East Africa

Ethiopia is a country that suffers recurrent severe droughts leading to famine. On top of this, the country has been further affected by conflict and political tensions.

In Ethiopia, Erikshjälpen works to strengthen children's rights to education and leisure, health, safety and protection. Particularly vulnerable settlements also receive specific support to adapt and recover from natural disasters.

Erikshjälpen contributes to, among other things:

• Children and young people can go to school.
• Children get more nutrition to give them energy to play.
• Setting up self-help groups to help secure families' livelihoods.

In Kenya, many children, especially in certain regions, still lack access to education. The worst affected are girls who are at risk of being married off at their first period, and the fact that hundreds of girls are still being subjected to genital mutilation means that girls' opportunities for development and education are deteriorating.

Erikshjälpen's work in Kenya focuses on strengthening the ability of vulnerable groups to have their rights realized. The work is mainly done in rural areas where drought and natural disasters are recurrent.

Erikshjälpen contributes to, among other things:

• Enforcement of children's rights to education and leisure, health, safety and protection is strengthened.
• Parents and guardians gain a better understanding of responsibility and parenting by getting involved in their children's activities.
• Children and young people can go to school.
• Increasing young people's knowledge about sexual and reproductive health and rights.

South Sudan is a country severely affected by internal conflict and war. The fact that the country is also affected by climate change in the form of severe drought makes it challenging for the country to ensure a stable, peaceful and safe everyday life for its inhabitants.

In South Sudan, Erikshjälpen works to ensure that children affected by war and conflict grow up in a safe environment that gives them the opportunity for education, safety and protection.

Erikshjälpen contributes to, among other things:

• Ensuring that children can go to school.
• Environmentally conscious agriculture as a way to both adapt and recover from the impacts of climate change.
• Fewer girls being married off and fewer girls being denied education.
• Setting up child rights clubs where children learn about their rights and where to go if their rights are violated.

In parts of Uganda, poverty is increasing and children are severely affected. Although the number of children enrolled in school has increased, the number of children dropping out of school remains high. The reasons include early pregnancies and child labor linked to exploitation in the mining industry. The number of children living on the streets also continues to rise.

In Uganda, Erikshjälpen works to help children who live in vulnerability by strengthening their opportunities for education and safety and protection.

Erikshjälpen contributes, among other things, to:

• Identify, rehabilitate and reintegrate children living on the streets.
• Children are involved in decision-making processes on issues related to violence against children and sexual and reproductive health and rights.
• Children are given a voice through children's clubs and parliaments.
• Children and young people have the opportunity to go to school.