CoWF was formally founded in 2006 to respond to plight of children abducted during the armed-conflict in Northern Uganda. At the time, children kept commuting from their homes in the evenings to seek shelter in various night commuter shelters. The children barely had access to education and health services, had limited livelihoods, and largely dependent on food served shelters; yet these children were expected to compete in every aspect with children from other parts of Uganda. The suffering by the children gave birth to CoWF, with the vision of a world where children thrive and live their full potential. CoWF first registered as community based initiative in Kitgum district in 2006 and later in 2020 upgraded to a national NGO, Headquartered in Kitgum District, with operations across the Acholi Sub-Region.
Most of our work focuse(d)s on behaviour change, education, livelihood and resilience, healthcare, and advocacy. Rooted in values of compassion, accountability, results, equal opportunity, and partnership, COWF ensures high-impact programs. With established offices in Kitgum and Lamwo districts, a skilled team, and a dedicated Board, COWF is well-equipped to implement and oversee transformative projects.
COWF Mission
“To create and promote a conducive environment in which children and youth are protected, cared for, and supported holistically.
Sectors of Operation
Since 2006, COWF has been active in Gulu, Kitgum, Nwoya and Lamwo Districts, supporting education and livelihoods in crisis-affected Northern Uganda. Partnering with local government and other civil society organizations, COWF advances Sustainable Development Goal1, 2, 3, 4,5, 8, 5, and 17 by improving education access for 9,167 children through infrastructure, school feeding, and WASH initiatives. It has supported 18,023 children and their households in achieving a Minimum Acceptable Diet and helped 35,085 households diversify incomes. Additionally, 1,350 children received malaria prevention training, and over 2,000 youth gained vocational skills. COWF also empowered 1,964 adolescent girls in leadership and entrepreneurship through a $2 million USAID ICAN program across Acholi Sub-Region over a period of 5 years.
COWF will contribute to delivering essential services to refugees and host communities, creating opportunities for education, employment, and social inclusion through helping refugee and host community households by promoting self-reliance and resilience initiatives to targeted households. We will focus on sustainable food production and income generation and income diversification.
In agriculture, COWF will provide training in food production, apiary, animal husbandry, and environmental conservation to mitigate risks and ensure sustainability. Households receive training in food cultivation for home consumption and market use, with ongoing support from local agricultural extension workers. They are also connected to businesses supplying quality seeds and livestock, enabling reinvestment in farming.
To diversify incomes, the program supports market-oriented production, savings and lending participation, skill-building for the youth, and enterprise development. Households will be linked to financial institutions for better access to financial services. These initiatives equip families with sustainable financial stability and self-resilience.
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