Health & Nutrition Program

We at Shadows of a Child realize that health related issues begin early, sometimes at conception. Many of the children in our program are HIV positive. More have complications due to sexually transmitted diseases of their mothers. Others suffer from neglect, malnutrition and abandonment.

There are also maladies caused by physical, verbal and mental abuse. Because being healthy entails much more than the absence of diagnosed diseases and infections, we take into consideration the whole health of every child’s well-being and development.

We are also concerned about and involved with the health of our child-mothers. We work closely with Village Health Care workers and have our own health care volunteers. We offer treatment and counseling as part of our comprehensive care for them.

Habits and behaviors that are manifested during adulthood are developed during childhood. It is so important that children have access to good nutrition early and to know how valuable it is in order to carry it into adulthood. It is extraordinary how little value is placed on nutrition in the rural areas of Uganda. We have lost thousands of children who have succumbed to preventable deaths due to malnutrition.

Many of the children that come us suffer from low birth weight, weak immune systems and many physical disabilities. SOC is working hard to stop malnutrition and its negative impact on the people of our communities We believe that every child has the right to proper nutritious meals for their physical and mental growth and development.