Current Update

Current PFP news

April 2023

12th Annual Anywhere in the World Raffle

Once again, PFPโ€™s annual raffle fundraiser was a complete sellout, thanks to our amazing volunteers and supporters. Another very successful fundraising year for PFP!ย The raffle drawing was held on March 29th, via Facebook live and we are so excited for this year’s winner! In case you missed the email that went out to everyone regarding the winner, see below for all the details.

Fundraising

Fundraising is hard. In a perfect world we wouldn’t have to do our annual raffle, Christmas backpack campaign, Facebook events or find sponsors. It’s never fun for anyone to ask their friends, families and coworkers to part with their hard earned money and we wish we didn’t have to… because honestly it’s a little uncomfortable. What motivates us to push through and do it anyway? The over 200 children in our program that we know are relying on us to get an education and to have a chance to be able to support their own families one day.

SO… THANK YOU!! Thank you to every one of you who comes alongside us and is willing to share a portion of their means to make sure we can continue to do what we are doing with our beautiful children. We couldn’t do any of this without you.

Visitation Days

While the children and young adults in our program are away at school, our staff makes it a point to visit everyone regularly to check in and ensure that things are going well both academically and emotionally. They usually bring a few treats to eat and take time to speak with each student and the school management too. Our aim is to make the students feel loved and important and to identify any issues that need to be addressed early.ย 

Esther, Lojore, Alyat, Sylvia and Daniel at Serum Secondary School

Kato at Victoria Junior School

Daily Life at Home

The youngest PFP children, and those with mental or physical health concerns remain at home year round with our dedicated staff while attending day school. These children receive daily attention from their “aunties and uncles” and regular visits from our staff counselor, Hildah. Everyone seems to be happy and healthy lately, and we just love to see it!

Adam, Easy and Julius at Love Home

Staff Corner

PFP relies on our amazing staff in Uganda to keep the organization running.ย  Without our Ugandan team, we would not be able to do what we do for the many children in our care. We hope you enjoy the โ€œStaff Cornerโ€ section weโ€™ve added to the blog. Each month weโ€™ll highlight one staff person with the hopes youโ€™ll get a chance to understand the important work theyย do.

Achiro Claire

Love Home Caretaker

My name is Achiro Claire and I work as a caretaker with The Peace for Paul Foundation. I joined the organization after many yearsโ€™ service with another childrenโ€™s home (which had closed due to financial struggles). Once my former place of employment had closed down, I began searching for another organization which served children. I have a deep passion for helping vulnerable children and many yearsโ€™ experience that I knew would be an asset to the next organization in which I served.

While working with PFP, I typically carry out the following tasks on a daily basis: I spend time and offer parental advice to the children in a motherly way. I counsel them where there is a need and make sure that all children who study in day school and stay in the home are organized and prepared for school early. I guide them with their homework and I help to maintain the hygiene and sanitation of the home so that everyone may grow up in a clean environment in which they can thrive. I also make sure that the young ones are engaged in skill building activities such as tailoring, knitting, yoga, dance, baking, netball and other indoor games.I am very happy about what I do with PFP and I take great pride in knowing that I play a part in changing the lives of children for the better. I really love my work so much and appreciate the wonderful support given to me by the Peace for Paul management.

Claire and Baby Mary at Love home

Visits from Sponsors

In March, our sweet boy Kemi was lucky enough to receive a visit from his sponsors Yuri and Roos! They went out with the group of boys that Kemi joined PFP with, along with their mentors– AHU recipients Friday and Charlie. Fun was had by all. We love seeing the connections made and maintained between child and sponsor.ย 

Charlie, Friday, Kemi, Yasin and Hamza with Yuri and Roos

Kemi with Zaija

Kemi with his sponsor Roos

Keeping in Touch

We love watching the relationships between sponsors and child blossom. Letters being written are getting to be more frequent. Both from sponsor to child and child to sponsor. Smiles abound!!

A letter from Peter to his sponsor

A letter from his sponsor to Paul

A letter from her sponsor to Rebecca

Sponsorships Needed

The success of our organization is largely based on the amazing sponsor base we have. The members of our PFP family. As a small grassroots organization, it’s crucial we keep all of our children matched with a sponsor. Right now we have eight students needing to be matched. Of course this match changes the life of the child, but it can also change the life of the sponsor. Everyone wins.

The cost of sponsorship varies depending on which part of the program your child is in and which school they are enrolled in. As they get older it depends on whether they are still in high school, trade school or university. Sometimes we will split the sponsorship in half, so that can also be an option for the higher ones that haven’t already been divided. Here is the list of the students needing a sponsor, which program they are in and how much the sponsorship is in U.S. dollars.

