TEA is a project that empowers victims of social injustices in Uganda. Poverty, war and natural disasters continue causing untold suffering. Women and youths suffer disproportionately in Uganda. They occupy low socio-economic statuses and lack economic independence. Consequently, there are increased school dropouts, early marriages, domestic violence, teenage-single mothers and destitution. These groups of vulnerable people have skill potentials but lack opportunities to harness them, which perpetuate their powerlessness. However, it is agreeable they can change their destinies if given the opportunity, right skills, motivation and direction. The empowerment academy (TEA) project not only rehabilitates and trains, but also economically occupies and empowers victims through offering work and guidance. Community supported activities in which to work, earn and contribute to the benefit of others are initiated for and with them. Such initiatives include hair salons and nursery schools (because government does not provide it). The multiplier can be effected worldwide, in which case, victims are finally empowered to face injustice with their attained economic power. Their social economic statuses and attitudes towards them change.

Problem

Uganda’s government has tried to put in place some enabling frameworks within which people can better their livelihoods. There is currently free primary and secondary education as well as emancipation policies in place for the disable persons, children, girls and women to advance. At the same time, Ugandan communities are traditionally accommodative through the extended family systems. Almost every household in Uganda fosters at least one child in some way. However, the school dropout rate is too high due to causes that range from general poverty, corruption, conflicts and wars to natural disasters. Much of the formal education don’t inculcate creativity and entrepreneurial cultures among learners; leaving them to look for work than creating it. Also, most foster families often don’t adequately provide care and support for children. Others now abuse maturing girls as manifested in forced early marriages, domestic violence and rape cases. Worse of all, women occupy a low socio-economic status and are at the mercy of their husbands for their livelihood. Even when bartered, they have little to do to avert such bartering as they have no economic power to live independently (free from such abuse). As a result, there are increased numbers of school dropouts, early marriages, domestic violence young and single motherhood as well as prostitution. These young single parents have skill potentials but lack the opportunity to harness them due to socio-cultural, traditional value

Solution

Victims of social injustices have the potential to change their destinies if given the opportunity, right skills, motivation and direction. Most existing interventions rehabilitate but don’t empower. They are reactionary than preventive to the causes of victimization. Even those that do some form of training end at training or give initial support at best. They leave most victims as vulnerable as before. The Empowerment Academy (TEA) not only rehabilitates and trains, but also economically empowers victims through offering work and guidance. It gives them not only skills but also the motivation and direction to use them. This is in form of community supported income generating activities where they work, earn enough to live on and make a contribution to benefit others in subsequent years. In this way, victims are empowered to face violence and its perpetration with their attained economic power. Their socio-economic statuses as well as the communities’ attitudes towards their subordinate statuses will change. Thus, empowering victims is an objective answer to their suffering.

Exemple

TEA’s specific strategic objectives are to: 1. Establish a fully equipped empowerment academy to provide at least 20 victims with practical skills for income generation per year 2. Establish 1 nursery school & 5 fully equipped salons or other income sources per year, 3. Organize returns/contributions by those restored to sustain the academy. Operating principles TEA will follow four principles (to success which) are instrumental to its sustainability: a.Developing creative and practically engaging trainings; and employing every trainee, b.Connecting to all stakeholders as much as possible, including parents/guardians, trainees and its graduates, c.Providing sufficient services even if with low contributions, and d.Being honest and fair in everything and to everyone. Operational strategies i)Direct service provision TEA provides training, psycho-social and material support directly to victims, to strengthen their capacity to vend for themselves in the long run.TEA works closely with educational institutions and Community to establish nursery schools and salons to occupy victims; providing direct services to children and community respectively ii)Mobilization, Advocacy and Promotion. TEA together with ACTS mobilize resources from development partners, public and private sectors and civil society organization to realize sustainable change in victims’ lives and of their families. TEA, under ACTS, mobilizes communities to actively participate in the planning, management; monitoring and evaluation of the programs and increase their influence through community participation and support. iii) Collaboration and Synergies. TEA works with related agencies such as police local government and judiciary and create networks so that issues needing their attention are addressed in a timely and effective manner, and without unnecessary duplication.

Marché

Other NGOs exist and carry out rehabilitation. TEA does not only rehabilitate but goes ahead to economically empower all its beneficiaries. Training institutions also exist but they end at training. TEA trains and then employees all its trainees.