REAL Fathers

About the Project Intervention

Project Name: “Capacity building and planning for Catalyzing REAL Fathers across Uganda for Early Learning and Play”

Project goal: REAL Fathers is a four-component intervention:

1. Increase fathers’ ability to use positive parenting techniques with their children

2. Develop healthy, gender-equitable relationships with the mothers of their children.

3. Stop intimate partner violence (IPV).

Project outcomes: Partners in the REAL Fathers consortium and stakeholders (line ministries, district local governments, cultural and religious institutions) have the capacity to implement REAL – ECD integrated program at scale.

Coverage: Western Uganda; Isingiro, Rubirizi, Mbarara and Ibanda

Target group: young fathers (aged 16 to 25 years) and fathers of toddler-aged children (1-3 years (Planning & capacity building grant no children will be reached at this time).

Consortium partners: (4) organisations; Somero Uganda, All Nations Child Development Center, World Education-Bantwana, and Forum for African Women Educationalists.

Project Background

The Challenge: Witnessing and experiencing violence;

1. Impedes children’s healthy development and learning,

2. Inhibits positive relationships,

3. Provokes low self-esteem and emotional distress,

4. and can lead to self-harm and aggressive behavior.

The Solution: Responsible, Engaged and Loving (REAL) Fathers is an evidence-based, community-led mentoring program for fathers of toddler-aged children that teaches positive parenting and nonviolent discipline.

1. REAL Fathers is to support men across Uganda in nonviolent parenting techniques and home-based early childhood development (ECD).

2. Adapt REAL Fathers to Uganda’s regional cultures, and integrate the program into the ECD system at the national level.