1. Lotukei – PFP A Hand Up Program – $100/month
2. Jonah – PFP Juniors Program – $140/month
3. Priscilla Mufumba – A Hand Up – $110/month
4. Lojore – A Hand Up – $75/month
5. Elvis – PFP Main Program – $90/month
6. Arthur – A Hand Up – $60/month
7. Yasin- Main Program- $60/month
8. Noah- Main Program- $65/month

If there is a student listed that you may be interested in helping with, we would sure love to hear from you.

Sponsorship covers:

  • Boarding school
  • Medical including mental health/dental
  • Food
  • Clothing
  • Housing during breaks/holidays
  • An amazing Ugandan support system (All PFP employees are Ugandan)

Sponsorship, along with our fundraisers, also contributes to:

  • Field trips
  • Cultural exposure
  • Sports/exercise programs
  • Skills training programs
  • Transportation
  • Social work services to support any available healthy family ties

Please contact us if you have any questions regarding this opportunity: hope@peaceforpaulfoundation.org

Post Secondary Students Excelling

One of the things we’re proudest about in our foundation is that we do NOT exit a child from the program at 18 years old as most programs do. We are committed to the child until they have completed a trade or university program and are equipped with a fighting chance to provide for themselves and their families as adults.
Fourteen years into our program and it’s so exciting to see our first children excelling in their chosen programs and taking their education to the next level. We thought you might be interested to see who is doing which programs. (Some of our students have already completed their education and moved into their professions, this list is those currently enrolled.)
  1. ย Tikol –ย  University of East Africa – Bachelorโ€™s Degree In Petroleum Engineerin
  2. Allan – University of East Africa – Diploma In Electrical Engineering
  3. ย Arthur – YMCA Wandengeya – Certificate in Information Technology
  4. Agnes – YMCA Wandegeya Kampala – Diploma In Catering and Hotel Managment
  5. Angela – Nile Vocationalย  – Certificate in Electrical Engineering
  6. ย Sabrina – Nile Vocational – Certificate in Catering and Management
  7. Juma – Nile Vocational – Certificate in Textile Technology
  8. Achia Samuel – Nile Vocational – Certificate in Mechanics
  9. Lotte – Nile Vocational – Certificate in Mechanics
  10. Simon Peter –ย  Uganda Christian University – Bachelorโ€™s Degree in Socialย Work and Administration
  11. Friday – Uganda Hotel and Tourism Institute – Certificate in Hotel Operation
  12. Gloria – Uganda Hotel and Tourism Institute – Certificate in Hotel Operation
  13. ย Peterย  – Uganda Hotel and Tourism Institue – Diploma in Hotel Operation
  14. Ajuna (AJ) – Indian Institute of Pharmacy – Diploma in Pharmacy
  15. Brenda – St Elizabeth School of Nursing – Certificate in Pharmacy
  16. Levy – Kyambogo University – Masters in Industrial Art
  17. Chipa – Royal School of Nursing – Certificate in Pharmacy
  18. Ssejaka Samson- Lugera Motor Garage- Certificate in motor vehicle mechanics
  19. William- Lugera Motor Garage- Certificate in motor vehicle mechanics
  20. Favor- Amen School of Beauty- Certificate in tailoring and decoration
  21. Bush- Elizabeth School of Nursing-Certificate in Pharmacy
Michael, Mark, Bosco and Paul also just received their results from their National exams and did SO well!! All have qualified to attend university and will enroll in August. Until then the young men are working and volunteering in the community.

Friday loves his hotel operations program!

William and Samson at their mechanical training

Facebook Birthday Fundraisers

We love when our supporters dedicate their birthdays to PFP! Such a fun and easy way to get involved and to allow others to get involved as well!!ย Facebook fundraisers take ZERO administrative fees! We hope you will consider including PFP for your next birthday!ย 

This month, we would like to wish our long time supporter, Nick– a Happy Birthday!!! Thank you for thinking of PFP!

Birthday Celebrations

Each month, we make sure every child in our main program gets a chance to feel special on their birthday. ย Each birthday child receives a gift and has a small celebration during their birthday week followed by a BIG birthday celebration all together at the swimming pool during school holidays. Many sponsors get involved by sending gifts to their child as well. All children deserve to feel special on their day and we always do our best to make it so!ย Happy, happy birthday to our February birthday children! Thanks so much to all of the sponsors for stepping up to be sure that everyone could really enjoy their day!

Palma celebrating her birthday with a few treats

Mpanga Samuel celebrating his special day

Moses with his birthday letter

Happy Birthday to Our Aprilย Birthday Girls and Boys- we wish you all the best as we celebrate ย YOU this coming month!

