Background
Slum Aid Project (SAP) was started in 1991/2 by four female students then at Makerere University and was then named Katanga Project operating in Wandegeya (Katanga) a slum in Kampala. The Project’s major goal then was to address problems faced by the children, youth and women in slum areas. Several activities were carried out and these included teaching children aged 13-15 years both boys and girls, campaigns against HIV/AIDS, sensitisation on topical issues, e.g. health education, gender and human rights, family planning and counselling. In 1993, Katanga Project was registered with the NGO Board as a community-based organization. 

In 1994, the Project was facilitated by the then Ministry of Women in Development (now Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development) to carry out legal education on rape, defilement and domestic violence in Kampala slums.  It was recommended that the name be changed to encompass other slums and in 1995, the project changed its name to Slum Aid Project (SAP). SAP therefore is a local women and child rights development organization registered in Uganda as an NGO under the NGO Statute with no political or religious affiliation.

Given the increasing complexity and magnitude of slum conditions in Kampala, SAP decided to readjust and sharpen its focus and interventions. The organisation, while still committed to its interest in improving the lives of slum dwellers, aims at ensuring that many other like-minded organisations and actors in slums emerge and are helped to acquire the necessary skills, competencies, attitudes and knowledge to enable them effectively support slum dwellers in improving their livelihoods.

Presently its vision is “Slum communities in Uganda where people live and enjoy fair and dignified lives.”

And its mission is ” To strengthen the capacity of slum communities in Uganda (men, women and children) to challenge and effect sustainable positive change in their lives through research, capacity building and advocacy.”

To achieve this SAP is implementing two major programs in the slums and these are the fight against domestic violence and the fight against child sexual abuse and exploitation. Through her Domestic Violence (DV) program, SAP strives to empower women to resist domestic violence and other forms of human rights abuse. In the child sexual abuse and exploitation program SAP aims at empowering the girl child to fight for her rights and find her alternative ways of living.

Objectives

Areas of Operation

The current operational areas include 7 (seven) slums of Kampala District namely Wandegeya (Katanga), Katwe I, Kisenyi II, Nakulabye, Naguru II, Wabigalo and Kibuli.

Donors: Oak Foundation, Bread for the World, World Population Foundation, Danish Embassy, Global Fund for Women, Civil Society Capacity Building, AusAID

Target Group

The following are the estimated number of direct and indirect beneficiaries

Direct beneficiaries

• Women survivors of Domestic violence
• Children from vulnerable families
• Young girls who are victims of sexual violence/engaged in commercial sex.

  Indirect beneficiaries

  • Local Council Leaders
  • Influential persons in the community
  • Men living in these communities
  • NGOs working with women and children
  • Line ministries such as the Ministry of Gender, Ministry of Local Government

  Structure/ Internal Functioning

  SAP has a tripartite structure consisting of the General Assembly (GA), Steering Committee (SC) and the Secretariat. The details and structure of their activities are presented below:

  The General Assembly

  The General Assembly (GA) is composed of the grassroots stakeholders and Steering Committee members who meet annually. This mainly works as a forum to decide on key issues regarding the direction and issues that SAP should address.

  The Steering Committee

  This is a policy-making organ composed of six members (3 men and 3 women). Quarterly meetings are held to review organizational development and advise the Project Coordinator on matters pertaining the management of the organization. The Committee members are:

  Mrs. Olivia Mutibwa, the Chairperson, is the Deputy Librarian of Makerere University, Kampala.
  Mr. Jack Kururagyire, Treasurer, is the Assistant Commissioner of Prisons
  Haji Ayub Lutori, Member and representative of the communities
  Mrs. Valentine Mulindwa, Membr, is a founder member of the organization and works with the Ministry of Justice
  Mr. Joseph Ssuuna, Member who joined in .. 2003 is a Program Officer with Community

  Development Resource Network a non Governmental Organization in Uganda.

  The Secretariat

  This implements organizational policies and programs and is composed of twelve staff who include:
  

  Ms. Agnes Kabanda Namirembe Kyambadde - Executive Director
  Mr. Daniel Muwanga- Program Officer
  Ms. Arone Nanyondo- Accountant
  Mr. Micheal Ariga - Assitant Accountant.
  Ms. Rebecca Nanyonjo- Field Officer
  Ms. Joyce Irene Nakato- Field Officer
  Ms. Hadija Najjuka- Assist Admin/Secretary
  Ms. Helen Saava - Community Development Officer
  Ms. Margret Nangozi - Office Assist
  Mr. Daniel Tomusange- Driver
  Mr. Andrew Lukwiya- Guard

  Eighteen Key Community Volunteers (12 women, 6 men) and two graduate/student volunteers (2 women). The Secretariat team is backed up by trained Community Volunteers that include 28 Paralegals (16 female, 12 male), 69 Human Rights Advocates (53 female, 16 male) and 16 Youth Peer Educators (YPEs) (11 female, 5 male) who carry out field mobilization and implement field events.

  Within the Secretariat is a Management Committee previously referred to as the Technical Committee consists of the senior staff members who include the Project Coordinator, two Program Officers, and the Accountant (4 women and 2 men). The committee serves as a forum to set up regulations that facilitate the day to day running of the organization, resolve conflicts, handle disciplinary cases as and when they arise and discuss issues related to policy before the Project Coordinator presents them to the Steering Committee.