November 2023
CALLS TO ACTION
We wanted to start the blog with highlighting the various ways in which you can get involved! There are so many different ways to make an impact through PFP, and we’ll start by listing them below!
Join Our Team: Seeking Directors to Make a Meaningful Impact
At The Peace for Paul Foundation (PFP), we are dedicated to continuous improvement and finding ways to enhance our impact. As such, we are seeking to add new Directors to our board, and we believe that our team of incredible supporters is the perfect place to find these exceptional individuals. We value diverse perspectives and expertise, and we are particularly interested in individuals with backgrounds in Microfinance, child development, or child psychology. As a Director, you will play a crucial role in shaping the strategic direction of our organization, ensuring that our programs and initiatives align with our mission and create a positive and lasting impact on the lives of the children we serve.
If you have a passion for our cause and would like to support the work of PFP in a more meaningful way, we would love to chat with you. We believe that the best candidates are often those who already understand and embrace our mission and values, and who have a deep commitment to making a difference in the lives of vulnerable children. To explore this opportunity further, please reach out to us via the email provided below. We can have an initial conversation to discuss your interests, skills, and how they align with our organization’s needs. Together, we can determine if this role might be a good fit for you and if it offers the opportunity to make a significant and meaningful contribution. Even if the Director position may not be the right fit for you at this time, we still encourage you to connect with us. We value every interaction and see it as an opportunity to build connections, exchange ideas, and collaborate in our mission to create a brighter future for the children we serve.
We look forward to hearing from you and embarking on this journey together. Let’s make a positive and lasting impact on the lives of these remarkable children.
Please contact us if you have any questions regarding this opportunity: hope@peaceforpaulfoundation.org
Family Sponsorship Opportunities
We are always looking for general sponsors to help our family thrive. As a general family sponsor, your support extends to every child under our care. Your commitment enables us to provide essential resources and opportunities that contribute to their holistic development. Through your generosity, you become a vital part of our extended family, empowering each child to reach their full potential.
We offer various sponsorship opportunities that cater to specific needs within our family. You can choose to be a Medical Family Sponsor, ensuring that our children receive the necessary medical care and support they require. Alternatively, you can become a Dental Family Sponsor, helping to promote their dental health and well-being. We also have the option of being a Mental Health Family Sponsor, prioritizing the emotional and mental well-being of our children.
Your sponsorship commitment can be tailored to fit your capacity, with options of $25, $50, or $100 per month. No matter the amount, your contribution makes a lasting impact on the lives of these deserving children, enabling them to thrive and break the cycle of poverty.
By becoming a sponsor, you join a community of compassionate individuals who share a common goal—to uplift and empower vulnerable children.
Please contact us if you have any questions regarding this opportunity: hope@peaceforpaulfoundation.org
Facebook Birthday Fundraisers
We love Facebook Birthday fundraisers! Since we started using Facebook as a fundraising platform in 2018, we have raised a total of almost $45,000 through generous donors. Your donations have allowed us to pay school fees for children in our programs, purchase typhoid vaccinations for all students, fund community outreach programs and so much more.
A huge shoutout to everyone who has lovingly used their birthdays as an opportunity to make a positive impact through a Facebook fundraiser benefitting PFP. As we move into the last quarter of the year, we invite you to continue standing with us in our mission. Your continued support, whether through future fundraisers or by spreading the word about PFP make a significant difference in the lives of vulnerable children. Together, we can create a world where every child is cherished, nurtured and given the chance to reach their full potential.
Once again, thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your incredible generosity and for choosing to celebrate your special day by making a lasting impact. You are a shining example of the profound difference that one person can make in the world.
Keeping in Touch
We really appreciate it when our sponsors send letters to the kids they support. It means a lot to each child because it makes them feel like they know the person who is helping them on their journey to a better future. Every month, we notice our sponsors getting more involved, especially when it’s the kids’ birthdays. Just look at all the happiness it brings!
Sponsorships Needed
We are currently in need of sponsorships for a total of 6 children. Sponsorship costs range from $50/month to $175 per month. The difference in sponsorship amount depends on the age of child, whether it is a full or a partial sponsorship and whether they are in primary, secondary or Trade/University level.
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
Each month, we will highlight one very special child who is looking to be matched with their person. Please see below for our sweet Apedum. She loves the color green, and one day wants to become a nurse so she can “make sick people feel better”.
Apedum Everline
Please contact us if you have any questions regarding this opportunity: hope@peaceforpaulfoundation.org
12th Annual Anywhere in the World Raffle
It’s that time of the year again! Starting at the end of November, the PFP Directors and Members will sell raffle tickets for $20 each. By buying a ticket, you get a chance to win two round-trip tickets to ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD, ON ANY AIRLINE. There are only 2,000 tickets in total, and you can use the winning tickets for up to TWO YEARS from the drawing date. The drawing will happen on April 24th, 2025, and it will be live-streamed on Facebook (you don’t have to be there in person to win). This raffle is one of the two main ways we raise money to keep our programs running smoothly. We hope you’ll participate!