If you are the sponsor of a birthday child this month, you are welcome to send us an email and we can work together to make their day even more special!

PFP Junior Birthday Celebrants

PFP Main Program Birthday Celebrants

Team AHU (A Hand Up)

The AHU group has swelled to 40 students who are all involved in community service as a requirement of their scholarship. It has been inspiring to see them each come up with their own ideas and to utilize their individual skill sets to make a difference. Not only have we seen them help those around them, but we see their confidence and sense of self worth improve drastically this year.ย 

Gloria, helping to prepare dinner at Love Home

Levy, teaching an art class to Joseph

Michael, volunteering as a teacher at a local primary school

Sabrina, cooking a meal at Love Home

A description of the AHU program is below:ย 

PFP is working hard to prepare our older students for the “real world” outside of PFP. When a student enters Senior 5 (usually at about 18 years of age), they are moved into the “A Hand Up” program. They still receive all of the benefits that all PFP children do, however now they are required to give back to their PFP family or community. Each AHU student volunteers 20 hours per week on school holidays and has the opportunity to showcase their specific skill set to better the lives of the PFP children or at risk community members.ย All of the AHU students continue to step up, month after month. Everyone does what they can, where they can.ย Monthly meetings occur, with Tikol at the lead where students present ideas on how they can best utilize their skills. Students have beenย working with PFP as a sort of internship. The AHU members continue to contribute where they can, and we love when they utilize their specific skill set to do something meaningful within PFP or in the community.

The PFP Junior Program

The Juniors Program works with families in our community so parents may be able to send their children to school. These children live full time with their families, but poverty has prevented the children from attending school regularly. This program is a partnership between parents and PFP. PFP supplements what the parents (or guardians) are able to contribute so parents may take pride in being able to send their children to school through their own hard work.ย The ages of children in this program range from four years to 18 yearsย  and we currently have 94 students who are benefiting from this partnership.

Cuisines in Uganda

-A submission by Oroma Peter, AHU student

In Addition to the gorillas, Nile River and safaris, Uganda is known for its amazing foods and culture. Food in Uganda is eaten differently depending on whether you are in a rural or urban area.

In rural areas, food is prepared locally and healthier foods are consumed. This includes fresh vegetables from the farm, fish and wild animals. Little or no fats are used during food preparation and foods are pasted with peanut paste, boiled or smoked. In this more traditional setting, men are responsible for getting food and women take care of the food preparation. In urban areas both men and women share the cooking duties. Common local foods include bananas (traditionally referred to as matooke), posho (corn flour), and sweet potatoes.ย Beverages are locally made (both alcoholic and non alcoholic). The widely known beverages include malwa (made of millet and sourgum), mubisi (made of banana), and local distilled waragi (cassava).ย 

In the urban areas of Uganda, local and international cuisines are served. Most common local street food in Uganda include; chapatti (made of wheat flour), egg dishes, and Rolex (eggs with chapatti and vegetables). The most common international dishes include English dishes and a variety of asian cuisines.ย 

Peter, preparing Mandazi at Love Home

Family Sponsorship Opportunities

We are always looking for general sponsors to help our family thrive. ย Essentially, as a general family sponsor, you are the sponsor of ALL of the children. We have opportunities for Medical Family Sponsor, Dental Family Sponsor as well as Mental Health Family Sponsor. A Family Sponsor commitment can be $25/$50/$100 per month.

Please contact us if you have any questions regarding this opportunity: hope@peaceforpaulfoundation.org

Director (on the Board) Needed

We are looking to add a new Director or two to our board and what better place to look than from within our team of awesome supporters. We are always looking for ways to improve and would love to find someone with a background in Microfinance, child development or child psychology. If you would like to support the work of PFP in a more meaningful way, we’d love to chat. Please reach out via the email below and we can go from there to determine if it might be a good fit. At the very least…. we’ll have a great conversation and a chance to connect.

Please contact us if you have any questions regarding this opportunity: hope@peaceforpaulfoundation.org

GuideStar Platinum Level Participant

The Peace for Paul Foundationย has earned the Platinum GuideStar Nonprofit Profile participation level (the highest possible)! This leading symbol of nonprofit transparency and accountability is presented by GuideStar, the worldโ€™s largest source of nonprofit information.In order to be awarded the Platinum Seal of Transparency, The Peace for Paul Foundationย included contact information, financial information, our goals, strategies, capabilities, indicators, and progress, helping us more effectively share our story with the world.Check out our GuideStar Nonprofit Profile and tell us what you think:The Peace for Paul Foundation GuideStar Profile

 

FOLLOW US
Facebooktwitterinstagram

SHARE THIS
Facebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedintumblrmail
DONATE