Justice Centres Uganda Partners: Non-Governmental Organisations

Non-Governmental Organisations

JCU’s mission is to empower vulnerable communities through provision of quality human rights based legal aid services (mediation, litigation), community outreaches and advocacy.

In order to accomplish the mission JCU reaches out to people in hard-to-reach-areas where little or no resources for constructive dispute resolution are available.

When it comes to sustainable empowerment, a broader perspective needs to be taken. Only with a functioning referral system and the support of national and international NGOs we do have the chance to positively impact our clients in the long run.

 

JCU outreach to women with children inform them about their legal rights

Therefore, we are looking out for partnerships with CSOs/ NGOs providing:

    • Psychosocial support during and after legal interventions;
    • Medical support, especially for women, children, people in custody and persons with disabilities; 
    • Financial support for clients like micro credits, etc.; 
    • Reception structures like basic supplies, transportation, shelters, orphanages and any community support;
    • Programmes for building up skills for economic independence like vocational trainings;
    • Scholarships and opportunities to get funding for formal education;
    • Equipment and specialized information materials for persons with disabilities.

 

Support for people in prisons and the Prison Decongestion Programme:

    • Reintegration programmes and skills building for ex-prisoners;
    • Supplies for people in police custody and prisons like beds, hygiene articles etc. while detained;
    • Medical support and meals for people in custody at police stations;
    • Equipment for family and children protection units in police stations.

We are collaborating with:

SAUTI

The Uganda Child Helpline (toll-free line 116), is a 24/7 service that encourages both children and adults to report cases of child abuse and all forms of child rights violations anonymously. SAUTI links children at risk, in need of care and support and protection to various services through case management reporting pathways. 

Other approaches employed by the Helpline to offer child protection include:

    • Handling walk-in clients’ cases;
    • Follow-up of child abuse cases reported through various media (including social media);
    • Handling cases that entail online child sexual abuse;
    • Community awareness raising campaigns in schools, communities and on radios & television. 

SAUTI and JCU undertake cross-referrals. Furthermore, joint work on a number of child abuse cases is conducted.

The Remnant Generation (TRG)

This NGO provides support to pregnant teenage girls through provision of shelter, health care, counselling, access to education and skills training and a reintegration programme.

JCU receives a number of cases related to sexual abuse especially defilement. Some of these cases have resulted in the girls getting pregnant. They are vulnerable and need support in addition to legal aid. Additionally, TRG reports cases of girls that are seeking legal remedies.  

To wit, JCU takes on cases referred by The Remnant Generation that require legal support and refers cases of sexual abuse of teenage girls that require additional support beyond legal aid

Uganda Project Implementation and Management Centre

UPIMAC is an NGO whose major objective is to promote socio-economic and political status and welfare of the poor and disadvantaged groups especially in the rural areas of Uganda. UPIMAC does this through community mobilization and empowerment, creating coordination and networking mechanisms. Additionally, UPIMAC undertakes civic education information for example voter education and accordingly provides Education and Communication (IEC) materials.

JCU, as a partner of UPIMAC participates in capacity building workshops and trainings organised to enhance the capacity of implementing partners to effectively disseminate civic education information and empower citizens with civic knowledge, civic skills and disposition.

JCU also disseminates IEC material provided by UPIMAC and takes on cases referred by UPIMAC for legal support. 

Hope for Victims of Traffic Accidents

HOVITA is an NGO with a mission to protect the interests of road crash victims and their families through the provision of medical care, psycho-social support, legal aid and vocational skills training. HOVITA and JCU have a partnership established under an MoU, whose purpose is to set up an avenue through which victims of road crash accidents and their families, access support and justice. 

Under this partnership, JCU …

    • undertakes mediations between the victims and perpetrators to enable them peacefully resolve the matters;
    • conducts targeted outreaches to communities to create awareness of the rights of victims of road crash accidents and their families;
    • receives clients referred by HOVITA and
    • upon assessment institutes the procedures through which the victims or families can be helped.

Alive Medical Services

AMS is an NGO that specialises in providing medical services to vulnerable people in Kampala that have been afflicted with HIV.

JCU and AMS have had a long and fruitful working relationship wherein JCU has been providing legal awareness sessions, mediation and litigation services to patients at AMS. AMS and JCU also carry out cross referrals.

Health Promotion International

HPI is an organisation that designs and implements health programs in Sub-Saharan Africa including semi-urban, hard to reach and remote rural areas. 

HPI is implementing a project in Buliisa and Hoima for 14 months which among others aims to raise awareness on social risks related to construction projects e.g. Gender Based Violence (GBV), HIV and Violence against children (VAC). The project targets road construction workers and the communities in which these construction projects are happening.

JCU and HPI entered a partnership in which JCU through the Hoima Centre would conduct outreaches to road construction workers. The partners conduct joint radio talk shows and HPI utilises posters and radio spot messages on Gender Based Violence developed by JCU. 

 

JCU provides legal support to persons referred by RLP and also refers clients to them.

Justice Defenders

The organization was formerly known as the African Prisons Project, is a non-profit organisation working in prison communities across Africa. Through legal education, training, and practice, Justice Defenders equips prisoners and prison officers to facilitate legal processes. It establishes law practices within prisons, provides free services, and runs legal awareness session.

JCU works with Justice Defenders to conduct joint outreaches in prisons and provides legal support to some detainees referred by Justice Defenders.