Thanks to American Martyrs Catholic Church in Manhattan Beach, two generous individual givers, and UK partner FOAG we were able to raise $22,000 to renovate the main classroom building at St Joseph College in Tororo, Uganda. The roof had been blown off during Holy Week this year leaving the classrooms unusable. The school scrambled to create four make shift classrooms to finish the first term, then go a second whole term while construction was underway. We reached out to our partners and friends for help and the response was great!
With the funds we were able to redesign and build a fresh the roof structure to make it more durable for the long-haul. We extending the roof out to include a proper verandah with much needed space in the raining seasons. We replaced all the rotted wooden doors and windows with new metal and class ones. We re-poured the foundation, reconfigured the classroom layouts, wired the building for lights and technology, added ceiling boards, re-plastered the walls inside and out, finished the floors, and painted the whole building. When possible students were able to learn and get involved in some of the construction too! The building looks fresh and fabulous!Students, teacher, parents and community members are thrilled to have the revitalized space!
Thank you to all our generous donors for making this project possible! The school is back to operating fully and students are actively preparing for end of year national exams.
Mary at St Benedict High SchoolJohn Mary (top center) at Ocer Campion Jesuit College
Ocer Campion Jesuit College in Gulu district has 600 plus students with one-third students on scholarship. St Joseph College, a Franciscan high school in Tororo district has 150 students with nearly all students on partial or full scholarship. Most of their parents are farmers struggling to eke out a livelihood and unable to pay for education. The government fails to provide options if you don’t live within walking distance of a school, which most of these students do not. We are seeking to support 12 students (3 @Ocer Campion + 9 @St Joseph). Currently we have raised funds for only 6 students. Will you help us reach our goal of 6 more students?
We also support girls to get back to school after an unplanned pregnancy in which they are forced to leave school, even if the child came from rape. We have FOURfemale students that we sponsors currently who are young mothers. This includes cost of feeding the young child and supporting the grandmother, great grandmother, or auntie that is caring for the child in their absence. The cost is $250 per term for fees, boarding, personal requirements, and food for the child. Will you help one of our young mothers?
In addition, we support the Little Sisters of St Francis to complete their A-level courses (post high school), which ensures they have an opportunity to study for a Bachelor’s at University. Without educating the young Sisters, the religious cannot lead the way to helping others grow and be healthy. Will you help Sr. Mary Jackline take another step in her educational journey?
Without your generous support these youth would be growing up without an education. Catholic education is key to helping children become fully who God desires them to be and leading families out of poverty. Only $50 per month, or $200 per term, or $600 for the year helps ensure one more youth is able to reach his or her dreams. You can make a transformative difference in their lives and that of their families. Collectively, we bring a brighter and more faith filled future to all in Uganda. Will you help one of these students reach their dreams?
St. Joseph College Students
For our younger students in Lira attending public primary day school (see photo below) there are still many personal requirements that are out of reach for the parents including school uniforms, sturdy shoes, socks, books, paper, pencils, pens and markers, and rulers. We also provide these 12 children with boarding and three meals a day at the YOUFRA Youth Centre in Lira town. We are seeking $100 per term for each child. Their parents are former abductees whose lives and education was interrupted when they were captured and dragged into the bush, forced to fight for and support the Lord’s Resistance Army.
While the conflict has been over for 17 years, the parents have yet to recover fully emotionally, educationally, socially, and especially financially. Through the Young Franciscan (YOUFRA) Centre we are working diligently to help the parents redeem and reclaim their hopes and dreams for families and a good future. The Centre offers counseling, spiritual development, and livelihood training for these parents. As well, the Centre staff is working diligently to ensure their children have access to quality education.
Will you give something today to help these children have a good future? Will you help right an injustice done to their parents?
Win great prizes in our raffle — gift certificates to restaurants, manicure/pedicures, bundles of beauty, food, wine, and more!!
Tickets are $5 or 6 for $25 (one book). You can purchase at the Dance OR online, OR email us at endeavors@globalechange.com. For online purchases use our red donate button and specify in the reference for the raffle. Make sure to give an email and phone number. We will follow-up with you.
Can’t make the event? You can help us to reach our goal of $5,000 for Scholarships by donating today! These students would not be attending high school, vocational college or university if we didn’t step in to fill the gap. Join us in transforming their lives and that of their communities.
We had a very fun night of dancing! Thank you to all of you who joined us on the dance floor or supported from a far. We raised $2,000 for scholarships thanks to the event sponsorship, donations and event funds with $800 coming from the raffle. We hope you can join us again next summer. To support our scholarship program donatehere!
