An Oxford woman, who has been working in the same part of the world from which Madonna has adopted a young boy, has been speaking about conditions for children there.

Joanna Watson, 34, travelled to Uganda and Malawi this year as part of her advocacy and communications work for Oxford-based charity Viva Network.

Ms Watson went to Africa to speak first-hand to Viva's partner organisations about how to stand up for children and to empower youngsters to speak up for themselves.

She said: "I went to support the networks that have decided to do advocacy, speaking out on behalf of children at risk. I went to work face-to-face with two organisations in Uganda and one in Malawi, developing their advocacy strategy.

"I work by email and over the telephone, but working face-to-face makes a real difference."

Ms Watson covered children's rights, child protection and advocacy, and worked on a kit which helps organisations to act in the children's interests.

She also gathered stories about children affected by HIV and Aids and how Viva is helping them, to report back to the charity's supporters.

One of the Ugandan organisations has been working on fostering and adoption issues for four years.

Ms Watson said: "HIV is sweeping across Uganda, leaving many children vulnerable.

"A lot of these children are affected by Aids.

"Their parents' generation is being completely obliterated and the grandparents can't cope, so children are being abandoned."

She said what the children really needed were families and agencies to lobby the government, calling for reform.

In Malawi, Ms Watson worked to promote children's land rights.

She said: "Because of Aids, a child's parents die and the land and property where they are living is grabbed from them. The child is unaware they are entitled to stay there. Viva's partners there are working to enforce this policy."

Ms Watson said she faced challenges in Uganda because it was the rainy season and roads were completely flooded. Electricity would also go off without warning.

In Malawi, one of the challenges was existing on a diet of nsima, a maize meal with the consistency of semolina.

She said: "I have done a lot of travelling in developing countries and knew what to expect, but when I go I think oh my goodness, there is so much I take for granted and I don't even question it'."

Among the children she met were Rita and Reagan, who had both been given to Viva Network-affiliated projects by their teenage mothers, who were living on the streets.

To find out more about Viva Network visit www.viva.org or call 01865 811675.