Young people need to develop core life values and skills to manage their personal lives, school, and social relationships, career, and other interests successfully. Cactus Community Support Foundation recognizes the need to train, mentor and foster a generation of positive role models among adolescents and youths. We apply the d a behaviour change programme that positively impacts not only the life skills of the adolescents and youths but also their health and the environment. Our modules therefore include topics such as Self-esteem, Values, Relationships, Sexuality and Career Guidance, etc.

Utilising the theory of change, we engage with and train peer educators who, in turn, engage with their peers on pertinent issues that affect their choices and behaviours in their daily lives. We also train young adults in each community where we work as facilitator interns to help the peer educators navigate on the topics and to model those positive values and behaviours.

Our activities include life skills training sessions, health talks, environmental awareness among others. Our peer educators also do community upliftment programs, and always work in partnership with schools and local community leaders.

Cactus recognizes how essential basic education is, particularly to children whose parents or guardians cannot afford to keep them in school. Cactus, therefore, supports children who to resume or continue with their primary, secondary, or tertiary education by seeking willing sponsors for bursaries and scholarships from Uganda and beyond.

“Education is the premise of progress, in every society, in every family.”

Koffi Annan

 

“Education is the great engine of personal development. It is through education that the daughter of a peasant can become a doctor, that the son of a mineworker can become the head of the mine, that a child of farm workers can become the president of a great nation. It is what we make out of what we have, not what we are given, that separates one person from another.”

Nelson Mandela

Cactus recognizes the high levels of unemployment among the youth in Uganda and works to address this by supporting young people with business ideas to implement them, and to assist young people to get vocational training and internships that make them more employable. We consistently engage with private sector companies to assist in this regard.

As global warming continues to threaten humankind, Cactus plays its part by increasing environmental awareness among peer educators who subsequently pass on their knowledge and bring positive attitudes and actions regarding the environment, e.g., management of plastics in the community, water resources and soil conservation.

Cactus is founded on biblical principles and believes in raising a generation of responsible Ugandan citizens through the teachings of love and respect for fellow human beings as taught by Jesus Christ. We serve all people regardless of their background, gender, religion, or any other factors that bring discrimination and prejudice.