Our Story
Children of Uganda (COU), formerly Uganda Children’s Charity Foundation, was founded and formally registered as a non-profit in 1995; however, our story truly begins many years before with the remarkable life’s work of Sister Rose Muyinza.
Known as “Uganda’s Mother Theresa,” Sister Rose was the driving force that led to our organization’s development.
We proudly partnered with Sister Rose and the Daughters of Charity to aid in supporting hundreds of orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) with access to education and livelihood support. Together, we forged a bond that enabled us to care for youth who may have otherwise fallen between the cracks.
Tour of Light
A group of these orphans under Sister Rose’s leadership travelled to the U.S. for the first time in 1993 to compete at the Wolf Trap Children’s Festival where they performed East African cultural music. Taking first place in their American debut, the children went on to perform around the country in what later became known as the Tour of Light – a music, dance and storytelling tour to raise awareness and support for AIDS orphans in Uganda.
The Tour of Light troupe traveled every two years in 1996, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006 and was later revived in 2012 and 2014 respectively. Sister Rose Muyinza passed away on October 6, 2009 – but she will never be forgotten and her legacy still shapes us today.
educating youth
Our dedicated sponsors have seen 1,500+ students from impoverished backgrounds through their primary, secondary, vocational and/or their university education. In addition, we have provided safe shelter, clothing, nutritious food, improved healthcare, counseling, life-skills development and more for these young people.
advancing health
Children of Uganda organizes health education seminars for students at their schools, as well as identifies medical and dental professionals to carry out annual exams. HIV+ youth are also provided supplemental nutrition, medicine and transport to nearby health clinics to access services such as ARV drugs, CD4 testing and counseling. On a continuous basis, staff monitor the homes of sponsored students in accordance with our Child Protection Policy. Any matter affecting the well-being of a child in our care is reported to authorities and we work diligently to ensure ongoing health and safety. Social workers provide students of all ages emotional support and guidance throughout the year.
Empowering families
In 2012, The Family Empowerment Program (FEP) was initiated to empower child guardians (primarily widowed mothers, aunties and grandmothers) by assisting them with knowledge and skills training, Income Generating Activities (IGAs), Village Savings & Loan Associations (VSLAs), as well as counseling support. Investing in women has created the most significant and far-reaching impact, which is why we are now centering our efforts around this program. Empowered women give entire families the ability to thrive and strengthen the very fabric of the communities in which they live.
