Whether helping orphans and needy children, assisting young women with learning a trade, or by partnering with area Christian schools to help with their administrative and infrastructure necessities, Windows of Hope is committed to alleviating many of the challenges that afflict the community. These are the some of the programs that you can support. We have projects at the Aunt Elvi Mikkola Primary School in Rukungiri, the Kalaya Vocational School on Ssese Island and have developed programs to help orphans and disadvantaged children with their educational, physical, spiritual, and social development at the WOH Love Houses (1 and 2).
We partner with local communities and churches to build capacity because we believe in quality education will provide lasting change in the lives of the children.
We believe education is key in transforming the lives of children in Uganda—it is one of the best gifts we can give a child to help them break the cycle of poverty and ignorance. It gives hope to a child for a brighter future. Windows of Hope is committed to helping schools in poor communities improve its infrastructure, ensuring they are poised for enduring, sustainable success. We work with schools that are already making an effort to help the poorest children in their communities. The Aunt Elvi Mikkola Primary School is a school located in southwestern Uganda in a town called Rukungiri. The school has an enrollment of over 300 children. The school reaches out to the poorest of the poor of children to attend primary school. Many children walk long distances from the villages to come to this school. The buildings were made from mud that had a thin layer of cement and paint over them. The structures were not very strong. The school relies totally on the gifts of others to keep it operational. The school is very unique; the joy of the children just thrills your heart. The Lord has called Windows of Hope to partner with the school’s founders to address its many needs. Thanks to the generous contributions of many, the school has come a long way, but we still have a way to go.
The Kalaya School on Ssese Island provides young women with vocational training in sewing, catering, etc. It also provides counseling and education for female rape survivors victimized by the Lord’s Resistance Army and war in Northern Uganda. The Kalaya Vocational Training Centre is located in Ssese Island’s Kalanga district. The district is known for its beautiful white beaches, fishing, birds of many species and lush green forest. The district has a major problem—it is one of the districts in Uganda with the highest rate of HIV/AIDS. The school drop-out rate for girls and teenage pregnancies is very high. The Kalaya Training Centre, with it’s one-year program paid for by WOH sponsors, provides mentoring support, life skills development, and vocational training courses to young women. The young women learn a skill that will help them to fully support themselves. The school also has a sewing workshop that makes many beautiful items to generate income for the Centre. Also, because of the support of generous contributors, the women who come to Kalaya learn a skill as a way to provide for their future.
Having spent more than a decade in Uganda after seeing the despair, hopelessness, and poverty in the lives of children due to extreme poverty, HIV/AIDS and wars, the Fordes committed themselves to helping improve the quality of life of Uganda’s children. They opened their hearts and home in Masaka to provide 46 orphaned and needy children, who we foster, with food, clothing, shelter, health, educational and spiritual support in a loving and supportive family environment.
Love House 1
We believe that children grow up best in families. Our children range from ages 6-21 and are in educational programs from kindergarten to the university level. We strive to help each child reach their potential in life. Our goal is for each child to have the experience of living in a loving and caring family and to equip them with Christian morals, values and skills that will enable them to be productive members of society and to be positive influences in Ugandan society. Daily operation of our home is very high but we value the life of each child and try to provide them with the best.
Love House 2
The home was designed for young men in our family, who have just completed their secondary school education or institutions of higher learning to help them make the transition to independent living. They continue to experience the love of God, the blessing of family and acquire practical skills (shopping, food preparation, budgeting, bill paying, etc.) for daily living. Eight to ten young men live in the home for three to four years.
The ministry of Windows of Hope has witnessed tremendous changes in the lives of many children from Uganda. Many, who never had any picture of what their future would hold, have grown into responsible men and women now. To see them as doctors, engineers, social workers, business people and also being involved in the expansion of the love of God through our work is a wonderful story of success. By the grace of God, the ministry has greatly improved the quality of lives for over 1,000 children from Ssese Island Kalangala, St. Elven in Lukungiri and Masaka District. In Uganda, the harvest is still plentiful yet we continue to trust the Lord to finish the great work that He has begun through WOH.
Jacqui is a blessing to a whole lot of kids and families. She has a large heart and I just love her! I remember days when my mum (a single mum) and we the children will sit out under the moon wondering when the next meal will come from and supernaturally a parcel from Sis Jacqui delivered at our door step containing money, you can imagine the tears of joy that preceded such miracle. I can never forget!
I look back at myself, 21 years ago, and say Jacqui was sent by God to fulfill the mission of God in me and a world where opportunities are very limited for needy and vulnerable children. Where social systems of protection for the vulnerable is weak, even the little is removed by powerful people in our society. The spiritual, physical and psychosocial benefits I got from WOH changed my life forever.
We, who never had any picture of what our future would hold, have grown into responsible men and women thanks to Sis Jacqui. To see ourselves as doctors, engineers, social workers, business people and also being involved in the expansion of the love of God through our work is a wonderful story of success. Window Of Hope has greatly improved the quality of lives for over 1,000 children.
I know the valleys of despair that by reason should nearly drown the courage to succeed. Despite a strong determination to make the utmost use of opportunity, the quest to succeed is clearly no smooth road. Among the biggest blessings I can count is that of belonging to the Forde family (Windows of Hope). I have enjoyed the great symphony of genuine love and brotherhood at the Love House.