Achievements

URF’s Impact on the Community since 2005 

Education EmpowermentHope Academy Students

  • The After School Program launched in June 2007 to benefit students ranging from primary to high school including some who dropped out of school
  • Hope Integrated Academy, a vocational secondary school with 14 rooms was built and opened May 2008 with 7 students.
  • 130 students are currently enrolled in the Academy O’level program.
  • 180 students have completed the After School Program
  • 56 orphan and needy students have received sponsorships through the URF sponsorship program.
  • 20 adults have participated in the adult literacy program

Orphans and Child Careadorable

  • The Nazareth Children’s Home provides shelter, health care, and education for 27 orphans.
  •  In 2009, the girls’ dormitory was improved and a new dormitory was built for boys.
  • 11 child-headed family households benefit from direct support from URF. 
  • Orphans have been provided with animals to start income generating projects.
  • 3 new homes have been built for child-headed families.

Women Empowerment

  •  200 households benefit from our women empowerment workshops conducted on weekends.
  • 135 women are improving their lives and families through the URF Village Banking program.
  • 56 women are involved in the Hand Craft Project in which 10,000 Villages, a fair trade partner, order the baskets they make.
  • 56 women are benefiting from the Seed Loan Project.
  • 55 women have received micro-finance training by MedNet Uganda.
  • 50 women are participating in the Chicken Project for income generation.
  • 28 women are gaining income to support their families by taking part in the Piggery Project.

Men’s Resource Center 

  •  27 men are participating in the village banking program 
  • 5 men have received pigs from URF for income generating project
  • 6 men have received goats from URF

Community Resource Development

  • 600 people attended the June community empowerment seminar.
  • In 2008, a community library was set up to serve the surrounding villages.
  • A computer center with Internet was designed to serve students and adults in the community.
  •  Community seminars are conducted on parenting skills, nutrition, water, sanitation, HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention, etc.
  • Student service projects are organized to better the community.

Health Care, Water and Sanitation

  • Over 1000 mosquito nets have been distributed to the most needy families in villages to support malaria prevention.
  •  HIV testing and counseling through Uganda Cares in Masaka is provided regulary.
  • Provided transportation and paid medical expenses for AIDS patients, needy families and child-headed families.
  • Plans of establishing a medical center have been made to provide basic care to students and area residents.
  • Engineers Without Boarders provided Hope Academy students with Clean Water and Sanitation.

Youth Empowerment

  •  Over 200 youth have benefited from the youth camps organized by URF.
  • Many youth have beenefited from career guidance provided by URF volunteers.

International Volunteering and Cultural Exchange

  •  90 people have gone through our international volunteer program in groups or as individuals. They have come from Uganda, USA, Canada, Australia, Norway, Spain, S cotland, Ireland, England, Netherlands, Sweden, Poland and more.

Our Partners: How We Have Made these Achievements

  • Engineers Without Boarders from the University of Minnesota established clean water and sanitation.
  • Engineers Without Boarders from Virginia Tech University created a solar power system.
  • Ten Thousand Villages and Uganda Crafts Ltd joined forces to create the Crafts program for women empowerment.
  • Architecture for Humanity designed buildings for the expansion of Hope Academy.
  • Pilgrim Church in Mass. funded the construction of a new boys’ dormitory at Nazareth Children’s Home. 

Colleges and Universities

  • College of St. Benedict/St. John’s University
  • University of Minnesota
  • Virginia Tech. University
  • Villanova University
  • University of Richmond
  • Virginia Common Wealth University
  • College of William and Mary
  • Boston University
  • Bethel University
  • Stoney Brook University
  • St. Benedict’s Elementary
  • Duxbury High School
  • Saint Vincent College