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CHILDREN’S HOMES
MENGO YOUTH DEVELOPMENT LINK (MYDEL)
UPA PROJECT CODE: UPA/MLTV/12
Background Mengo Youth Development Link (MYDEL) is a nongovernment organization based
in Kampala, the capital city of Uganda. It was founded in 2001 as a slum youth
initiative under the patronage of Mr. Pascal Lutaya. Starting as a community based
organization (CBO) during the outbreak of cholera and Ebola in many of the slum
areas in Kampala, MYDEL initially focused on hygiene and health sensitization of
the affected people, supported by local politicians and the community itself.
Working in close collaboration with the local population and local leaders, MYDEL
became aware of other community challenges, which included a high rate of
HIV/AIDS infections, drug abuse, prostitution, child abuse, domestic violence and
the marginalization of people with disabilities. In 2004 MYDEL was officially
registered as an NGO and expanded its activities according to the needs
assessment carried out in an early state of its operation. Following an early
intervention approach, MYDEL decided to focus their programs on the most
vulnerable children and youths from the slum community, most of whom being
school dropouts and orphans.
MYDEL’s mission is the empowerment of this target group through education,
sensitization and skills development to contribute to a sustainable poverty
reduction among these marginalized communities.

Aims Our major aim is to achieve a sustainable improvement of marginalized

communities in Uganda.

Uganda Pioneers’ Association

TOGETHER WE SHAPE THE FUTURE

Activities  Education in Primary School
 Counseling and psychosocial support,
 Resource mobilization,
 Vocational training,
 Soccer program,
 Music, dance and (drama, mainly in holidays)
 Community and home visits among others at our projects in Kampala and
Wakiso.
 New Project in Mengo: "creative learning centre"
 mainly for girls
 vocational skills for girls (health, entrepreneurship loans)

Volunteer tasks Teaching

 Organizing, teaching and supervising in the computer class
 Assisting in Counseling and psychosocial support
 Vocational training (if the volunteers brings the skills)
 Soccer program
 Music, dance and drama
 participating in community and home visits together with other staff, to see
the life situation of the children living in the slums

Volunteer
qualities

MYDEL has different programs, it depends on the volunteers skills and interest
where to engage, there is room for new activities.
Volunteers with social work skills but also other professions are very welcomed,
but no profession is needed.

Working hours Volunteers are supposed to be the office at around 9:30am and work will finish at

around 3:30 pm (except during holidays).
However, in some cases volunteers may work longer hours.

Transport It takes 2000 ug.shs (to and from) from UPA to MYDEL Children’s Centre in
Nansana and 10,000 Ug.shs to and from our projects in Mengo – Kampala by
public means or a boda-boda.

Accommodatio
n

UPA Guesthouse in Nansana or a host family in Nansana

Comments
from UPA

The placement at MYDEL can be interesting since it offers a volunteer an
opportunity to be fully engaged in different activities ranging from children to
community projects. It requires a volunteer who loves children and flexible.

Communicatio
n

Most of the children can communicate in English; otherwise, translation is also
possible at the project.
Past volunteersFinland, Netherlands, Germany

Participants are required to pay a participation fee of Euro 500 (five hundred Euros) on arrival
for a period of 1- 3months and 80 Euros (eighty Euros) in advance for each additional month/s.