User:Newtz2/Uganda Rural Fund

Uganda Rural Fund
Uganda Rural Fund (URF) is a non-governmental organization that oversees many community projects in rural Uganda. URF attempts to give community members the tools and resources to better their own lives and the lives of those around them. With branches in Uganda, the United States of America, and Canada and volunteers from across the world, URF is an international effort that focuses on the needs of the underserved rural communities in rural Uganda.

History
John Mary Lugemwa, OSB first conceived of the idea for URF in the fall of 2005, after leading other students on a trip inspired by an ethical thinking course. Revisiting his homeland, Lugemwa saw anew the difficulties those in rural Uganda faced,. With his brother and a friend, he brainstormed ways to help,. With the support of contacts across the globe, he created the organization. The organization began with two branches, one in Uganda and one in the United States. It has since expanded to a third chapter in Canada.

URF's initial project was to build a school to serve primarily orphans, especially those whose parents had died from the complications of AIDS. URF also sought to educate those who could not afford to attend school. Built on land donated by the Waliggo family, Hope Integrated Academy, as the school came to be known, is located in the small village of Molubere, near Kyetume village, in the Maska District. From its groundbreaking in January of 2006 to its opening on May 26, 2008, Hope Integrated Academy, as it the school came to be known, relied on the dedication of volunteers both in Uganda and throughout the world. Volunteers fundraised, worked to install wells and a water purifying system, improved the electric system , and helped in numerous other ways.

As the construction of Hope Academy continued, URF branched out to other, more immediate, projects. Today, URF has 21 projects and has plans for more in the future, ,. Volunteers continue to provide much needed support for the projects.

In all of its projects, URF seeks to find sustainable methods and on-going solutions to community needs.

Uganda
URF-Uganda, which is a registered community-based organization(CBO), serves as the home base for URF and is responsible for most of the on-the-ground aspects of the organization. This branch is the most directly involved in all of URF's activities. Its members identify community needs and communicate that information to the wider organization.

The recently formed Kampala Chapter is a group of "young professionals and university students" who support URF's mission, both directly and indirectly.

USA
URF-USA is a registered 501(c)3 organization. It was incorporated in the state of Massachusetts in 2005, but has groups all over the United States. The functions of this branch are of a more supportive nature. This branch helps raise awareness, raises funding, and coordinates volunteers.

Canada
URF-Canada is less than one year old. It also takes a supporting role to URF-Uganda.

Hope Integrated Academy
Hope Integrated Academy is a secondary school, serving primarily those students who have been affected by AIDS. It has students in Senior One (grade 8) through Senior Five (grade 12). Students receive instruction in accordance with the guidelines set out by Uganda's Ministry of Education. These classes are supplemented with extra life-skill and business-skill courses. Hope also offers a vocational programs,.

Although some students pay tuition fees, URF has a child sponsorship program for those who cannot afford to attend. URF sees education as the key to breaking the cycle of poverty and, as Lugemwa emphasized in a radio interview, URF "seeks to empower [its students] its students) to be independent".

Currently, Hope Integrated Academy has only one building, but, in conjunction with the Architecture for Humanity chapter in Minnesota, Uganda Rural Fund has created drafts for a much larger campus. Future buildings will include, among other things, dormitories and staff housing, additional classroom space, and separate buildings for the library and computer center.

After School Program
For those who are unable to attend the school full-time, Hope Integrated Academy also offers an after school program. The afterschool program includes both instructional and recreational activities.

Computer Center and Library
The school houses a small library and a computing center. Although much of these resources are geared towards the students attending hope, they are also open to the public,. Access to such materials is difficult in rural areas,. In the whole of Uganda, there are 41 public and community libraries, the nearest of which is in Masaka. In comparison, the state of Oregon, which is about the same size as Uganda, has over 200 libraries.

The library faces similar budgetary constraints to libraries elsewhere. Book purchases can quickly add up. Shipping expenses also make buying materials or collecting donations from international sources an untenable option.

Nazareth Children's Home
Although most of URF's activities at Nazareth Children's home are practical matters, such as constructing a new dormitory for boys, URF volunteers also spend time with the children.

Child Headed Families
Similarly, URF provides supportive services to child-headed families. In these families, after the parents have died, an older child takes care of younger siblings.

Agricultural Projects
URF sponsors a number of agricultural programs that promote sustainability. Most of them function similarly to Heifer International in that individuals and families are provided with an animal or bit of seeds and then expected to pass on some of the offspring or resulting seeds to other community members. The projects include a piggery project, a chicken project, and a seed loan project.

Health Services Projects
As possible, URF provides health services to the community. Services include both direct care and, if necessary, transportation to a hospital.

HIV/AIDS Testing
URF, in partnership with Uganda Cares, "provides free HIV testing and counseling".

Malaria Prevention
•	In addition to educational efforts, URF actively tries to reduce the threat of Malaria. For example, part of the reason for the new dorm at Nazareth Children's home was that the existing building did not keep out mosquitoes. This contributed to the spread of Malaria. The organization also distributes mosquito nets.

Women's Empowerment Projects
The organization puts on day-long workshops for women,. It also provides such things as "co-save (village banking)" services and "micro-enterprises".

Men's Projects
The organization also has various men's projects, but these efforts are more recent than the women's empowerment projects. They include services, such as co-save and the piggery project, that have been mentioned elsewhere.