This Christmas, we invite you to join us as we empower women in Northern Uganda, where Joseph Kony’s Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) produced an entire generation of child mothers—now struggling to find stability as adults.
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Over the course of Kony’s rule of terror in central Africa, more than 30,000 children were abducted in Northern Uganda alone. These children were employed as soldiers, spies, sex slaves, and human shields in the heat of guerilla battles.
But one of the greatest tragedies of all: Thousands were rejected by their own families when they returned home. Taking in these child refugees has largely been considered as showing support of the LRA. Young girls with children conceived through rape were even thought to bring bad luck.
In the span of a few years, Joseph Kony had produced an entire generation of “Forgotten Children”—homeless, utterly broken, and without any hope for the future. This is where our work began.
Throughout Northern Uganda, World Help has established Homes and Villages of Hope, facilities designed to care for the unique needs of the Forgotten Children.
Several years ago, we began to see a growing need among these children who are now adults—the need for sustainable methods of self-support. The need was particularly keen for young women, too many of whom were resorting to prostitution just to feed their children.
Today, vocational schools are helping these young adults rebuild their lives. As they gain marketable skills, dignity is being restored.
These schools bring healing to the Forgotten Children, but they also pave the way for a healthier Uganda. Thousands of young women and men are being equipped to contribute to society. Local economies are growing stronger. School attendance rates are growing. The power of vocational training is undeniable.
Empowering women and girls through education has been a part of World Help’s developmental strategies since the very start. Consider this. In a community of educated women:
- Child mortality rates decrease.
- Gender discrimination and harassment is less likely.
- Children receive better nutrition and families statistically experience better health.
- Daughters have a stronger likelihood of attending school and achieving higher levels of education.
If every child had access to education, 64 percent less girls would enter into marriage before they completed school. When you empower a woman with education, you are handing her the keys to dignity, success, and health. It’s an investment that will overflow into the lives of her daughters and their daughters.
Will you join Gifts of Hope this Christmas and give the gift of education to young adults in Northern Uganda?
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