Africa
In 2010, 4 million children will find themselves orphaned in Uganda (UNICEF).
With no resources, Uganda is one of the world’s least developed countries. A report from the United Nations puts Uganda’s 2009 population at 32.7 million, meaning that 12% of the population of Uganda are orphans.
Sweet Sleep began working in Uganda in 2009 after a vision trip to the country found orphaned children sleeping on mats on the floor or sharing an old bed with 1, 2, 3—sometimes even 5 children. Pastors, orphanage directors and staff are exhausted , as are their resources to provide for these children.
New laws in Uganda prohibit children in orphanages from sleeping on the floor or, from sharing a bed with another child. As government officials have made their way around the country to check for compliance, orphanage directors have had to send children away from the orphanage, often to conditions much worse.
With the need for beds now URGENT, Sweet Sleep has provided beds to two orphanages; one of which had been closed by the government for only having 8 beds for its 305 children. While the 22 member team was providing the beds to the children, the government came out and, upon seeing the new beds, reopened the orphanage for 5 more years. Beds are saving children’s lives!
Perhaps the most desperate part of Uganda is the northern area of Gulu, where---as a result of Africa’s longest running war, now in a time of peace---more than 1 million people have been displaced. More than three-quarters of those displaced are children living in child-headed households whose parents have been killed by rebels or who have died from AIDS.
Click here to watch a video about our work in northern Uganda.
To continue our response to the children’s overwhelming need for beds, Sweet Sleep is not only taking teams from the U.S. to build them, but will also be posting orphanage profiles and funding needs on our site. Maybe you, your family, church or company can help provide for an orphanage in need.
Click here to view where we’ve placed beds in Africa and our current project funding needs.
Why Sweet Sleep Provides Nets with Each Bed in Uganda
Research findings reported by UNICEF explain that 90% of deaths from the mosquito-born illness of malaria occur in Africa. However, the same research shows that only 5% of households in Africa have gotten life saving Insecticide-Treated Nets (ITNs).
Sweet Sleep’s work to provide mosquito nets to orphanages in Uganda is vital to the health and lives of the country’s 4 million orphaned children.
- Malaria kills a child somewhere in the world every 30 seconds.
- Nearly 1 in 5 of all childhood deaths is caused from malaria.
- According to UNICEF, sleeping under insecticide treated nets can reduce overall child mortality by 20%.
- Evidence shows that Insecticide-Treated Nets (ITNs), when used consistently and correctly, can save six child lives—per year—for every one thousand children sleeping under them.
- Source: UNICEF, www.factsforlifeglobal.org
- 90% of deaths from the mosquito-born illness occur in Africa
- Recent data on the household use of Insecticide-Treated Nets (ITNs), across Africa reveal low coverage rates of only around 5%.
To learn more about our Malaria Prevention Initiative, Nickels for Nets, click here.
