Achievements

URF’s Impact on the Community since 2005 

Education EmpowermentHope Academy Students

  • We built Hope Integrated Academy, a vocational secondary school with 14 rooms was built and opened May 2008 with 7 students. Currently, 135 students are currently enrolled in the Academy O’level program.
  • The After School Program launched in June 2007 to benefit students ranging from primary to high school including some who dropped out of school
  • 180 students hav participated in the After School Program
  • 60 orphan and needy students have received sponsorships/scholarships through the URF sponsorship program.
  • 20 adults have participated in the adult literacy program. Several women have learned to speak English
  • 28 bicycles given to studentswho used to walk long distances to school. Each bicycle is used by two students who live in the same village to share a ride. More students need transportation assistance and many of them walk over 3 miles to come to school.

Orphans and Child Careadorable

  • The Nazareth Children’s Home provides shelter, health care, and education for 23 orphans.
  •  In 2009, the girls’ dormitory was improved and a new dormitory was built for boys.
  • 16 child-headed familieswith total of 38 children received care from URF including education sponsorship, basic household supplies, medical care assistance, and emotional support.
  • Orphans have been provided with animals to start income generating projects.
  • 3 new homes have been built for child-headed families and a widowed grandmother taking care of orphans.

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 Loans 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.
  • Village Banking: we have provided training to over 150 women and 40 men to run operate a village banking program which provides them an opportunity to obtain small loans to improve or start new micro-enterprises.

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

  • The community empowerment conferencein Jun

    new orphanage house

    e, 2009 drew over 600 people. Panels of professionals presented and answered questions on issues related with health care and HIV/AIDS, malaria, education and community development, entrepreneurship and micro-finance, human rights and legal representation, and intercultural understanding.

  • 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 every weekend in the villages.
  • Student service projects are organized to better the community.
  • Crafts project: URF sponsored training of local women to learn various crafts. In 2009 over 500 baskets were made Timwithkidosand sold earning the women substantial income that has improved their families’ welfare

Health Care, Water and Sanitation

  • Engineers Without Boarders provided Hope Academy students with Clean Water and Sanitation. They put in a rain catchment system and underground water pump providing clean water for the community.  The group also made a bio-sand water filter for one of the villages.
  • Over 1000 mosquito nets have been distributed to the most needy families in villages to support malaria prevention.
  •  We organized HIV testing for the community in partnership with Uganda Cares who also provide on-going medical care and counselling for the patients
  • Medical assistance: Over 40 women and AIDS patients, needy families and child-headed families from the surrounding villages served by URF have been assisted to receive medical care at clinics in Masaka town.
  • Plans of establishing a medical center have been made to provide basic care to students and area residents.

Youth Empowermentcrafts1

  •  Over 200 youth have benefited from the youth camps organized by URF.
  • Many youth have beenefited from career guidance provided by URF volunteers.
  • Youth Leadership Camp held in August, 09 was a success. The kids learned about leadership, personal development, goal setting, and critical need for education.

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.

URF Kampala Chapter: we are building local capacity tapping into a network of young Ugandan professionals and university students. A network of over 30 young people continues to grow. These passionate and dedicated professionals support URF on many fronts such as workshops, conferences, local fundraising, and professionals services.  

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 installd a solar power system for our school at the Academy.
  • 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. 

22 local rsidents employed: We provided employment for 20 people for teaching and staff positions at Hope Academy and URF. Over 15 other residents have been employed on temporary contract jobs such as construction, making classroom desks, etc providing much needed income to support their families.

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