During the COVID-19 pandemic, strict lockdowns and economic disruptions severely affected orphanages and vulnerable children across Uganda. Several reports and videos highlighted the hardships faced by these homes, driven by key factors:

Severe Food Insecurity: With transport halted and local food prices surging, many homes struggled to feed children. Outlets like The Borgen Project documented instances such as the Open Heart Orphanage in Bulenga, where children suffered from severe hunger during lockdowns.

Loss of Donations & Visitors: Strict restriction measures forced institutions—including major facilities like Sanyu Babies Home in Kampala—to close their doors to outside visitors, cutting off critical face-to-face donations and daily supplies.

Lack of Medical Care: Travel bans and limited funding made basic healthcare and medicine out of reach for orphanages treating common childhood illnesses alongside COVID-19 risks.

Exploitation & Online Appeals: Non-profits like Save the Children and investigative outlets (such as VICE) highlighted that while many grassroots organizations circulated videos on social media to seek desperate financial aid, some unregulated ho