The Child Focused Community Transformation (CFCT) programme is a five-year initiative (2024–2028) implemented in Karangura Sub-county, Kabarole District, Western Uganda, with support from Korea Food for the Hungry International (KFHI) and implemented by International Development Institute (IDI) Uganda.
The programme aims to improve child well-being by strengthening household socio-economic resilience and enhancing access to education, health, and disaster preparedness services.
Where we work
CFCT interventions are implemented across five target hill communities in Karangura Sub-county: Mahyoro, Buhamya, Kibagha, Nyarukamba, and Karangura Hill.
These communities were selected due to high vulnerability indicators, including poverty, early marriage, school dropout, teenage pregnancies, and climate-related risks.
Our programme focuses
The programme is anchored on four thematic pillars:
- Livelihoods
- Education
- Health and Nutrition
- Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR)
These pillars are strengthened by cross-cutting themes, including spirituality and child protection, ensuring a holistic and values-driven approach to community transformation.
Our approach
Karangura CFCT is grounded in a community-led cascade model, where trained local leaders, volunteers, teachers, and church leaders transfer knowledge and skills within their communities.
Faith-based engagement reinforces values of responsibility, dignity, and care, ensuring that transformation is locally owned, sustainable, and child-focused.
CFCT’s theory of change envisions holistic transformation by building the capacity of families, faith leaders, and local institutions to create safe and nurturing environments in which children can thrive.
By walking alongside communities, Karangura CFCT seeks lasting change—so that every child in Karangura grows up healthy, educated, protected, and full of hope.
By the end of 2028, the programme aims to achieve the following outcomes:
- Increased adoption of climate-smart agriculture and improved household incomes
- Improved school enrolment and retention
- Enhanced health and nutrition status of household members
- Strengthened community disaster preparedness and response mechanisms
Why Karangura
Karangura Sub-county is predominantly rural, with agriculture as the main source of livelihood. However, communities face multiple challenges, including poor infrastructure, limited access to healthcare and education, overstretched health facilities, and inadequate education infrastructure, particularly in remote hilly areas.
Vulnerabilities affecting children and women are further exacerbated by gender disparities, youth unemployment, and climate-related shocks.
Despite these challenges, Karangura has significant opportunities, such as fertile land, growing participation in savings groups, and active community-led development initiatives, which CFCT builds upon.
Education: Supporting Learning and Retention
Education is a core pillar of the Karangura CFCT Programme. The programme works to ensure that children access quality, inclusive, and supportive learning environments that enable them to remain in school and succeed academically.
Key education interventions include:
- Provision of scholastic materials
- Teacher capacity building in early-grade reading
- Psychosocial support and inclusive pedagogy
- Support for school garden programmes that contribute to school feeding initiatives, improving learner attendance and concentration in eight target schools
The programme also supports school infrastructure development, including classrooms, kitchens, and learning furniture, while strengthening parent and community engagement to promote shared responsibility for children’s education.
Health: Promoting Essential Hygiene Practices
Health interventions focus on essential hygiene practices and community-based sanitation. Through a cascade model, trained Community Group Volunteers (CGVs) deliver health messages and follow up at the household level.
Key activities include:
- Training CGVs in the construction and use of tippy taps
- Promoting safe disposal of feces
- Raising awareness on water purification methods
- Sensitization on handwashing with soap
These efforts strengthen community knowledge and improve hygiene and sanitation practices, particularly for children.
Livelihoods: Strengthening Household Resilience
To reduce poverty-related risks affecting children, Karangura CFCT supports households to build sustainable livelihoods. Key interventions include:
- Training farmers in climate-smart agriculture
- Post-harvest handling training for model farmers
- Training on different seed varieties
- Provision of hoes for ploughing and tarpaulins for post-harvest handling
- Distribution of seeds to model farmers for sustainable multiplication and future income generation
These initiatives contribute to improved household income, food security, and parents’ capacity to support their children.
Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR): Building Resilient Communities
Rather than being a standalone component, DRR is integrated across all programme sectors. CFCT promotes disaster-resilient infrastructure, climate-smart farming, sanitation improvements, and community preparedness planning to help communities anticipate, withstand, and recover from shocks.
Spirituality: Nurturing Faith and Holistic Transformation
The Karangura CFCT programme integrates spirituality as a foundation for holistic child and community development. The programme equips church leaders and church-based school teachers with skills in child protection, holistic ministry, and faith-based community engagement, enabling churches to play an active role in nurturing values, resilience, and hope among children and families.