UYDEL
Uganda Youth Development Link (UYDEL) is a non-profit organization that was founded by a group of professionals in 1993. UYDEL’s five drop in centers and outreach posts are located in Kampala slum, one drop-in center located in Kitega, Mukono District and one rehabilitation transit center at Masooli in Wakiso District. UYDEL targets young people between 10 and 30 years old for interventions in four main areas: child rights protection, HIV prevention among high risk youth, alcohol and substance abuse, and adolescent sexual reproductive health. In addition, UYDEL provides rehabilitation and livelihood skills training to young people and also conducts social research.
Dr. Rotheram met Rogers Kasirye, the Director of Programs of UYDEL, in 1992, in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, as primary organizers of an international conference on street children. Dr. Rotheram worked with Mr. Kasirye to implement several of her interventions for vulnerable youth in Uganda, including CLEAR and Street Smart. After winning a Humphrey Fellowship in substance abuse, Mr. Kasirye came to UCLA to learn more about global health and substance abuse and the relationship between UCLA and UYDEL became even stronger. After his return to Uganda, the team collaborated together on the Nsindikanjake Project, which combined a modified version of Dr. Rotherams’ earlier Street Smart with a vocational training program.