Rescue & Shelter Program (Relaunch Goal)
A Safe Place for Every Child in Crisis
Every child deserves to grow up in a safe, loving, and nurturing environment. Yet many vulnerable children are forced to survive on the streets, flee abusive homes, experience neglect, or become separated from their families due to poverty, violence, or emergencies.
The Rescue & Shelter Initiative is Tez ChildFund Africa’s commitment to protecting children facing immediate danger by working toward reopening a safe residential shelter where they can receive temporary care, protection, healing, and hope.
Our vision is to establish a child-friendly residential shelter that provides a secure environment while long-term solutions are developed. The shelter will serve as a place of safety where children can recover physically and emotionally before being reunited with their families whenever possible or supported in returning to school and community life.
We believe that every rescue is more than removing a child from danger—it is the beginning of restoring dignity, rebuilding confidence, and creating new opportunities for a brighter future.
Our Goals
Through the Rescue & Shelter Initiative, we aim to:
- Rescue children facing abuse, neglect, abandonment, or exploitation.
- Provide immediate emergency accommodation in a safe environment.
- Meet children’s basic needs including food, clothing, healthcare, and hygiene.
- Offer trauma-informed counseling and emotional support.
- Reunite children with safe and supportive families whenever appropriate.
- Support school enrollment and educational continuity.
- Equip older children with life skills that promote independence.
- Work closely with communities and local authorities to protect children’s rights.
What We Plan to Provide
Safe Temporary Accommodation
Children in crisis need more than a roof over their heads—they need stability, security, and compassionate care.
The shelter will provide:
- Safe and secure sleeping facilities
- Clean water and sanitation
- Nutritious daily meals
- Clothing and personal care supplies
- Child-friendly living spaces
- 24-hour supervision by trained caregivers
Emergency Rescue and Protection
Working alongside local leaders, child protection structures, and relevant authorities, we aim to identify children who are:
- Living on the streets
- Victims of abuse or violence
- Abandoned or neglected
- Orphaned or without adequate care
- At immediate risk of exploitation
- Affected by emergencies or family crises
Each child will receive an individual assessment to determine the safest and most appropriate care plan.
Health and Medical Care
Many children entering emergency care have untreated illnesses, injuries, or nutritional deficiencies.
Our planned services include:
- Medical assessments
- Emergency healthcare referrals
- Routine health monitoring
- Nutritional support
- Mental health referrals where needed
- Health education and personal hygiene promotion
Healthy children are better prepared to heal, learn, and thrive.
Counseling and Emotional Healing
Children who have experienced trauma often carry emotional wounds that cannot be seen.
Our shelter will provide access to:
- Individual counseling
- Group therapy sessions
- Play therapy
- Creative arts and recreational activities
- Emotional resilience programs
- Positive mentorship
Healing emotionally is just as important as meeting physical needs.
Education Reintegration
Education gives children the opportunity to rebuild their lives.
Whenever possible, we will help children:
- Return to their previous schools
- Enroll in new schools
- Receive school uniforms and learning materials
- Catch up through remedial learning
- Participate in digital literacy activities
- Build confidence through structured learning
Our goal is to ensure that every child leaves the shelter with renewed educational opportunities.
Family Tracing and Reunification
Whenever it is safe and in the child’s best interests, family reunification remains our preferred long-term solution.
Our team plans to:
- Conduct family tracing
- Assess home environments
- Facilitate mediation where appropriate
- Prepare both children and caregivers for reunification
- Monitor families after reunification
- Connect families to community support services
Strong families create safer futures for children.
Life Skills and Personal Development
Children need practical skills alongside emotional support. The initiative will include opportunities for:
- Communication skills
- Leadership development
- Financial literacy
- Personal responsibility
- Conflict resolution
- Hygiene and self-care
- Goal setting
- Career guidance for older youth
These life skills help children transition confidently into adulthood.
Why This Initiative Matters
Every child rescued from abuse, neglect, or homelessness represents a life that can be transformed.
A safe shelter provides:
- Immediate protection from harm
- Stability during times of crisis
- Access to education and healthcare
- Emotional healing
- Opportunities for family restoration
- Hope for a brighter future
Without safe intervention, many vulnerable children remain exposed to violence, exploitation, child labor, trafficking, substance abuse, and lifelong poverty.
Our Long-Term Dream
The Rescue & Shelter Initiative is part of our broader vision of creating lasting solutions for vulnerable children across Uganda. As resources grow, we hope to establish a fully equipped child-friendly center with:
- Safe residential accommodation
- Counseling rooms
- Classrooms and study areas
- A children’s library
- Computer and digital learning center
- Dining facilities
- Recreation and play areas
- Skills training workshops
- Medical consultation room
- Community outreach offices
This center will become a place where vulnerable children can heal, learn, and prepare for independent, productive futures.
How You Can Help
Reopening a safe residential shelter requires the support of compassionate individuals, organizations, businesses, and development partners.
Your contribution can help provide:
- Safe beds and bedding
- Nutritious meals
- School supplies
- Clothing and hygiene kits
- Counseling services
- Emergency medical care
- Child protection services
- Recreational materials
- Shelter maintenance
- Staff training and caregiving support
Every donation helps create a safe space where vulnerable children can begin rebuilding their lives with dignity, hope, and opportunity.
Together, We Can Restore Hope
No child should have to face abuse, abandonment, or homelessness alone. By supporting the Rescue & Shelter Initiative, you become part of a compassionate community working to protect children, restore families, and create brighter futures.
Together, we can provide safety today and hope for tomorrow—one child at a time.