents participated and the teachers embraced the program fully. Since then the program has been embraced by schools from the Kampala, Wakiso, and Luweero districts.

The beauty of the Stay Alive program is that it is introduced and integrated into already existing government and organizational structures. This creates sustainability and ownership of the program by the indigenous people. The program has been so culturalized that the Stay Alive song is now sung in the Ugandan local language. In most parts of the Wakiso district, the program is referred to as “Beera Mulamu,” meaning Stay Alive. This has enabled the parents to fully participate and own the program in their hearts.

A Stay Alive resource center has been set up at Kyengeza Primary School. Here the teachers have enrolled the surrounding schools that had not yet enrolled for the program. They teach the program to these children at the centre. Parents also gather here for lessons not only about the Stay Alive program but about other HIV/AIDS related issues that affect them. Many parenting lessons are being conducted as well by the community themselves. The results are overwhelming as the Stay Alive group moves through the villages.

The beauty of the Stay Alive program has gone beyond benefiting the children. The program brings together parents for a noble cause other than the school fees meetings that they were used to. Parents now realize the need for supporting and helping their children grow. At Masulita Junior School, in Wakiso District, parents have come together to address other things that will help their children live the principles of the Stay Alive program. As most children go without lunch, they have found means of securing land for a school garden. The school garden is managed by parents and students as is ready to harvest its first beans. Special thanks goes to the Reach the Children, and its volunteer team of June, 2006, that helped to make these children and parents' dream come true.

Reach the Children has partnered with other organizations in spreading the good news of the Stay Alive program to the Ugandan children. In 2006, we partnered with Hope Clinic Lukuli, Kampala District to reach out to the children around Lukuli with the Stay Alive program. Through this partnership, the program has reached 3,000 children 6,000 parents. This program has also given birth to what we call “Stay Alive treats.” Children that have been taught the program at school gather together on Saturday afternoons, under the instruction of Reach the Children staff, and participate in activities that help them put the skills they have learned into action. Community role models come and tell stories and give insights on how they were able to achieve their goals. We sing, play and smile, endeavoring to embrace all the children around even those that may not be living in happy families. We embrace each other in a big Stay Alive family.

The Stay Alive program has reached 73,681 children in Uganda through 942 teachers as of the end of 2006. Also, 79,734 parents have learned about the Stay Alive program in 322 Local Council bodies. We have also 148 Stay Alive school clubs started where children meet, elect their leaders and organize activities to support the lessons they have learned in school. Parent/guardians have also come up with their own clubs where they meet on a monthly basis and talk about Stay Alive. We have 210 parents Stay Alive clubs where the basis is the teaching of parenting skills.

2006 was a great year for the Stay Alive program in Uganda. We reached 9,756 new children and significant additionally training and program development were conducted. Staff attended a Stay Alive conference in Kenya, where United Families Stay Alive staff attended from the U.S. Also, the International Stay Alive Trainer, Jastus Suchi, traveled to Uganda for additional training. The year was crowned by a visit from Wendy Sheffield, the author of the Stay Alive program, Gaye Brown, Stay Alive Director for Reach the Children and Tricia Hoffman, from United Families International. The visit was to prepare for the publication of the final Stay Alive lesson modules.