Luuka Community Strengthening Project
Working with whole households in Luuka so children learn, families earn and relationships grow stronger
The situation
Luuka District, in the Busoga sub-region of Uganda, is home to rural, farming-based communities. Many families struggle to meet everyday expenses, children often learn little in school and too many young people drop out.
Deep-rooted social norms about gender, education and trust weaken household relationships and leave many women raising children alone. Land is fragmented, farming is unproductive, markets are hard to reach and relevant vocational training is scarce. Large, under-regulated private businesses exploit land, resources and people.
Universal Primary Education has brought more children into school, but learning outcomes remain low, teachers and pupils are often absent, and children who are hungry or living with disabilities are frequently left behind.
Luuka District
Created in 2010, Luuka is one of the five traditional principalities of Busoga. It has 11 sub-counties and town councils, 68 parishes and wards, and 279 villages and zones.
A household approach
These problems are passed from one generation to the next and feed each other. The project works with several members of the same household at once, so that change starts at home and spreads through the community.
What are we doing?
Learn
Early childhood care and education improves the learning environment, teacher skills and community involvement from pre-primary to lower primary. Bonga in School keeps children in school and builds their life skills, while Bonga in Community gives out-of-school youth life skills and literacy.
Earn
Technical and vocational training gives young people recognised, market-relevant qualifications. Community Managed Savings Groups teach adults life skills and build group savings and loans. Research in the first year will shape support for smallholder farmers and local markets.
Nurture
ICDP helps parents meet their children’s psychosocial needs and builds more harmonious household relationships. Alongside the Bonga programmes, it challenges the gender norms that hold women and girls back and helps families support one another.
What will we achieve?
Over four years, the project aims to help families in Luuka take charge of their own futures. We will report results here as the project progresses. We aim to see:
- healthier gender norms and more harmonious relationships within households
- stronger household finances through savings groups, vocational skills and better farming
- more children enrolling in school, staying in school and learning well
- young people with recognised, market-relevant qualifications
- self-reliant communities whose groups and associations continue after the project ends
Our project partners
Government and community partners
- Luuka District Local Government
- Lower local governments, schools, and religious and traditional leaders