Simon Peter’s Graduation- and his very supportive Sponsor!
We are thrilled to report that this month, Simon Peter has graduated from Uganda Christian University (UCU) with a Bachelors in Social Work and Social Administration. He has worked so hard to get to where he is today, and his long term, and very supportive sponsor surprised him by flying all the way to Uganda to be with him for his graduation. The two had an amazing time connecting and our hearts are full to bursting. We can only hope for such a beautiful conclusion of a sponsorship for all of our students and sponsors! If connecting with your sponsored student like this piques your interest, please just reach out!
Jessi and Simon Peter
PFP’s Annual Strategic Planning Session
Every year, the Directors of the PFP Board make a concerted effort to convene in person to develop a three-year strategic plan. Our meetings span two days and prove highly productive, serving not only as a forum for strategic planning but also for team-building. This year’s strategic planning session took place in Mexico, and almost every Director was able to attend in person. The accomplishments of this gathering have filled us with great enthusiasm for the upcoming year. Our unwavering commitment revolves around ensuring that the children entrusted to our care have the best chance at success and that all the funding donated to our organization is employed judiciously.
Celebrating Our Team: The “Staff Spotlight” Series
We recognize the immense contributions of our dedicated staff members in Uganda. Without their unwavering commitment and hard work, we would not be able to fulfill our mission of providing care and support to the children under our care. We are truly grateful for their invaluable role in keeping our organization running smoothly.
To showcase the incredible individuals behind the scenes, we are excited to introduce the “Staff Spotlight” series on our blog. Each month, we will shine a well-deserved spotlight on one staff member, offering you a glimpse into their important work and the impact they make on a daily basis. From our social workers and caregivers to our administrative staff and nurse, every team member plays a vital role in shaping the lives of our children. They provide love, guidance, and support, nurturing the physical, emotional, and educational well-being of each child in our care.
To our amazing staff members, we extend our heartfelt appreciation for everything you do. Your hard work, compassion, and dedication make a significant difference in the lives of the children and families we serve. Thank you for being the driving force behind our organization’s success.
Dr Nathan Mwinda- PFP Director of Education
I am Dr. Nathan Mwinda, a pharmacist by profession. I worked as a Country Medical Representative for Schering Plough Corporation in the USA in Uganda from 2002 to 2008. Following that, I served as the General Manager for Ecopharm Ltd, a chain of pharmacies, from 2008 until 2022. Currently, I hold the position of Director in charge of Business Development at Boots Pharmaceuticals Uganda Ltd and also serve as the Director of Victoria Junior School in Namutumba.
Additionally, I am actively engaged as the Director of Education at Peace for Paul Foundation. In this capacity, my responsibilities encompass the following:
- Providing counseling and guidance to learners to ensure they reach their full potential in both education and life.
- Offering career guidance to learners to help them make informed decisions based on their talents, passions, and abilities.
- Identifying and recommending suitable learning materials, such as textbooks aligned with the current Ugandan curriculum.
- Collaborating with the management team at the foundation’s home to create an environment conducive to lifelong learning and self-confidence.
- Monitoring the academic performance of learners, particularly those at Victoria Junior School, and offering continuous advice to facilitate ongoing improvement.
Birthday Celebrations
Every month, we work hard to ensure that each child in our program experiences a sense of joy and significance on their birthday. We believe that everyone deserves to feel special on their special day. To make this happen, we have a series of celebrations planned throughout their birthday week, culminating in a grand celebration at the swimming pool during school holidays.
During their birthday week, our team organizes small celebrations to make each child feel cherished and loved. We also encourage sponsors to get involved by sending gifts or letters to their sponsored child, adding an extra touch of excitement and joy to the celebrations. As the years have gone on, we have noticed more and more sponsors are getting involved by either sending funds for gifts or writing letters and sending pics. It has made for such a joyous time for the PFP children and we have loved watching it unfold and get better and better each year!
Happy Birthday to Our November Birthday Girls and Boys- we wish you all the best as we celebrate 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 your child’s day even more special!
