OVERVIEW
Last year looked a little different as we all faced a global pandemic. Yet, although 2020 brought new hurdles we had to overcome, your incredible support inspired us and helped us continue the work God has called us to do in Africa.
Thanks to the generosity of each of you—our sponsors and partners in Uganda and throughout the world—we raised nearly 60 billion UGX. And collectively, with our 10 other support offices across the globe, we were able to provide the vital support and necessities for our babies, children, and mothers that were so desperately needed.
The highlights in this report are just a small glimpse of your love in action. From the bottom of our hearts—thank you!
WATOTO VILLAGES
Since we first began over 25 years ago, we’ve rescued and provided a home, food, an education, a family, and a bright future to over 5,500 children—and each year our family grows.
In fact, in 2020 we newly welcomed 164 children into our Watoto villages. And throughout the year, across our three villages—Bbira, Suubi and Laminadera—we cared for 3,277 children, providing them with a safe place where they can truly experience the love of a family.
Due to the pandemic, one way we kept our kids safe and healthy was by adhering to governmentimposed lockdowns, as well as restricting movement on and off our villages.
Another important way was by providing our families with nutritious food. So, we’re grateful for our Watoto farms that were able to continue supplying fresh vegetables, fruit, and eggs for our families, as well as goat’s milk for our babies. As we sought ways to improve our sustainability efforts, a change in our operations at our poultry farm resulted in a 90% increase in egg production, giving each of our families all the delicious eggs they could eat. And our goats produced 1.2 tons of milk on average per month, ensuring our babies had the milk necessary for them to thrive.
In a year where many faced food shortages and uncertainty, we’re thankful we were able to provide nutrition, safety, and love for all our Watoto mums and children.
MEDICAL
Despite the challenges in 2020, our medical team went above and beyond to keep our Watoto family healthy and safe.
Our doctors and nurses collaborated with people in other departments to form a COVID-19 response taskforce. Together, they implemented and monitored preventative strategies against the virus, as set by the Ministry of Health in Uganda.
As mentioned above, part of these efforts included restricting movement on and off our villages. Our team also educated all our mothers, children, and staff on the importance of preventative measures such as social distancing, handwashing, and the use of face masks. And to assist with proper hygiene, handwashing stations were set up at all entry points of our villages, as well as in every “circle” (or cluster) of homes, and masks were given to everyone.
In addition to helping protect our children and mums against COVID-19, our medical team distributed 2,319 mosquito nets throughout our villages and gave 1,752 immunizations for diseases like measles, polio, and hepatitis B. Their tireless efforts resulted not only in keeping our villages free of COVID-19 last year, but we also saw a 13% reduction in overall patient visits.
EDUCATION
Like many people around the world experienced, last year due to the pandemic school looked a bit different in our villages. Because of a national lockdown and school closures in Uganda, we had to adjust and find new ways to educate our kids.
To help our students continue their studies while schools were closed, our teachers brought the “classroom” to them. They would go to the students’ homes and village circles—teaching the kids in small groups. And our Watoto mothers worked closely with the teachers, ensuring their homes—and their children—were prepped and ready for class. They also helped make sure everyone was following protocols and staying safe
In 2020, in our Watoto schools we provided an education to:
• 1,611 primary school students
• 815 O-level secondary school students
• 176 A-level secondary school students
• 237 post-secondary vocational school students
We also provided an education to:
• 356 tertiary and university students
In our Watoto villages, 158 teachers went above and beyond to ensure that each of our 2,839 students continued to learn and grow in new and creative ways.
In addition to academics, to help keep our kids active when they weren’t studying, we also provided opportunities for our children to explore their passions—wherever their talents lie. In 2020, 591 students participated in our Sports Academy, and 151 new students—who had never played an instrument before —participated in our Worship Academy. In fact, overall, 1,232 of our students participated in at least one extracurricular activity. We’re grateful to our leaders, coaches and mentors who are helping our students grow in skill and character as they discover their identity in Christ. Together, we’re raising Uganda’s future leaders.
