SHIELD (Strengthening Holistic Initiatives to Eliminating Child Labor Danger)

Coordinating Organization: KINVIA (formerly Canadian Feed the Children)
Implementing Partner: HUYSLINCI
Funding Support: Slaight Foundation Canada (under the Slaight Emergency Fund)

Project Background:

Child labor remains a critical challenge in several communities across Uganda, with children often exposed to hazardous work, limited access to education, and insufficient protection against exploitation. The SHIELD project was initiated to address these systemic issues through a holistic and multi-sectoral approach, prioritizing the safety, education, and wellbeing of children in high-risk areas.

Project Goal:

To strengthen holistic initiatives aimed at eliminating child labor danger and promoting safe, supportive environments for children.

Objectives:

1. Prevent and reduce child labor: Implement targeted interventions in communities where child labor is prevalent, focusing on high-risk children and households.
2. Enhance access to quality education: Support children to enroll, attend, and complete school through scholarships, mentorship, and community mobilization.
3. Improve child protection systems: Strengthen local structures, including schools, community committees, and local government systems, to monitor, report, and respond to child labor cases.
4. Promote community awareness: Sensitize communities on the dangers of child labor and the importance of education and child rights.
5. Engage at national level: Collaborate with relevant government ministries, national child protection bodies, and policy-makers to influence child labor policies, scale best practices, and align interventions with national strategies for child welfare.

Target Areas:

• Primary focus districts and communities: Kamuli District, Balawoli Subcounty, Nawangaiza Village (since 2023)
• Secondary reach: Adjacent high-risk communities identified during project implementation.

Key Interventions:

• Community engagement and awareness campaigns on child labor and children’s rights
• Educational support including scholarships, school supplies, and mentorship programs
• Capacity building for local child protection committees and school management structures
• Monitoring and reporting systems for early identification of child labor risks
• Policy engagement and collaboration with national institutions to strengthen child protection frameworks

Expected Outcomes:

• Reduced prevalence of child labor in targeted communities
• Increased school enrollment and retention rates among at-risk children
• Enhanced community awareness and active engagement in child protection
• Strengthened collaboration between local authorities, schools, and community organizations
• Improved alignment with national child labor policies and strengthened advocacy at the national level

Duration: 2 years (August 2025 – July 2027)

Sustainability Plan:

SHIELD emphasizes building local capacity through training, mentorship, and community ownership to ensure continued protection of children beyond the project lifecycle, while also reinforcing national child protection frameworks.