World Vision Uganda, joining forces coalition join hands for the national children’s parliament.

KAMPALA, JULY 26th 2024:

World Vision Uganda in partnership with the Joining Forces Coalition have held the National Children’s Parliament today July, 26, ‘24 at the Uganda Parliament Conference Hall.

This initiative aims to create a platform that will avail vast opportunities to tackle issues of hunger, and malnutrition and how they affect children.

Speaking at the event, Paul Mwirichia, Director Response and Ag. National Director of World Vision Uganda, echoed the significant role of according children's forums to participate in issues related to their well-being and livelihood.

“There is no better voice than the voice of children articulated by themselves. The National Children’s Parliament is therefore an extended opportunity for children to harness and engage with key decision-makers in torching light on issues that affect them beyond the informal spaces of engagement. In line with our mandate to ensure life in all its fullness for the most vulnerable children, World Vision continues to facilitate children with programs and initiatives that champion progress and better living and today’s children’s parliament is one of them,” he says.

This initiative will equally aim at highlighting some of the key aspects like the provision of consistent school meals for children, malnutrition, and child hunger that have consistently affected today’s children. According to the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization, Uganda’s fertile agricultural land has the capacity to feed 200 million people. Remarkably, 80% of Uganda’s land is arable, yet only 35% is currently under cultivation.

“World Vision recently embarked on a campaign dubbed “ENOUGH” with a holistic aim of ending child hunger in Uganda and across the continent. The National Children’s Parliament is therefore an extended platform where all stakeholders can join hands, listen to the views of the children, and together table the best way forward in impacting children’s lives positively for today and the generations to come. Through the ENOUGH drive we aim at impacting over 5 million people across our areas of operation,” adds Mwirichia.

In addition to the insights above, Justus Rugambwa who is also the Co-ordinator Joining Forces Coalition agrees to the need for children’s involvement in all activities and matters that impact them.

“At Joining Forces Coalition, we aim at securing the rights of children by supporting children’s safe and meaningful participation at local, national, regional, and global levels. As depicted today, enforcing the right of children to be heard, is a reality that we appreciate and believe will promote collective child participation, and involvement in issues that affect them and influence key decisions that will promote improved children's well-being in the long run,” he concludes.

The National Children’s Parliament will target key government officials, legislators, representatives from all respective NGOs, civil society organizations, educators, parents, and the public.

About World Vision Uganda:

World Vision is a Christian relief, development, and advocacy organisation dedicated to working with children, families, and their communities to reach their full potential by tackling the root causes of poverty and injustice. World Vision started working in Uganda in 1986, assisting communities in the ‘Luweero Triangle’ in central Uganda to resettle and rebuild their infrastructure after the 1981–1986 war. Activities extended to Arua and Nebbi districts in North-Western Uganda to address poverty and the lingering destruction from the 1978–1979 war. World Vision then moved into Gulu in 1988, commencing relief programmes for internally displaced people at the start of the ongoing conflict in Northern Uganda

About Joining Forces Coalition:

Joining Forces Coalition in Uganda is a group of seven of the largest international NGOs working to secure children’s rights. They support children’s safe and meaningful participation at local, national, regional, and global levels. The seven organizations in Uganda include Child Fund, Save the Children, World Vision, SOS, TDH, Plan International plus War Child Holland now changing into War Child Alliance.  

For further information, please contact:

Connie Nankya
Communications and Marketing Director- World Vision Uganda
Mobile: +256-752600040, Email: connie_nankya@wvi.org