Prayers and good wishes to the people of Uganda today as they remember and celebrate the sacrifices of the Ugandan Martyrs. #PrayforUs!
Help us lift up the missionaries and families in Uganda by supporting our scholarship fund, school enhancements, youth development, health fund, and livelihood initiatives.
During holy week this year a big storm blew through Tororo Uganda and took the roof off St. Joseph College’s main classroom building. Leaving students and teachers quite alarmed and exposed. They are currently renting a hall at a guest house near the campus to make up for the lost classroom. St. Joseph College is already busting at the seam with 140 students from Senior 1 through Senior 4 and a P7 class. The missing roof has exasperated the problem and the exposed walls and building to more damage.
We are stepping in to help raise $20,000 to replace the full roof and other necessary renovations to the foundation, walls, windows, and doors. Will you join us to help these youth stay in school getting a good catholic education?
Thank you American Martyrs parish and FOAG for stepping in to help! Construction of the new roof begins this week. We are still seeking funds to help replace the windows and doors, paint, and provide much needed solar power for the school. Join hands with us and donate today!
Hosted by Michelle Waters Williams & Laura Frederick
R.S.V.P. by May 18th
Life in Uganda is hard. After two decades of conflict, difficult repatriation, a global pandemic that resulted in further economic hardships, severe weather shifts–too much to too little rain destroying crops most people in northern Uganda are battered and desperate. YOUFRA (Young Franciscans) steered by Sr. Margaret Awor, LSOSF, and her team are working to help counsel and reconcile families, guide faith formation, improve livelihoods, and ensure the next generation of children don’t also miss out on education. We are stepping into help YOUFRA members and their families renew their hope and faith in God and life.
Join us May 20th for High Tea and hear Laura Frederick, Founder of eChange Endeavors, share stories of the lives that have been touched by our support. Laura has been working in Uganda since 2000 and lived there between 2006 to 2011.
We are seeking to raise $14,500 for the YOUFRA Youth Centre in Lira to renovate the building and facilitate greater program delivery. Funds will be used to refurbish the outdoor bathrooms (showers and toilet) at the Centre as well as much needed basic repairs to the building, plus purchase furniture (tables, chairs, and beds) along with materials and facilitation for programs. These improvements will enable YOUFRA to host retreats and trainings for 25-150 young adults in their 20’s, 30’s, and 40’s at a time. Having a place to take a break from home to sing, pray, laugh, learnandconnect with other youthrenews their hearts, minds and dreams and builds skills among the youth. Retreats are focused on the Sacraments, spiritual formation, and strengthening families. Trainings cover topics such as shoe making, hair styling, baking, farming, communication, team building, financial management, and beyond. Will you join us and make a gift of $100 to $1,000 or more today?
We have reached $9,300 towards our goal of $14,500. Could you help us bridge the gap?
Join hands with us today and give to help this community recover from two decades of civil war. Through counseling, livelihood and life skill training we are helping a generation of youth reclaim their lives. We support former child abductees of the Lord’s Resistance Army who lost their opportunity to education and now economically disadvantaged in the community to thrive and provide for their families. Donate Now!
The new L – shaped design will have 6 toilets with two basins each for the ladies and gents, plus 5 shower stalls. A clean, beautiful and modern look for the area. We are reusing all the bricks we can in the innovations. We are refurbishing the toilet doors for new shower stall doors. Moving the solar water heater that hasn’t been used from the other-side of the center to install on the bathroom to provide warm piped water. We are making use of paint that helps repel mosquitoes to reduce chances of malaria. This will be a great inspiration for the whole community as well as having a functional benefit.
We begin a fresh year of academic study across Uganda as we step into the new. Ocer Campion Jesuit College in Gulu has 600 plus student with one-third on scholarship. St Joseph College, a Franciscan high school in Tororo has 150 students with nearly all students on partial or full scholarship. Most of their parents are farmers struggling to eke out a livelihood. Without your generous support these youth would be growing up without an education. As you know, Catholic education is key to helping children become fully who God desires them to be. Just $50 per month, or $200 per term, or $600 for the year helps ensure one more youth is able to reach his or her dreams. You can make a transformative difference in their lives and that of their families. Collectively we help bring a brighter and more faith filled future to all of Uganda. Will you help one of these students reach their dreams? Donate Today!
