Sub Section:
- What is Family Forum?
- Why the Family?
- Scope of Coverage
- Goals
- Guiding Principles
- Objectives
- Rationale
- Organisation Structure
Family Forum Uganda (FFU) formerly Solace-Uganda is a consortium
of indigenous and International Civil Society and Family Support
Practitioners that provide an array of ideas, programmes and services
to children and their families. It's a non-profit National Family
Support Advocacy and Resource NGO dully registered since 1998
under Reg. No.S/5914/2386 and ROD No.6087. It's
a collaborative effort of philanthropists to promote issues pertaining
to family well being through theory, policy and practice.
The Family Forum was established following deep concern about the plight of thousands of Ugandan Families languishing in perpetual poverty, disease, and ignorance. It is a national, civil, independent non governmental Organisation, comprising of partners, stakeholders and supporters, representing the government, non-government, and private institutions, in bid to provide a better life for all Ugandans
The FFU focuses its efforts on supporting the Ugandan family - its stability and self-sufficiency - through the provision of the appropriate, supportive socio-economic and legislative environment. Therefore, the FFU works to coordinate, facilitate and support its local partners as well as contributing to the development of dynamic public policies and review of existing ones that affect the family and its members.
The Family is the one of the oldest and most common human institutions. The married state is the beginning and foundation of human society and serves as the basis for Family Life. The Family is the basic unit of society as a result of the institution of marriage and it is an important organisation in society since prehistoric times. Human beings having been born into the Family, upon maturing at a given time devote their precious time, energy and love into creating, supporting nurturing families to the dictates of nature.
DEFINITION
In-spite of the lack of a universally adopted definition; generally accepted attempts have endeavoured to put it as:-
- "a group of people who take responsibility for each other's well being. Parents, children, grandparents, partners, siblings, aunts, uncles, kin, etc."
- "any group of persons which cares for a child"
- As "a group of persons"
- "the social economic household unit that lives in one dwelling shares the utilities. Members may include all relatives, who are present at one time including temporary 'visitors' and the 'absentees"
- "a group of related persons who share a home"
As a national Organization, it is mandated to cover all regions of Uganda in four major homogeneous regions namely; Central, Western, Northern and Eastern. Regional and District Family Centers are mandated to execute family programmes and services in a decentralized set up.
To promote the Family Institution as stipulated by the Constitution of Uganda (1995) in Objective XIX - Protection of the Family, 'The Family is the Natural and Basic Unit of Society and it is entitled to Protection by Society and the State'. Article 31 - Rights of the Family provide for policy development in regard to the Family.
Therefore FFU's goal is to improve the quality of life of the most vulnerable members of the family and pursuant to this goal, we seek to achieve the following strategic objectives:
- Promoting the well being of families through theory, policy and practice.
- To initiate income generating activities, geared to improving food security and reducing household poverty
- Promoting health, nutrition and sanitation within families.
- Improve employment assets for families in their environments.
- Promote the Rights of the underprivileged under the Family Unit.
- The integration of the most disadvantaged persons into their families.
- Integration of the Family Support Programmes into the Social Service Sector domain in particular the SDIP.
Several operating principles and beliefs have guided FAMILY FORUM UGANDA since its inception in 1998, we affirm their continuing importance in supporting the families and these include:
- Being an effective voice for the cause of underprivileged members of Families.
- Working to improve an enabling environment for proper Family functioning and effective Family Service Provision nationwide.
- Building the social capital of the nation as whole.
- Disseminating such information and knowledge broadly and with some of the relevant technological sophistication.
- Serving as a primary convening entity for family service organizations.
The Organisation Objectives are to:
- Carry out advocacy and disseminate information.
- Carry out research and provide Consultancy
- Advocate for Dynamic Public Policy.
- Build Capacity and Partnerships.
- Provide Publications and Materials.
The Constitution of Uganda reiterates the Family being the first Institution both historically and traditionally, which clearly emphasises the importance that it attaches to it. Today the Family in Uganda is at crossroads, extremely vulnerable and yet it is in a unique position in constituting the national fabric of society. It has always been regarded as the basic autonomous social unit, with fragmented interventions made with respect to the issues and affairs relevant to it from governmental and non-governmental organizations. Thus, the role of the government in family affairs has been rather limited, unless the need for such an intervention is essential. Family issues have not all been assigned to a specific government body but rather to several institutions, such as the Ministry of Health, Education, and Gender Labour & Social Development as the Line Ministry etc., that address issues pertinent to the family, either individually or collectively. Consequently, the need transpired for a comprehensive family policy and action plan to inform and coordinate the efforts of concerned parties i.e., all family service providers.
Through out the centuries, families in Uganda have relied on each other, on friends, neighbours, and other groups and individuals for emotional support, advice, role models, help in solving problems, and even material assistance during difficult times. Today, times are tough. Changes in family structure are occurring at a very fast rate. Social economic changes, increasingly powerful multi-cultural activities, diminishing extended family support systems all confronts the Ugandan Family being characterized by the increase in divorce rate, single parenthood, orphan hood, domestic violence increasing geographic mobility of families; soaring numbers of mothers in the work force; and growing poverty among children, particularly those in female-headed households, have left families needing more support than ever etc. Yet these changes have also left families and family members isolated, under increasing stress, and less able to provide support to each other.
The past decades of political turbulence and now compounded by the HIV/AIDS pandemic and mass poverty have exacerbated the plight of Families. Therefore in order to increase awareness of the family issues and improve institutional capacity of Ugandan to tackle serious family related problems with comprehensive policies, FAMILY FORUM UGANDA is desirous to generate serious discussion there by making an analysis on the vital areas of great concern by the Community on approaches to developing a framework towards a comprehensive Family Policy development.
Senior board members include:
| Name/Title | Qualifications | Designation |
| Rev. Msgr. Thomas Kisembo Amnesty Commision - MIA  |
A Senior Church Minister and a Philanthropist. A Post Graduate in Humanities with over thirty-five years of work experience in Family Outreach Activities both in Private and Public sectors. | Chairman Board of Trustees |
| Mr. Ireeta M Ambrose FFU Springfield- Massachusetts U.S.A |
A Communications and Administration Consultant with over 15 years experience in various non-profit Organisations both in the USA and Uganda. | External Coordinator |
| Mrs. Rufino Ocago Consultant with Min. of Gender Labor & Social Dev  |
A Social Worker and Senior Child Protection Consultant and Family Support Specialist with over 30 years of experience in public service. | Policy Executive/ Advisor |
| Mr. Charles Mugasa FFU  |
Humanities Graduate and a Philanthropist in Family Support Outreach Services for over fifteen years both in public and private sectors Founder Member and currently involved with Institutional Organisational Development. | Executive Coordinator Board Secretary |
Other Executive Members do include: Financial, Health and Disabilities and a Legal Experts