Social Workers & Health

Although NOTDEC Uganda has a Nurse working on-site at Kabirizi, the care it provides is not limited to the kids living there.  When the time is right, NOTDEC seeks to settle each child with their immediate or extended family as required by the Ugandan Government. To facilitate this, the social work team investigates the options for each child, taking into account the family’s resources and living conditions, the child’s educational needs, and the schools nearby. 

The social workers then negotiate the child’s placement with the most appropriate family member(s), gradually introduce the child to those in the family who have agree to take them, and manage the child’s transition to living with the family. 

Once the child is settled, the social workers continue to monitor their health, well-being, school attendance and progress throughout the time they are sponsored – collecting the same information as if they were on site.  So social workers must make frequent home and school visits for each child.  With many of the children’s families living in remote areas, this can mean several hours travelling each time.