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| St. Nicholas Uganda Children's Fund P.O. Box 285 Chardon, OH 44024 info@ugandachildrensfund.org All contents copyright © 2008-2023 St. Nicholas Uganda Children's Fund. All rights reserved. The St. Nicholas Uganda Children's Fund is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. All donations are tax deductible. FEIN: 26-1600243 |
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| The St. Nicholas Uganda Children’s Fund provides for the education, health, and welfare of Ugandan children, teens, and young adults. We support over 180 orphans and vulnerable children in primary & secondary school, vocational & professional training, and university. With your help, we can make a real difference in their young lives. |
We are compelled by the biblical imperative to care for the least among us (Mat. 25:40) and to provide for
“widows and orphans in their distress.” (James 1:27)
“widows and orphans in their distress.” (James 1:27)
| Fundamental Principles & Goals |
The St. Nicholas Uganda Children’s Fund was founded in 2005 by Peter and Sharon Georges. Beginning with just
three orphans, by the end of the year the number of children they were assisting had grown to more than fifty.
Now in its nineteenth year, the Uganda Children’s Fund is supporting over 180 children in school and providing
additional assistance to needy families. More than one hundred students have completed university or vocational
school, and are now gainfully employed.
three orphans, by the end of the year the number of children they were assisting had grown to more than fifty.
Now in its nineteenth year, the Uganda Children’s Fund is supporting over 180 children in school and providing
additional assistance to needy families. More than one hundred students have completed university or vocational
school, and are now gainfully employed.
| Our Mission |
Beneficiaries are assisted based on need, regardless of age, gender, tribe, or religion.
Principal activities are directed to paying school fees and associated expenses, including lunches, school
uniforms, books, school supplies, and health care.
uniforms, books, school supplies, and health care.
Supplementary activities are focused on improving living conditions for these vulnerable children and their
families, including nutrition, medical treatment, clothing, bedding, mosquito nets, and shelter.
families, including nutrition, medical treatment, clothing, bedding, mosquito nets, and shelter.
We maintain financial integrity and transparency in all our activities.
| Our History |
Half the population of Uganda is under the age of fifteen and there are almost three million orphans in a total
population of 41 million. These children are being cared for by single mothers, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and
neighbors, and some are completely on their own. Teens are especially at risk, lacking the wisdom and guidance
that parents normally provide. The typical Ugandan family earns less than two dollars per day, less for a household
headed by a single mother.
population of 41 million. These children are being cared for by single mothers, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and
neighbors, and some are completely on their own. Teens are especially at risk, lacking the wisdom and guidance
that parents normally provide. The typical Ugandan family earns less than two dollars per day, less for a household
headed by a single mother.
In addition to tuition and lunch, Ugandan primary and secondary schools require uniforms, black leather shoes, and
academic materials, all of which we provide. Health care is critical, and every student receives complete medical
care for illness and accidents. Peter and Sharon and their Ugandan staff nurture the children with love, guidance,
and discipline. Young people who once had no hope, now have the opportunity to become confident and productive
citizens, breaking the cycle of poverty into which they were born.
academic materials, all of which we provide. Health care is critical, and every student receives complete medical
care for illness and accidents. Peter and Sharon and their Ugandan staff nurture the children with love, guidance,
and discipline. Young people who once had no hope, now have the opportunity to become confident and productive
citizens, breaking the cycle of poverty into which they were born.
The St. Nicholas Uganda Children’s Fund was incorporated as a nonprofit organization in the United States in 2007
and as a registered NGO in Uganda in 2008. Peter and Sharon devote themselves full-time to this ministry without
financial compensation.
and as a registered NGO in Uganda in 2008. Peter and Sharon devote themselves full-time to this ministry without
financial compensation.
| The Need |
Parents, guardians, and children rightly see education as their best way to escape a lifetime of poverty—scraping by
as subsistence farmers or unskilled laborers, and early marriage for teenage girls. Education is not free, and for
these struggling families, it is not attainable without assistance. The cost to put two children in primary school for
one year, or one teen in secondary school, would exceed the total annual household income. Higher education is
only an impossible dream.
as subsistence farmers or unskilled laborers, and early marriage for teenage girls. Education is not free, and for
these struggling families, it is not attainable without assistance. The cost to put two children in primary school for
one year, or one teen in secondary school, would exceed the total annual household income. Higher education is
only an impossible dream.
| More than just school fees |
| Where we work |
We work in a slum neighborhood in the capital city of Kampala, a sprawling city of over two million. Thousands of
individuals and families have migrated from the rural villages looking for a better life. Substandard housing is
spreading in all directions faster than the municipal infrastructure can keep up. Pit latrines are hastily constructed
near fresh water sources. Unpaved roads turn into rivers of mud during rainy season and flood the low lying areas
where epidemics of cholera and other water-borne diseases are a regular occurrence. This mass migration has also
undermined the social safety net left behind in the traditional village. The temptations of city life—alcohol, drugs,
and prostitution—destroy an already fragile family structure. We provide an alternative: a virtual family where
children and teens are loved, cared for, taught, and held accountable. Our older students and graduates act as role
models for their younger brothers and sisters, encouraging them to rise above their surroundings.
individuals and families have migrated from the rural villages looking for a better life. Substandard housing is
spreading in all directions faster than the municipal infrastructure can keep up. Pit latrines are hastily constructed
near fresh water sources. Unpaved roads turn into rivers of mud during rainy season and flood the low lying areas
where epidemics of cholera and other water-borne diseases are a regular occurrence. This mass migration has also
undermined the social safety net left behind in the traditional village. The temptations of city life—alcohol, drugs,
and prostitution—destroy an already fragile family structure. We provide an alternative: a virtual family where
children and teens are loved, cared for, taught, and held accountable. Our older students and graduates act as role
models for their younger brothers and sisters, encouraging them to rise above their surroundings.
Boys and girls in their teens are particularly vulnerable to economic, social, and sexual exploitation. Girls are sent
to work as live-in housemaids for neighbors or other family members. Here they are often at risk of sexual
defilement by their employer. They are also vulnerable to advances by other unscrupulous men who offer small
gifts in exchange for sex. By contrast, girls who have obtained a higher level of education are much less likely to
engage in risky behavior. Boys who have not completed their education tend to end up as street kids. They survive
by petty theft and sometimes male prostitution. Drug use is endemic on the streets of Kampala. Even those who
try to earn a legitimate living find their opportunities limited to scrambling for low-paying day labor jobs. With
more education, boys learn self-respect and respect for others. The academic and cultural environment in
secondary schools and tertiary institutions socializes both boys and girls to overcome traditional biases, both
gender and tribal.
to work as live-in housemaids for neighbors or other family members. Here they are often at risk of sexual
defilement by their employer. They are also vulnerable to advances by other unscrupulous men who offer small
gifts in exchange for sex. By contrast, girls who have obtained a higher level of education are much less likely to
engage in risky behavior. Boys who have not completed their education tend to end up as street kids. They survive
by petty theft and sometimes male prostitution. Drug use is endemic on the streets of Kampala. Even those who
try to earn a legitimate living find their opportunities limited to scrambling for low-paying day labor jobs. With
more education, boys learn self-respect and respect for others. The academic and cultural environment in
secondary schools and tertiary institutions socializes both boys and girls to overcome traditional biases, both
gender and tribal.
| At-risk teens |
