The Situation

The people of northern Uganda have seen some unimaginable atrocities and have been devastated by two decades of war carried out by Joseph Kony, the leader of the Lord’s Resistance Army. With displacement of 1.8m Acholi people and abductions of over 38,000 children to serve as child soldiers and sex slaves, Gulu Region has suffered deeply. Although the war ended in 2006, it is a very slow road to recovery after so many years of affliction.

The Acholi people, a Nilotic Lwoo-speaking ethnic group, live predominantly in the central region of northern Uganda, an area collectively referred to as Acholiland. Cultural heritage remains strong in the north and should be respected when educating the young minds of the next generation. In development of the Lukodi community and self-sustainable practices, it is critical to understand the Acholi culture and ensure all programs integrate with the traditions and customs of the Acholi people.

Through years of experience working in the Lukodi region with the schools, the health centre and members of the community, it is evident that to break the cycle of poverty, there is a great need to increase support for education, health and livelihood initiatives.

The Objectives

  1. Establishing an Education Centre to assist the community in developing educational programs; and employing local workers to increase income for families.
  2. Tutoring in English and Maths for primary aged students that are ‘falling through the cracks’.
  3. School nutrition programs to ensure good concentration and nutrition for students.
  4. A kindergarten program with a strong focus on ‘learning through play’, phonics for reading development, positive reinforcement and good values to become functioning members of society.
  5. Student sponsorships (for children of subsistence farming families and disadvantaged women) for kindergarten, primary, secondary, trade school, and university.
  6. Extra teachers program to ensure smaller class sizes to meet the government requirement of maximum 53 students per class.
  7. Skills development classes for child mother’s and young adults that have not completed schooling past P7.
  8. Training courses for teachers to improve their knowledge and skill set.
  9. Establishment of a maternity ward and medical equipment to ensure safe delivery of babies, pre and post natal care, and family planning for the community.
  10. A School Demonstration Farm that actively shows and educates on high yielding crops, animal husbandry and improved agricultural farming methods that can generate income for families.

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