A tailor/;PHOTO ;AVSI
Uganda is set to benefit from a new three-year pilot initiative aimed at improving children’s welfare and strengthening household sustainability in some of Kampala’s most vulnerable urban communities, as development partners intensify efforts to address the growing challenge of urban poverty.
The initiative, titled “Building Sustainable Livelihoods for Urban Vulnerable Households,” is being implemented by the AVSI Foundation with support from the Nando and Elsa Peretti Foundation (NaEPF).
Tailored specifically to Kampala’s urban context, the project will be rolled out in Namuwongo, Kamwokya, and Luzira, three densely populated areas facing persistent food insecurity, unstable incomes, and limited access to basic services.
According to AVSI Foundation, the project is designed to help vulnerable families transition from emergency dependence to long-term self-reliance by combining humanitarian assistance with sustainable development interventions.
“This pilot initiative responds to the realities of urban poverty by placing families and children at the centre of long-term livelihood solutions,” the organisation said in a statement, noting that lessons generated will inform future scaling and policy engagement.
The project targets extremely poor and vulnerable households already enrolled in AVSI’s Distance Support Program, using the organisation’s Household Vulnerability Assessment to guide evidence-based targeting.
This approach, AVSI says, ensures that support reaches families facing the highest levels of deprivation while strengthening accountability and impact.
Conditions in the target communities remain severe.
In Namuwongo, one of Kampala’s poorest informal settlements, 90 percent of households survive on less than €1 per day.
AVSI’s 2024 baseline survey indicates that 81 percent of families regularly skip meals, 83 percent lack dietary diversity, and many live in overcrowded housing without access to safe sanitation.
In Kamwokya, similar challenges persist, with 88 percent of households experiencing food insecurity and more than half lacking adequate hygiene facilities.
The project’s second phase will expand to Luzira, where AVSI is working with its local partner, the Uganda Discharged Prisoners Aid Society (UDP).
Households in this area face layered vulnerabilities, including a high proportion of female-headed households (54 percent), limited vocational skills (71 percent), and dependence on informal or unstable employment (75 percent).
Most families lack land ownership, savings mechanisms, and secure housing, further heightening economic fragility.
AVSI Foundation said the initiative adopts a multi-dimensional approach that promotes participation, relationship-building, and learning-by-doing.
“Through consistent accompaniment, the project fosters responsibility and empowerment, enabling individuals and families to become key actors in their own development,” the organisation noted.
The project directly addresses food insecurity, psychosocial stress, and economic instability through two core pillars.
The first focuses on enhancing food security and nutrition, including weekly coaching on balanced diets, hygiene, disease prevention, and shared household decision-making, alongside psychosocial support and parenting education.
The second pillar aims at increasing economic security through business coaching, start-up support, entrepreneurship training, Village Savings and Loan Associations, financial literacy, and improved market access.
NaEPF said the initiative aligns with its commitment to advancing child well-being and household resilience, particularly among women-led families living in extreme urban poverty.
“By integrating economic empowerment with nutrition and psychosocial support, the project lays the foundation for sustainable well-being,” the foundation said.
Overall, the project is expected to directly benefit 200 vulnerable households, reaching approximately 1,260 individuals across Kampala.
AVSI Foundation said the initiative represents an important step toward building inclusive, resilient urban communities and generating evidence to inform broader urban development policies in Uganda.
About AVSI
The AVSI Foundation is an international non-governmental organization that works to promote human dignity and sustainable development, particularly among vulnerable and marginalized communities.
AVSI’s work focuses on education, child protection, health, nutrition, livelihoods, emergency response, and community development, with a strong emphasis on long-term, locally driven solutions.
About Nando and Elsa Peretti Foundation (NaEPF)
The Nando and Elsa Peretti Foundation (NaEPF) is a private philanthropic foundation based in Italy.
The foundation supports initiatives worldwide that promote social justice, human rights, environmental protection, scientific research, education, and humanitarian assistance.
NaEPF is particularly known for funding projects that focus on vulnerable and marginalized populations, including children, women, refugees, and communities affected by poverty or crisis.
Its support often prioritizes grassroots and community-based organizations, as well as programs that combine immediate relief with long-term development impact.
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