We’re also proud that 356 of our students are continuing their education at a university or vocational school. And last year we celebrated as 34 of these amazing students graduated from university. We can’t wait to see all that God does through these amazing leaders.
BABY WATOTO
Last year, between Baby Watoto Suubi and Baby Watoto Gulu, we cared for 162 of Uganda’s most vulnerable babies, providing the nutrition, medical care, love, and protection they each needed to thrive.
As we had to navigate a national lockdown, we were humbled by the dedication of our nannies when they decided to voluntarily live onsite because they wanted to ensure our precious little ones continued to receive the best care possible. Their selfless acts of love inspired 87 of our Watoto teenagers and young adults to step up and serve at Baby Watoto to help fill in the gap while schools were closed.
In the midst of the lockdown and new restrictions, our team also worked closely with local authorities to rescue 34 babies last year. Overall, since Baby Watoto began, we have rescued 1,487 babies who now have a future full of hope.
Due to the love and care of our nannies, staff, and volunteers, 94% of the little ones we cared for in 2020 reached their developmental milestones.
And as our little ones continued to grow, we celebrated 24 of our toddlers who successfully transitioned to their new home and family in one of our Watoto villages. Their nannies worked closely with their new mothers for 4-6 weeks to ensure that the little ones felt secure in their new homes, and we’re thrilled to share that they’re now being given lots of love by their Watoto mother.
WATOTO NEIGHBOURHOOD
In 2020, we continued to extend our reach into our neighbourhoods as we embraced 1,178 vulnerable women in Uganda and South Sudan with the love of Jesus.
We have three Neighbourhood Centers— two in Uganda located in Kampala and Gulu and one in Juba, South Sudan. Typically, it’s here where we provide discipleship and adult literacy classes, along with vocational skills and business training. However, due to restrictions resulting from the pandemic, in much of 2020 we were unable to meet in person and do “business as usual”.
So, last year we worked to find new ways to ensure our Neighbourhood mothers had the support they needed. We provided psychosocial support to help those dealing with stress and depression due to the uncertainty the pandemic caused. We also helped make sure our mothers had the means to pay rent, feed their children, and earn an income, especially since some of their small businesses were affected by the pandemic.
With the help of our partners across the globe, we provided the following COVID-19 relief support:
• 522 mothers received help with food, rent, and medical expenses
• 904 food baskets were given to families during the holidays
• 227 women were given a financial boost to help them keep their small business afloat during the pandemic
• 49 budding entrepreneurs received startup capital to launch a new small business
To further help those who were hurting, 180 Watoto Church “cells” or small groups led by graduates and key leaders of our Watoto Neighbourhood initiative, continued to connect, pray, and encourage one another. Through this community—with the support of our sponsors and partners—we were able to provide food, necessities, and other relief to vulnerable women who were hit hard by the effects of the pandemic.
KEEP A GIRL IN SCHOOL
Although school closures caused by the pandemic affected our Keep a Girl in School initiative, we were still able to provide discipleship and support to over 7,300 vulnerable girls.
At the beginning of 2020, we expanded the number of schools we partnered with to 56 schools—35 in northern Uganda and 21 in South Sudan. Yet, as we began to increase the number of girls we were reaching, the pandemic temporarily shifted our efforts.
So, while schools were closed, we kept our Neighbourhood Center in Juba open and distributed sanitary packs to the girls from there. We also provided ongoing discipleship and counseling to 7,321 girls, helping ensure they continued to feel supported and surrounded by the love of Christ during such a challenging season.
As schools slowly opened in the later months of 2020, through our Keep a Girl in School initiative, 838 girls in Uganda and 1,416 girls in South Sudan completed their primary school national exams. This means these girls now have a better chance of staying in school and going on to graduate high school. Your support is not only ensuring girls receive an education, but it’s changing their future—and we’re forever grateful.