By Jamie Stuart | Co-founder
Dearest Donors,
We are so excited to share our progress with you! Thanks to your donations, our team in Gulu has almost finished construction and we are looking to officially open the first Hope Center for classes in March. Since we hit 2018, we've finished walls and roofing for the building. Finishing touches like paint, electricity, and plumbing will be completed in the next few weeks.
As well as managing the construction of the site, HCU Program Director Kevin Okumu has championed our newest program, a weekly radio show to spread awareness of the importance of education. The show is called Lutino Waa, which means "Our Children," and is broadcast every Saturday across all of Northern Uganda: an area with a population of approximately 7.2 million people. The goal of the project is to sensitize the community beyond Gulu to the importance of children's education and reproductive health education. The show is run by Kevin alongside HCU staff members Mirriam and Esther, who are responsible for choosing the weekly discussion topic as well as identifying which HCU students will participate in that week's show.
Each week, three young HCU beneficiaries join the conversation, emphasizing to their peers the importance of children's rights to education and medical education. There is a strong focus on moral values and behaving well at school, at home and in the community. HCU hopes that this program will expand our impact beyond the geographical confines of Gulu, and help children and parents across Uganda realize thei mportance of education.
Our Youth Literacy and Girl Power Gulu programs are continuing in rented space unitl our new center is officially open. We have seen a steady increase in particiption and success from the children enrolled in these programs, and look forward to expanding when we're in our new space. Project Uplift, our microfinance and business training program, has also been doing very well, and is supporting 2,100 people in Gulu area with small loans and financial education.
We look forward to keeping you updated with our progress, and could not be more grateful for the impact your support has allowed us to make. We're proud to show you the attached photos of the amazing things you're accomplishing in Gulu!
Thank you so much, and please follow our journey through our website and social media links below!
The HCU Team.
Links:
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