Home » 2012 » July
Students making Herbal Soap & Jelly to improve health, hygiene and generate income
URF staff with Hope Academy students have started making herbal soap and jelly as a strategy to become self-reliant and reduce the dependency on donor funding. The main objective of this project is three-fold: to generate income using local resources to produce a product with a local market.; to act as a means of improving […]
Should Children Have to Overcome Rain and Scorching Heat to Receive an Education?
They do in Gankahga village in Uganda, the inadequate number of classrooms force many children outside to study in the scorching heat and suffer constant interruptions during the rainy season. “We need a classroom!” is the unison cry from the little kids standing under a shaky torn canopy. Studying outdoors adds yet more challenges these […]
Solar lamps for all Students at Hope Academy to enable them to study at night
URF gave each student at Hope Academy a solar lamp to enable them to read at home during the night. Our students come from rural villages with no electricity and the price of kerosene becomes a hindrance for many of them to study from home. Some students walk long distances to get to school and […]
Rainwater harvesting system for Bugonzi primary school installed by EWB
Water is a big crisis in most rural communities in Uganda. When speaking with students, they highlight the shortage of water and walking long distances to access shallow wells as one of the major problems they face. URF in a partnership with EWB at University of Minnesota seeks to alleviate this water problem. This summer […]
A gift of a bike to alleviate the burden of students walking long distances to school
Students in rural villages face so many challenges that make impact their learning experience. Among these challenges is the long distances most of them have to walk to get to school. Imagine walking three miles to to school every day! Some students have to start walking at six in the morning to be able to […]
Empowering rural youth through leadership camps, games, sports, and skills training
Empowering youth to become strong leaders and responsible citizens is a forefront of URF’s work in rural communities. This goal is accomplished through youth programs such as youth camps, leadership training, peer counseling, sports, education tours, and skills training. This blog was written by a URF intern, Gregory Forsberg from Canada about his experience at […]
Consulting village leaders to promote participatory community development
URF promotes community-centered development and we believe that there can be no success in any community project without the participation of the people. The people have to feel a sense of ownership of the development process and take charge of defining needs, identifying solutions, and setting priorities for their communities. We partitioned villages we serve into […]
Netball-a fun sport that builds character, leadership, & health competition among girls
With Hope Interschool Football fever raging through the academy, it was naturally time to follow suit with NETBALL! At present, Hope Academy Netball games have been taking place on a VERY rough court next to the boys soccer pitch. Without bibs distinguishing who plays what and for whom, girls engage in a lengthy and passionate […]
Cultural Exchange Day – An effort to promote intercultural awareness among students and volunteers
In an effort to educate Hope Academy students about our (international volunteers) home countries, a cultural presentation day was organised. Topics included history, geography, politics, agriculture, lifestyle, food, sport, and our home and families. Australia and Canada were the countries presented, and not to be left out, a handful of Hope students also presented on […]
Promoting leadership among the youth to ensure sustainable development
For ideas to burst into reality, projects to launch off the ground and communities to progress and develop, we need skilled, dedicated and ethical leaders. Leadership is not just about being “charismatic” or “popular”. It involves a much more complex skill set including the ability to connect with and influence others, as well as lead […]
