Our Vision:

To support South Sudanese former street children who have sought refuge in Uganda to get education by attending school in boarding schools, have a place to stay during holidays complete, get vocational skills and professional work to sustain their future so that they are able to transform their communities

To provide vulnerable children with a safe space to sleep, eat, learn and play in order that they can develop into young adults, fulfilling their potential, and to support households to develop a protective environment for safe reintegration of these children into their communities.

Cathy Groenendijk established the organisation with passion in South Sudan that delivered services, supported and ensuring safety to children of South Sudan (formerly Sudan) from 2007-2017. The program enabled the former street children develop up to the level they are at now. She built a strong team of South Sudanese volunteers and staff there. Now Cathy has moved on to Uganda to continue to support the education, providing a holiday home and safe space for youth and children who were former street children in South Sudan who sought refugee in Uganda due to protracted crises in the country, including the most recent conflict, which broke out in 2013 and 2016.

In 2017 Cathy established the a home base in Uganda for supporting 50 children; with the support 2 families volunteers in Kampala and friends around the world. The children are provided with school tuition, scholastic material, food and accommodation at a home, where they are facilitated, to go to boarding schools, stay in a safe home where they do homework, return to school and be visited. As the conflict in South Sudan got more complicated, Cathy ceased the opportunity of the security in Uganda, to establish the much needed home that provides a safe and secure environment so that they can go to school without interference in their learning and Education. In 2018, more 12 girls who passed their primary leaving exams, came to join those who had come earlier in 2016 to go to secondary school, at a time and quickly it became apparent there was a need for bigger space for them to stay, they call home.

Cathy has had the experience of supporting vulnerable children in residence since 2011 in Juba South Sudan, With a good team and financial support she is capable of organising the facilities to support more children. The current home can be extended to accommodate all the 50 youth and young children at any one time. There are currently 50 children aged between 6 year - 17years who need housing in Uganda. It was apparent that 15 children between 6-14 years of age needed a different space to live in so that they could grow and flourish. These children are siblings of the older girls. A number are based with our partner organisation, Iris, in Luwero, 4 children need advanced surgery possibly abroad. There is currently 1 staff professional staff who provide practical support for the children, the upkeep of the home and organising all logistics and visitation to schools and health care. Only one older lady is there who cares for one of the little boys with Cerebral Palsy so that he can access education in a school for children with special needs. 2 couples based in Kampala give support on visitation and homework during holidays.

The majority of children and youth supported by CCC in Uganda are female. Girls are disproportionately affected by poverty and are considered particularly vulnerable in the context of conflict, especially with regards to gender-based violence. Due to the size and layout of the CCC home in Uganda, it is difficult to provide care for the male alongside female youth. Currently, we provide separate accommodation for vulnerable male youth another organisation until we are able to cater for both.

Starting out, CCC in Uganda in 2017 a follow up of work previously done in Juba South Sudan which was a result of an independent, organic organisation led by Cathy in 2007 in South Sudan. By 2017, while Cathy led CCC in South Sudan, there was need to increase it’s volunteer base and programme activities through institutional donor funding, including UNICEF, European Union (EU), and the Common Humanitarian Fund (CHF) as well as Cordaid and the Canadian and Australian Embassies CCC had consistent and regular supporters in South Sudan as well as across the globe, including hundreds of public donors as well as private donations from supporter companies. CCC in Uganda has not yet built up such a reputation. We have to establish fundraising strategies by raising awareness in Uganda and internationally about the project. We intend to grow further by engaging skilled and non volunteers to provide support in country and remotely, as well as building capacity of the staff.

The CCC house has 3 large bedrooms with 3 triple deckers in each, 2 smaller rooms with 2 double deckers in each, a small room for boys with a single decker, a sitting and dining room, 2 washrooms. One is a WC within the main house and the other a VIP outside in. There is no office facility, accommodating approximately 35-50 children at any one time. Have a look at ‘our activities’ to see what we do for the children at CCC in Uganda.

previous donors in south sudan

European Union (EU), Common Humanitarian Fund (CHF), UNICEF, Cordaid, Canadian Embassy, Australian Embassy. However, we have not yet received an funding from these donors in Uganda.