Health
This program addresses the imminent health needs that are identified in the Vulnerable children. Under this, YDI improves and protects the health of the vulnerable in the following areas: - Primary health care Education, Nutrition for teen mothers and their children; HIV/AIDS (to include Sexual and Reproductive health [SRH]); and Water borne diseases.
YDI Heart to Heart Initiative does this through training and sensitization, providing sanitary facilities, sensitization on SRH issues, encourage routine checks, water tanks distribution, water well construction and pit latrine constructions in selected schools and communities.
Primary Health Care Education
Vulnerable children and their households are more likely to have poorer general health due to increased stress, poor hygiene practices and inadequate access to health care. Effective skills based health education can play a significant role in promoting behavioral change in families and individuals, and the adoption of healthier practices.
YDI promotes basic health and hygiene awareness by providing education on topics crucial to the quality of life of vulnerable children and members of their households such as: TB, HIV/AIDs, Diarrhea, Malaria, Safe water and Childcare.
Nutrition of teen Mothers and children.
In Uganda, most of the mothers are teenagers. This has major implications on the ability of these child mothers to look after their babies. YDI contributes by helping these mothers have proper nutrition for their babies. A lot this involves educating these mothers on the nutritious foods available to them in their communities and also distribution of nutritious foods for the teenage mothers and their babies. It is crucial as it contributes to having healthy babies.
HIV/AIDS Prevention and HIV Counselling Testing, HCT services
In addition to the physical, psychological and emotional changes that are intrinsic to their development, ignorance plays a significant role in the vulnerability of young people to HIV infection. YDI provides Adolescent Sexual Reproductive Health Training (ASRH) to the youth and vulnerable children in order to reduce incidents of HIV and STI transmission. The program, in partnership with credible service providers also provides for Voluntary Counselling and Testing (VCT) and referral for ARTs to the youth and vulnerable children as well as their caregivers.
Provision of Clean and Safe Water
Access to safe water and adequate sanitation reduces the vulnerability of vulnerable children (and their caretakers who most often are women) to incidents such as rape and its subsequent consequences. It also allows them to devote more time on other productive activities, enables the management of opportunistic diseases, and where the household may have been buying water, results into substantial savings. Under this program YDI constructs safe water wells, distributes and puts up water tanks for safe water sources for the vulnerable households.