For our students in Lira attending public day school there are still many personal requirements that are out of reach for the parents including school uniforms, sturdy shoes, socks, books, paper, pencils, pens and markers, rulers, and lunches. We are seeking $100 per term for these children. Their parents are former abductees whose lives and education was interrupted when they were captured and dragged into the bush and forced to fight for the Lord’s Resistance Army. While the conflict is over 17 years now, the parents have yet to recover–emotionally, educationally, socially, and financially. Through the Young Franciscan (YOUFRA) Centre we are working diligently to help the parents redeem and reclaim their hope and dreams for families and a good future. The Centre offers counseling, spiritual development, and livelihood training for these parents. As well, the Centre staff is working diligently to ensure their children have access to quality education. Could you give something today to help these children have a good future? Could you help right an injustice done to their parents?Donate Today!
Thank you for your prayers and donations. Together we made a wonderful impact this year!
Thanks to your generous support we helped 13 students complete another year of high school, 2 students start university studying education and medicine, and a dozen primary children with boarding, food, clothing, mattresses, blankets, and medical aid.
We helped YOUFRA train 24 young adults in shoe making, and provided counseling in two different villages for 25 young men and women, former war abductees. We also raised funds to build a chicken house for the Youth Centre in the new year!
We helped sponsor the Xaverian youth program in December that hosted 415 youth from the Kampala Dioceses at Chiro Camping site.
We helped Community Children’s Care and other families with medical issues and emergencies, including a brain injury and Hepatitis C that kept two fathers in their 30s alive. These fathers are beginning to work and provide for their families once again.
Thank you for all the love and charity you have shown these families. We are helping to transform lives, families, the Church in Uganda and the country.
YOUFRA Youth Centre in Lira provides support to former abductees–men and women, in the Lord’s Resistance Army and their children. They under went severe mental and physical hardships while in captivity. 17 years later they are still suffering from lack of education and employment opportunities, mental traumas, and stigmas in the community. Tragically these stigmas are also being passed down to the next generation. The Little Sister of St Fancis through the Young Franciscans of Uganda (YOUFRA) are working to help heal and reconcile the families. One key strategy is providing economic opportunities for the former abductees and educational opportunities for their children.
The Youth Centre is home or boarding to about 15 different children plus a few mothers and staff. To help improve diets and sustainability of the center we want to help them convert this old cow shed (see photos above) into a chicken house. The free range chickens will be more protected from cats and birds and they will be able to acquire laying chickens too. Both eggs and meat will compliment the vegetables and onions from the garden and their main crops (beans & corn), which will greatly improve their health. We are seeking $650 for the chicken house renovation and start-up.
As well, we are seeking $550 for the children for mattresses, sheets, blankets, socks, under wear, soccer balls, jump ropes, puzzles, pack backs and a nice Christmas dinner. Plus extra clothes and shoes for Obed, the boy by himself in photo below, is 12 years old. He was brought to the center when he was 6 years old and left to be cared for by Sr Margaret, LSOSF. Besides a school uniform he possesses only the long sleeve shirt and trousers he is wearing, and one other t-shirt and shorts. He needs basically anything and everything—fleece/sweater, trousers, shirts, shorts, tennis shoes, flipflops/sandals, personal care products, and reading materials.
We have the opportunity to bring renewed hope to these children and their families as we begin a new liturgical year and a new calendar year. Might you be willing to be a Magi to these children bringing your wisdom, prayers, and treasures?
Our Christmas dinner initiative has been greatly enjoyed both our giving and receiving families, we have decided to do it again this year! We have set our goal of 50 Christmas dinners to reach poor families, children, elderly and disabled individuals. Might you give $25 today to help one family or two seniors have a blessed and joyful Christmas?
We connect with families through our partners Children’s Community Care, YOUFRA Youth Centre Lira, YOUFRA Disabilities group Soroti, the Xaverians, St Joseph College, and John Paul II Justice & Peace Youth Leaders.
Economic problems abound in Uganda on the tails of the pandemic, lockdowns, back to back bad harvests, inflation, now Ebola breakouts, and more business closures causing a ripple effect of despair and discouragement acrosss the country. In this season of hope, you can spread God’s love and mercy with a small gift of $25 for one family.
We want 50 families and more to experience the unexpected joy of Christmas this year. Families with special needs children, as well as teachers, students, widows, orphans, and individuals with disabilities.
A good Christmas in Uganda is to attend Church followed by a dinner feast together that includes meat. Children look forward to this day all year long. Without our support this year shall be just another meal of beans and portio (corn meal).
Your gift of $25 will buy 1 chicken (or equivalent beef/goat), plus rice or potatoes, veggies, additional sides, sodas to share, and Christmas cake for a family of four to six. Bundles include rice, meat, sugar, oil and soap.
