Buseta Community HIV and AIDS Initiative (BUCAI)

In the Pallisa District of Uganda, Bantwana has partnered with the Buseta Community HIV & AIDS Initiative (BUCAI) on the Orphans Livelihoods and Education Project. BUCAI was established as a community-based organization in 2001 to address high illiteracy rates in the region and to help the community deal with the widespread devastation caused by the AIDS crisis. Since its inception, BUCAI has provided health care and counseling to more than 600 persons living with HIV.

John Babalanda is a community volunteer with the Buseta Community AIDS/HIV Initiative

Together, Bantwana and BUCAI have three objectives for the OVC project, all of which are centered on providing comprehensive care for orphans and vulnerable children. The first is to strengthen the socio-economic capacity of OVC and their extended families through microenterprise training in confectionary making. The first group of 12 adolescents was trained for three months. Upon graduation, each participant was given a start-up kit including a charcoal stove, a bag of charcoal, a frying pan, and ingredients. After basic business training, the teens were also given follow-up support in bookkeeping and simple financial management.

The second objective is to improve access to and retention of OVC in primary school education. The Bantwana-BUCAI partnership provides school materials and uniforms for 18 OVC. BUCHAI staff members make visits to schools to talk to the teachers and address school-related challenges for OVC, such as stigma and discrimination.

The third objective tackles psychosocial support. BUCAI has a team of over 60 community HIV and AIDS counselors who offer assistance to people living with HIV. With Bantwana's assistance, 15 counselors were trained to address issues specifically relating to OVC. These counselors oversee quarterly community meetings that enable children and their guardians to address specific issues that affect them.

Since there is a significant number of OVC not yet involved in the program, the future of the Orphans Livelihoods and Education Project will focus on scaling up to meet the needs of this large group of children and their extended families.