Since 1995 SAP has been implementing programs on legal education on domestic violence, child prostitution, training women and community volunteers as Human Rights Advocates (HRAs), paralegals and Youth Peer Educators. SAP is currently implementing a four-year program on Domestic Violence (DV) in Kampala slums.  SAP has also implemented an advocacy program on reproductive health in the five slum areas. The Domestic Violence Program is centred on the protection and promotion of human rights, reduction of HIV/AIDS among the women, and empowering of the girl-child commercial sex workers.

Strategic Plan “Re Focusing” 2009 - 2013 (Click here to download)

Under the new Strategic Plan 2009-2013,
SAP activities include:

1. Capacity building: To build the capacity and strengthen the effectiveness of community based structures and groups in slums to demand for their rights and to articulate their development needs. e.g. Training Of Human Rights advocates, sensitization and awareness seminars and IEC production and campaigns and support & rehabilitation of victims.
   
2. Research and documentation: To identify research into and document best practices in working with Slum communities. E.g. Case indexing, Networking.
   
   
3. Advocacy and policy influence: As a major strand in SAP’s work, to strengthen advocacy work through increased documentation of SAP experiences, and using this to inter face with and influence political leaders, sensitise them about slum matters, and thus contribute to a more conducive environment for slum dwellers.  e.g. Reproductive Health (ARH)
4. Organizational development and Fundraising: To put in place a strong organizational development structure that will meet the challenges of the new strategic shift and to shift from short-term funding to developing long-term strategic funding partnerships.

Detailed major activities include:

1. Sensitisation programs through seminars/workshops, music and drama, video shows, the media, Information Education and Communication (IEC) materials.  
2. Training women as Human Rights Advocates (HRAs).
3. Training community volunteers as paralegals, HRAs and paralegals.
4. Counselling and mediation of family members involved in domestic violence
5. Support and rehabilitation to survivors of DV.
6. Provision of emergency relief funds to meet basic needs and a temporary shelter.
7. Training in and setting up in income generating project in each slum community.
8. Rehabilitation of children involved in prostitution (Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children).
9. Advocacy on reproductive health, Domestic Relations Bill, Sexual Offences Bill and Constitutional Amendment.
10. Research, documentation and publication on issues pertinent to SAP.
11. Formation of Community Organization Support Groups in the slums
12. To lobby for the strengthening of the position of women in the forthcoming Domestic Relations Bill.
13. Indexing of domestic violence cases.
14. Networking with Government line ministries, district officials, and community leaders and NGOs interested in women and child issues to strengthen our capacity.

Overall Strategy

SAP works with the community volunteers, involves men, community leaders and law enforcement agencies in the campaigns against women violence.

Organizational Set Up

Achievements

1. SAP is contributing to the realization of the Beijing Agenda and Declaration, CEDAW, the Convention of on the Rights of the Child, the National Action Plan on women and children, the International Conference on Population and Development, the Poverty Reduction Plan, the Population Policy and the National Strategic Plan on HIV/AIDS.
2. In the reproductive health program youth are more open about their sexuality, practice safe sex, and keep occupied through the video shows, games and sports and discussions.
3. Women have been trained as HRAs and others as youth peer educators sand paralegals.
4. SAP at national level has contributed to the Domestic Relations Bill and the National Action Plan on Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation.
5. Domestic violence cases are increasingly being reported than their being handled behind doors this has in addition, called for increased male involvement.
6. Women are empowered to make informed decisions about their lives and are able to sustain themselves through the income generating projects.
7. There is increased awareness and change in the attitude of the law enforcement agents.

Challenges

1. Due to the transient nature of the slums, trained community volunteers shift.
2. The patriarchal nature of the society is deeply imbedded making progress slow.
3. The multiple problems of people in slums cannot be entirely handled by SAP.

Future Prospects

Future Activities in 2007

This training due to take place June 27 – 29, 2007 will target 40 duty bearers who will be equipped with advocacy; skills to be able to put in place an advocacy agenda; advocate and lobby for their priority needs.

b) Monitoring and Evaluation Training

This will take place 6 – 9 June 2007, for 50 members of the newly formed community organization support groups to be able to monitor and evaluate their programs and those of the implementing agencies in regard to the set objectives of the project against the priorities in the communities.

c) Training Police Officers

Police officers (50) will be trained July 25 – 28, 2007 on how to appreciate Child sexual abuse and exploitation and how to handle cases that are reported to them.

d)Training Health Workers

SAP will train 300 health workers from the slum communities in September 2007

e) Drama

A local drama group  has been commissioned to develop a play on commercial sexual exploitation of children (CSEC) and the dangers of HIV/AIDS and how best to address the problem. The play tiltled “Muto Nyo Okufa) translated as “too Young to Die” will be launched in July 2007

Types of Domestic Violence

In her work SAP has identified the following forms of domestic violence:

Psychological/Emotional Violence: All forms of violence, which cause emotional suffering to the victim.
Physical Violence: Any form of violence, which inflicts physical harm/injury to the member of the home.
Sexual Violence: Sexual acts in a home, which may hurt a member.

Causes

Traditional/cultural attitudes and beliefs
Economic status of a household
Alcoholism
Drug use and abuse
Films/Discos
Peer pressure
Poor law enforcement
Attitudes and beliefs
Religious factors
Societal norms

Stakeholders

Primary target group are the women and children who are at risk or have suffered domestic violence.

The secondary groups consist of spouses, parents, local leaders, women leaders and law enforcement agents.

Strategy

The overall strategy of the program is for SAP staff to work together with the CVs i.e. Paralegals and HRAs, Youth Peer Educators (YPEs), KCVs and SAP contact persons, involve men especially spouses of women abused thorough DV as well as parents of the children abused through DV, work with the community leaders as a way of building a favorable environment around the women