OUR MISSION
To protect, heal, empower, and support vulnerable children and youth through music, life skills, and education.
OUR VISION
To be a leading organization in transforming the lives
of Uganda’s new generations.
Activities
Music and Dance
Music is the heart of M-LISADA! Music captivates the interest and imagination of vulnerable children. It empowers them and transforms them by showing them the value of developing skills like teamwork, hard work, focus, discipline, listening, confidence, and problem solving.
At M-LISADA, our trademarked Music to the Rescue Program includes M-LISADA’s Brass Band, our Afri-Brass/Jazz music program and M-LISADA Dance and Cultural Education. We offer participation in our bands as well as instruction in jazz, piano, guitar, violin, xylophone, and wind instruments.
Our music activities also include a vibrant cultural dance program, singing, storytelling, and a trauma healing dance and movement centered partnership with MindLeaps Uganda. M-LISADA is also home to Dance of Hope, an international touring program that gives children the opportunity to perform, tell personal stories, and discuss Ugandan culture.
For more information about M-LISADA’s extraordinary expansive program see MUSIC
Peer-to-Peer Program
M-LISADA’s Peer-to-Peer Program is designed to empower youth. M-LISADA believes in the power of having good role models and in teaching each other. Our experience working with vulnerable children has repeatedly shown us the effectiveness of learning from peers who share similar ages, backgrounds, experiences, and challenges.
M-LISADA’s Peer-to-Peer Program includes The Amazing Girls Club, The Golden Boys, Children’s Court, Children’s Debate, and Environmental Scouts. It encompasses other activities like community cleanup and other peer led workshops. Our M-LISADA youth share knowledge and life skills with other street children. M-LISADA’s alumni act as role models and come regularly to M-LISADA to talk about their lives, the challenges they’ve faced, and to give life advice.
The Amazing Girls Club
Many of our girls come from the slums. These girls do not have the opportunity to be part of mentorship programs and have limited or no access to people they would see as role models. Girls in the slum setting are vulnerable to sexual abuse and they are always victims of circumstance.
M-LISADA’s Amazing Girls Club was established to teach young girls to stand up for themselves and for each other. Through this club girls learn to make decisions, take up leadership roles in schools, participate in education debates, withstand harmful school bullying, and compete with boys in class and in job sectors. Club activities include meetings, hosting empowered women who are seen as role models, music and dramatic events, individual mentorships, games and sports, counseling, debates, exchange programs, school presentations, and community charity work.
Many of the girls who have been part of the Amazing Girls Club have been successful in their studies, have become leaders at school and work, and have been successful in finding jobs.
The Golden Boys Club
As we prepared and empowered our girls, M-LISADA also recognized the importance of helping our boys to grow up to be responsible ethical young men who will respect girls and women in their community.
The Golden Boys invite successful men to guide them through the challenging issues that they face. They share their experiences with each other during club meetings. Through this club our boys have grown to be responsible young men and they have taken leadership roles in their respective schools. Like the girls, their activities include meetings, hosting different role models, music and dramatic events, individual mentorships, games and sports, counseling, debates, exchange programs, school presentations, and community charity work.
Children’s Court
M-LISADA’s Children’s Court empowers children by teaching them to be leaders and to work together. The Children’s Court discusses key issues and concerns at M-LISADA’s home. The court strengthens and builds up a child’s self-esteem and ability to talk in public. Each week different cases are presented to a young judge and argued by a prosecution lawyer and a defense lawyer. Children’s Court cases include issues related to misconduct and wrongdoings. Disciplinary measures and appropriate behavior modification approaches have been developed to cope with youth who have violated M-LISADA’s house rules.
Children’s Debate
Every Thursday, at M-LISADA, teams of children debate the pros and cons of a topic. The topic is given to the teams the week before the debate and the children spend the week researching it. The debate takes place in front of an audience of children who are invited to ask questions. Other children take on the roles of judge, time keeper, and a secretary who keeps score. These debates teach children to do research, to think critically and to express themselves confidently. On special occasions there are even spirited debates between the children and staff of M-LISADA. The staff does not always win!
Environmental Scouts
M-LISADA’s Environmental Scouts program trains children to be advocates for the environment and empowers them to take ownership and responsibility for it. They learn about urban farming and how to creatively grow vegetables in their cramped living environments. Environmental Scouts are taught to teach other children in their community about issues including waste management, the treatment of animals, and urban farming. There are no formal trash systems in Katwe, so garbage is often dumped in streams and other environmentally vulnerable places. The Environmental Scouts teach children and their parents better ways of disposing of trash. They also organize and take part in community clean up days.
Athletics and Games
Our children love athletics and physical fitness is good for the body and the mind. Athletic activities teach our children teamwork and develop their talent and leadership skills. Several of M-LISADA’s alumni have become coaches and have traveled the world performing skills they learned at M-LISADA. M-LISADA’s robust offering of activities includes acrobatics, aerobics, baseball, basketball, children’s races and mini-marathons, football, gymnastics, meditation, volleyball, and yoga.
Our children, like kids anywhere in the world, love fun and games. During their leisure time they regularly play a handful of different games including board games, cards, chess, ludo (like pachisi) and jump rope.