GULU, UGANDA

Richard Ojok lived in Gulu, a small town in Northern Uganda. He was orphaned as a child when his parents were murdered during the Ugandan civil war, which lasted for almost 25 years. Richard was also disabled and had limited use of his arms. After the death of his parents, he lived on the streets surviving on scraps left for him by passers by. His disability prevented him from obtaining any suitable work, which he searched for tirelessly. He was eventually rescued by a good samaritan who clothed, fed, and raised him into adulthood. Richard devoted his life to helping others in need. He formed "Hope for African Disabled & Orphans" (HFADO) as a voluntary organisation dedicated to helping orphans and disabled children in the Gulu area attend school.

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Bijou Kalayil (Trustee of Kujali) visited Gulu in October 2016 to meet Richard and see first hand the work that HFADO does. After a long discussion and very successful meeting, Kujali agreed to fund 250 childrens' school fees from January 2017. The orphans were selected by Richard and Joseph Okot based on financial need.

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HFADO is based in Gulu and is now run by George Assisi. The Civil war left a severely disrupted infrastructure in Northern Uganda and many children orphaned. This lead to more than 400 orphans and disabled children registering with HFADO for financial aid to attend school. Extended families of the children manage to care for them by providing basic food and shelter. However, school fees remain beyond their reach due to poverty. 

The children now attend local schools and Universities. This is Kujali's largest project to date. HFADO accounts for all money spent and Kujali monitors all transactions between them. Kujali has a personal and fruitful relationship with HFADO and George, and sees the young orphans of Gulu acquire an education that enables them to sustainably care for themselves and, in future, their communities.