Poverty is everywhere in Uganda, but in rural Uganda the poverty is paralyzing. Uganda’s per-capita income is estimated at $300 USD ($0.82 per day), but those in outlaying areas survive on just a fraction of that, or worse; on nothing at all. The majority of rural people are subsistence farmers, only able to feed themselves and their families. They cannot afford education. Without newspapers or televisions, they have no access to the outside world. With no knowledge, there is no hope for change.
Development has skipped Rural Uganda. AIDS has not.
AIDS infection is a tragedy in every corner of the world, from the first to the third. Though in rural Uganda, AIDS kills both people and communities.
While AIDS does not discriminate between in men and women, men often die much faster from the disease. In some rural communities AIDS has widowed nearly half of the women. The widows are then left to provide for their children, but without the skills to do so. With no income, they’re unable to send their children to school. And so the next generation of uneducated adults is raised into poverty. Without education, these children are without hope.
And then there are the orphans. Those without a mother or a father, if they’re lucky, they’re taken in by relatives who will provide food and shelter in return for labor. The unlucky ones remain in their parentless homes, living off the sporadic generosity of the community; barely living.
The Country of Uganda is divided into 112 districts. Kamuli district, in eastern Uganda, is HORD’s initial service area. Kamuli ranks 80th in terms of wealth, with such extreme poverty, the tragedies and hardships described above are the daily realities in Kamuli.
Our Mission
To empower orphans and vulnerable children and their households by providing the skills and tools they need to become self sustaining.
Our Vision
A community filled with hope where every child has a supportive home and every adult has the skills to better their lives for sustainable development.