About DRF
DRF envisions a world in which children, girls, youths and women realize their full social, economic and civic potential.
Our mission is to empower children, girls youths and women to initiate and manage their socio-economic development processes through strengthening community participation, advocacy and service delivery.
We exist to respond to the plight of vulnerable children through community-based approaches that empower them to be the change they want to see. We promote innovative and scalable solutions to tackle the most pressing challenges in communities and thereby foster innovation for People and Planet. Our philosophy is that of ‘nothing for them without them. Our program approach is about engaging under-represented young people in underserved communities and empowering them to be agents of community development and advocacy using local resources.
OUR CORE VALUES
- Team work
- Compassion
- Creativity
- Integrity
- Human rights
WHAT WE DO
We are tackling the discriminatory perceptions, attitudes and practices that underpin and condone violence against children; and if we equip children especially girls with the tools, skills and knowledge to be financially independent and to challenge patriarchal structures; we will create and environment in which children and girls can exercise their agency to challenge the status quo, resist abuse and discrimination.
OUR 3 GOALS ARE;
Prioritize skills, knowledge enhancement and empowerment of grassroots children and local communities in the use of technology as a tool for advocacy to remain relevant in the new normal within the realms of the sustainable development arena and ensuring No One is Left Behind.
Collecting data on children’s perceptions on empowerment of their parents, siblings, and children. a) Improve advocacy on the use of aggregated data to inform legislative, policy and resources allocation towards gender equality and children’s empowerment including; Collecting data on children’s access, ownership, and usage of productive resources such as land, house, enterprises, and other capital, Collecting information on children’s knowledge of their legal rights and mechanisms, and institutions through which they can seek recourse and through which their rights are reinforced., Collecting data on children’s perceptions of power, and of their husbands’, families’, and communities’ attitudes and expectations.
Dominion Rescue Foundation should accelerate and have very specific tailored advocacy action plan that will ensure that existing positive policy and legal framework contributes to the fulfillment of human rights for children and girls and that their economic contribution and enjoyment is accounted and guaranteed in Uganda.
WHY WE DO WHAT WE DO
There an estimated 5 million child brides in Uganda. Due to many socio-economic factors girls are especially vulnerable. Uganda has some of the highest school dropout rates and teenage pregnancy rates in the world. The causes range from: cultural beliefs – parents not believing in investing in girls’ education, many families not being able to afford the high cost of education, or parents being disappointed after a teen pregnancy and therefore unwilling to use their meagre resources to send the young Teen Mothers back to school.
It is for this reason that this country has become a source of domestic worker/human trafficking to local and foreign cities of which it is currently ranked under Tier 2 by the United States Department of Trafficking in Persons (TIP) as of 2024 – 2026. “This indicates that the government doesn’t comply fully with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking but it’s making significant efforts to do so”, as per US Department of State.
There are also a large number of girls who have dropped out of school after attaining some secondary education schooling, and whilst these young Teen Mothers are literate, the parents having already invested at least 7- 9 years in their education but they have no certifiable qualification to either seek employment or further their education. This then exposes them to getting married at an early age or leaving for cities to work as domestic workers. Yet, if these young Teen Mothers got an opportunity to have a practical and marketable skill, they would be able to earn a living and change their lives, the lives of their children, families and the community at large
We understand, education means skills acquisition, development and mindset change which are key to the transformation of children, girls, youths and community at large. Under this program DRF has carried out activities like building school readiness skills for underserved rural children and vocational skills training for girls and young children through community learning model