PFP Junior Birthday Celebrants
PFP Main Program Birthday Celebrants
The AHU Program Encourages Students to Give Back
As a part of the ‘A Hand Up’ program, PFP students aged 18 and above are tasked with volunteering for their local communities as a way to earn their PFP scholarship and monthly upkeep. Each student is asked to find the task that brings meaning to them as an individual. In October, we saw our students take on a variety of meaningful tasks within their communities, including:
- Coaching younger students in football (soccer)
- Cleaned multiple local hospitals
- Cleaned the home of elderly neighbors
- Cleaned up yards and trenches of neighbors
- Cleaning up and repainting a school
- Volunteering to repair vehicles for needy people
- Helping a neighbor with their farm/tending to cows
- Tending to patients within hospitals
- Picked up rubbish along the roadside
- Volunteering in a pharmacy
- Cleaning, washing and serving at a local school
- roadside cleaning, and more!
Angela tending to his neighbors cows, in Karamoja
Each passing month brings with it a deeper sense of purpose and altruism for the AHU students. Rather than focusing on self-centered pursuits, these young men and women are learning to embrace a philosophy that centers around giving back and improving the lives of others.
Eager to make a difference, the AHU students proactively seek out fresh avenues to contribute positively to society. Each endeavor is an opportunity for them to lend a helping hand, extend kindness, and weave compassion into the fabric of the world around them. As they immerse themselves in the act of giving, the students find a unique sense of fulfillment that cannot be replicated elsewhere. Their experiences go beyond mere acts of charity; they become transformative life lessons that instill empathy, resilience, and humility.
This newfound lifestyle of giving back is empowering the PFP students to recognize the power of their gifts and talents. Each individual skill becomes a tool for good, a means to bring about positive change in the lives of others. Whether they possess artistic prowess, scientific acumen, or exceptional leadership skills, they channel these attributes to benefit those in need. Their journey is a testament to the profound influence that embracing a giving mindset can have on one’s life trajectory.
Empowering Families Through the Juniors Program
We believe that education is a powerful catalyst for change and we understand the challenges faced by families in our community who struggle to provide their children with consistent access to education due to poverty. That’s why we are proud to introduce the Juniors Program—a collaborative effort between parents and PFP—to support these families in sending their children to school.
The Juniors Program is designed to work hand-in-hand with families, empowering parents to take an active role in their children’s education. While the children live full-time with their families, financial constraints have hindered regular school attendance. We firmly believe in fostering a sense of pride and ownership within parents by supplementing their contributions to ensure their children can attend school through their own hard work and dedication.
Through this program, we aim to break the cycle of poverty by providing educational opportunities for children aged four to 18 years. Currently, we have 94 students who are benefiting from this transformative partnership between parents and PFP.
By partnering with families, we not only address the immediate financial barriers to education but also foster a sense of community and shared responsibility. We recognize that parents are the primary caregivers and educators in their children’s lives. Therefore, we work closely with them to develop sustainable solutions, ensuring that education becomes a shared goal and a source of pride for the entire family.
The Juniors Program is a testament to the collaborative spirit and unwavering commitment of our community. We are inspired by the resilience and determination of the families we work with, and we are honored to be part of their journey towards a better future. Together, we can make a difference. Through this partnership between parents and PFP, we are building a stronger, more educated community—one child at a time.
Education and the “Girl Child” in Uganda
It’s believed that over 700,000 girls between six and 12 years old in Uganda have NEVER attended school and 80 per cent of all girls never get as far as high school. It’s important to note that girls who are permitted to stay in school are 3X LESS likely to become child brides. Three times!! Uganda is home to 5 million child brides. Of these, 1.3 million married before they were 15 years old. These statistics are shocking.
Education has been long recognized as the solution to the cycle of poverty, yet progress seems slow. Our Foundation is committed to making sure the girls in our program receive a top notch education and leave PFP with a solid career path available. We are grateful to all the sponsors of our girls for walking this path with us. It means a lot!
Peace for Paul’s Novel Reading Program
(An article written by Hope Home Caretaker, Innocent Basakulu)
Reading novels is a way of life that becomes a part of our children’s lives. We introduce this habit to them as they grow and start going to school. In the past, they didn’t enjoy it much because reading wasn’t common in our African culture. It seemed like a punishment to them. However, with time, they start to enjoy it. Novels, especially those from Africa, have amazing characters and stories that teach important lessons and make reading fun.
We read novels with the children on weekdays during holidays. They look forward to this time because they get to hear new stories and learn new things. Younger kids in nursery school are read to, and they can ask questions about the story to show how well they listened. Middle school and high school students read on their own, with some help from their aunts and uncles during the reading sessions.
As they read more, the older students see improvements in their English grammar. High school students particularly enjoy books by William Shakespeare because they learn about real-life experiences. Some students who want to study literature in depth are recommended specific novels by their schools. This helps them get better at English over time.
We have a policy of replacing novels every two years.
Luke, reading a book
GuideStar Platinum Level Participant
The Peace for Paul Foundation 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 world’s largest source of nonprofit information.In order to be awarded the Platinum Seal of Transparency, The Peace for Paul Foundation 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
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