URF’s Impact on the Community since 2005
- 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
- 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