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HOPE OF CHILDREN AND WOMEN VICTIMS OF VIOLENCE

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Uganda
Community Development
hopeofchildrenandwomen.org
Joined July 12, 2020
About
About Us Hope of Children and Women Victims of Violence (HOCW) was founded in 2010 Pastor Bolingo Ntahira John in 2010 with the support of international volunteers who had passion for the plight of women and children victims of violence. The HOCW community is made up for an ever-changing population of Ugandans and refugees from DR Congo, Rwanda, Burundi , Ethiopia, South Sudan, Sudan, Somalia and other African countries. We see victims of wars, rape, natural disasters extreme poverty and illiteracy. Uganda is one of the largest refugee-hosting countries in the world, with numbers reaching over 13 million in 2019, an increase of 13 percent of 13percent from 2018. The majority of the refugees are from South Sudan DR Congo and Burundi. HOCW's mission is to provide the services that a refugee population need to succeed in their new country. We do this through education, job training, access to health care, advocacy, and community building activities such as football and dance. We have a small, full-time local staff composed mostly of refugees. We rely on partnerships with other NGOs as well as international volunteers to provide the manpower to help us carry out daily activities as well as share expertise and collaborate with our staff. HOCW is a community center that provides services to an average of 250 people a day. We do our best to meet the needs of refugees though several programs: EDUCATION: Sponsorship: HOCW facilitates the education of children by paying their school fees. The cost of an education is, unfortunately, financially prohibitive for many families. This is done by matching the fees with international donors and through financial donations to HOCW School fees are $400 per year for day school. These amounts include school fees, school requirements, uniforms, and nutritious meals. Adult Language Education: Many of the refugees that come to HOCW are from countries that do not share common languages with Uganda, such as DR Congo, Rwanda, and Burundi. This language barrier means that adult refugees struggle to find employment; have difficulty carrying out daily tasks; and often feel isolated from their neighbors. In the adult education classes, volunteers help these refugees learn English, facilitating their integration into society, opening the doors to jobs, and having a lot of fun along the way. We offer basic literacy classes and three levels of English. We also offer French and Kiswahili lessons. We also offer computer training together with business training. HOCW runs a child care program where children below four years can be taken care of, as their mothers focus on their trainings and classes. These children are involved in games and introductory writing and reading skills. Book mobiles and community outreach programs keep those living in remote areas or those whom are homebound connected to the larger community. The Library for All helps communities cope with the unexpected. HEALTH AND WELL BEING Health: HOCW runs a health center that provides a full range of health –related services, including sexual and reproductive healthcare services.This bustling primary care center offers services including HIV testing, prenatal care and preventive services. HOCW also provides health education seminars and classes -- volunteers with expertise in this area may work with HOCW staff to plan and conduct workshops. Many of the people we serve are victims of rape and other acts of violence. There is very little mental health infrastructure in Uganda and HOCW does what we can to work with victims of trauma and war. Based on volunteer skills and appropriate training, we have offered popular art and group therapy sessions. Through the counseling program, the community is offered services and assistance in improving communication and interpersonal skills finding greater self-acceptance and increasing self esteem, changing self –defeating behavior, and the better management of harmful emotions. HOCW runs a community sports program, in which students participates in games and sports events weekly HOCW have a football sports team and net ball team. We are looking for volunteers who have experience teaching academics, coaching sports or are interested in teaching music, dance, drama or other cultural activities. Currently, this is a part-time program COMMUNITY EMPOWERMENT Entrepreneurial: HOCW provides entrepreneurial skills to help community members start their own businesses and become more sustainable. Many of the people we work with are incredibly talented and creative. We work with them to nourish these talents and turn them into viable businesses. We have a small tailoring shop, a small hair dressing shop, as well as groups of women that produce jewelry and baskets. We are working to create a collective of artists and craftspeople. We welcome volunteers that have creativity or business lessons to share. Many of the women also participate in a one of four Village Savings and Loan groups that we have