Challenges and Opportunities
Although Uganda’s government is committed to reducing poverty and improving the livelihood of its citizens, the country is recovering from 20 years of armed civil conflict in the north and has been impacted heavily by the AIDS epidemic. Close to 15 percent of all Ugandan children have been orphaned as a result of disease or civil conflict. There is great need for outside assistance to ease the impact of this reality.
The children served at House of Hope are living in extremely impoverished conditions. In most cases, nutritious meals and hygiene are not provided at home, medical conditions cannot be treated and malnutrition is highly prevalent. World Action is committed to raising the resources needed to help Jenifer and House of Hope provide vital services to its students.
In accordance with World Action’s donation policy, all resources raised go toward general operating support of House of Hope. Monthly expenses include the cost of food for students and staff; regular medical care through visits at the local clinic; hygiene products; school supplies, staff salaries; annual mid-term and final examination fees; and new infrastructure and building improvements. Examples of basic costs needs are provided below.
Priority Needs and Costs
Nutrition is the number one priority at House of Hope, and World Action is urgently looking for monthly donors to help provide needed resources to purchase cooking oil, fuel, corn, beans and rice. To date, House of Hope has used funding received through World Action to plant fruit trees around the property, build a chicken coup, and purchase goats and cows. The cows have been particularly important, as House of Hope is now able to provide vital milk protein to students daily.
Total food costs for all staff and 156 children:
$1,600 each month
Quality medical care is equally essential. Typhoid, intestinal worms, and dysentery are common ailments resulting from contaminated water. Total costs to treat malaria, periodic de-worming, and all other medical needs:
$825 each month
Simple hygiene can also be difficult for the children; clean water and soap is not always available at home. Children ages 3 to 5 years are bathed each morning by staff and many older children arrive early and wash on their own. Bars of soap are needed at the school and for each child to take home.
Multi-purpose antibacterial soap: $0.50
Annual cost (200 bars): $100
Basic school supplies are needed, such as class curriculum materials, books, paper, pencils and chalk.
Curriculum and Reading Guides (annual cost): $23
Textbooks for each child (annual cost): $475
Jenifer and her staff do an incredible job managing all aspects of the House of Action Junior School, and all receive room and board as part of their compensation. However, adequate salaries are integral to sustaining the school long term.
Staff costs: $600 each month
Successes to Date
World Action donors have generously provided support to add solid, tamper resistant doors on each of the four classrooms, and new desks were also purchased to replace reed mats and benches that the children had been using to write on. World Action is looking for generous donors who would like to commit to making a monthly donation—$25, $50 or $100—to help us ensure the long-term success of House of Hope.