Adoption Now! - Caring for orphans and street-children in Uganda

Uganda has a population 24.7 million people. Life expectancy is just 44 years (UK: 78 years) and the under 5 mortality rate is 124 per 1000 live births (UK: 7 per 1000).

Uganda has an estimated 1.7 million orphans, the highest number in the world, and 25 percent of all households look after at least one child orphaned by either HIV/AIDS or war, according to a new study by the Ministry of Gender and Labour and Social Development, cited by the non-governmental organisation World Vision.

The number of street children in Uganda has also increased dramatically over the last two decades. Street children are young people, under 18 years of age, who spend most of their time, day and night, on the street - begging, stealing, using drugs or prostituting themselves to survive.

Adoption Now! gives hope to these vulnerable children by:
		Offering support and encouragement to children still on the street
		Finding caring relatives to take in the street-child
		Sponsoring the education of orphans and street-children
		Giving training in parenting skills to the families
		Opening schools in rural areas where there are none

The work that we, and the many other NGOs, are doing is currently just scratching the surface of the problem that the children of Uganda have. Please read more about our work, on the pages listed down the left-hand side, and see how you can help. Click on the small map below to see where we are working in Uganda.

It doesn't cost much to change a child's life - and it may just change yours too.

News

We are now pleased and excited to announce that Adoption Now! will be merging with Abaana, an established charity that has a heart for the children of Africa. Abaana's wealth of experience, ethical practices and sound management will provide a solid foundation for the work of Adoption Now! not only to continue, but to flourish.

Abaana has been working with children in Africa for over 6 years. Please take the time to visit their website at www.abaana.org.