Annual report 2011
Annual report 2011
Introduction
Introduction
The LindA Foundation (Light in dynamic Africa) is a Christian, non profit organization with the vision to improve the living standards of the orphans and vulnerable children in Northern Uganda, Africa. Thousands of children have lost their parents there, due to war, HIV/AIDS and other circumstances.
The LindA Foundation works in Lira District.
The projects of 2011:
1. SOS Programme (Send an Orphan to School)
2. Children’s rehabilitation home House of Grace
3. LindA Primary School
4. Other activities.
We try to help as many children as possible, by providing them with (emergency) shelter, care and education. Whenever possible we reunite the children with their relatives, but sometimes this option isn’t there. In Northern Uganda there is often a big gap between generations, mostly because the parents died and the children are raised by the grandparents or other older relatives. Due to the circumstances these people are often faced with looking after many orphans, while also having to look after their own family. Money is just not there to look after everybody. This results in the orphan being neglected, having to work hard, no schooling, not enough food and no love to speak of.
This programme runs since 2002 and supports a large group of Orphans and Vulnerable Children, among which the disabled, with education, from Primary to Secondary School, Technical School and University.
The programme doesn’t just pay school fees, we monitor the children, guide and counsel them, pay them visits, give them the personal and scholastic requirements and medical care.
Our student days are as always successful. We use these days to debate about important issues, go over the school results, eat a hearty and healthy lunch and share events and problems that we have encountered. We counsel them on how to behave, to get good results, etc. We also then distribute their school-and personal requirements for the next term.
This year we had to inform the students of secondary and tertiary institutions that our support has to stop after O level or Crafts for Technical. This is due to a lack of funds. We are very sorry about it, but what can you do? The ones already continuing can do so, but the new graduates from
O level/Crafts have to look for other sponsors.
In 2010 we had decided, for lack of funds, not to support the SOS children fully anymore. We would just pay school fees and basic needs like uniform and shoes. Well, it didn’t work out. The kids came crying. They had nothing and were getting nothing from home. How could they go to school? So, we had to come back on our decision and this year they again received everything.
In 2011 the number of children were as follows:
Total number of children in SOS Programme: 75
- Of which in Primary: 28
- Of which in Secondary or Technical: 45
- In university: 2
- Living in House of Grace: 43
- Handicapped: 6
- Having an individual sponsor: 41
In 2011 we again faced many challenges.
The founder and director of the Foundation, Jozina van Eerdenburg, was again in the hospital many times for continued treatment.
She was not there for Christmas, so Patrick Opio, the Project Director and Charles Ebonga, the student social worker, were challenged. Things went well and the children where happy, although they missed their “mother”.
Prices for commodities and fuel, food and drink, school fees and school requirements kept on going up. This kept us on our toes as we struggled to pay the bills.
Children’s rehabilitation home House of Grace
In our Children’s rehabilitation home House of Grace children are accepted that have nowhere to go. They are either abandoned, orphaned, abused or alone through other causes.
In 2011 43 children found a home there. Most of the children have suffered. Some lived in camps, or on the street. Some have seen their parents killed by rebels, were abused and left to fend for themselves. Some are affected/infected by Aids. Our social workers try to rehabilitate these children. Since they are local people they know what these children have gone through. A stable and secure environment helps these kids to become a child again.
You could say that all these children are psychologically handicapped. 3 physically handicapped children are also there.
The Uganda Electricity Company is keeping us in continued stress. In March 2010 they did an assessment of our premises and wrote it all down. Then they drew what has to disappear to implement their plans to put new electricity poles. The old ones are already going over our land, but far removed from any buildings. Now they plan to move the line 35 meters forward and to buy the land underneath, to construct a road for maintenance. And that is exactly where our buildings and fruit trees are. Besides, a road crossing a children’s home? So this means we will be forced to move. We have send them 2 letters, via the post and via the email, but no response. A personal visit to their offices was also to no avail. In their letter of March 2010 they specified very clearly that anything added after this assessment would not be compensated.
Of course we have to renovate and repair things, some are very urgent, but to carry water to the sea…That’s why we want to know how much compensation they are planning to give us and when they will come with their new poles. We have to look for land and build a new home, that costs time and money.
Up to now: no news.
Good news was, that, thanks to a generous donation, we were able to buy a Nissan Elgrand, a big enough vehicle to transport many children and other things.
We have acquired 2 sheep and around Christmas a lam was born.
This year we also visited all the villages where the children originally come from. The children came along to greet their relatives, like grandparents, uncle’s, aunts and their siblings. It was a good visit. The children realized these people were still there, but are unable to look after them. It sometimes got quite emotional as you may understand.
LindA Primary School.
In 2011 the Primary School was up and running well. There were 148 students, 26 from House of Grace and the rest from the community.
Realisation workplan 2011
| Description | Realisation |
| Finance S.O.S. programme | Yes, paid Ush 68,163,250 € 22.721 |
| Finance Orphans reh. home House of Grace | Yes, paid Ush 49,240,550 € 26.971 |
| Finance Office Lira | Yes, paid Ush 8,922,205 € 2.974 |
| Finance miscellaneous | Yes, Ush 36,416,185 € 12.138 |
| Running of Primary School in Gweng Abara | Yes, Ush 13,848,500 € 4.616 |
| Continuation of building a proper Primary School | Not yet |
| Planning for new land and construction of new House of Grace because of the plans of the Uganda Electricity Company . | Ongoing |
| Raising funds for the medical facility in Gweng Abara, consisting of a maternity ward, HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis monitoring and medication distribution centre and a malaria clinic. Also for the provision of first aid. For our children and the people in the community. | On hold |
| Buying a schoolbus | Not yet |
| Buying pick-up truck | Not yet |
| Replacement of Toyota Carib | Yes, we bought a Nissan Elgrand for Ugs 17,500,000 € 5.833 |
Workplan 2012
- Finance S.O.S. programme: school fees of 75 children. Including
the children’s personal- and school requirements, medical costs, food, etc. Budgeted: Ugs 71,100,000 € 23.700 - Finance House of Grace. Budgeted: Ush 83,750,000 € 27.917
- Finance office Lira. Budgeted: Ush 11,205,000 € 3.735
- Finance miscellaneous. Budgeted: Ush 54,850,000 € 18.283
- Running of LindA Primary School. Budgetted Ush 16,820,000 € 5.606
- Continuation of building a proper Primary School in Gweng Abara, Lira District.Budgeted: Ush 300,000,000/€ 100.000
- Plans of the Uganda Electricity Company to renew their poles and so force us to vacate our current premises. Budgetted Ush 900,000,000/€ 300.000
- Raising funds for a vocational school and a farm on the new land. Budgetted:
- Raising funds to buy a pick-up truck. Budgeted: Ush 90.000.000/€ 30.000.
- Raising funds to buy a school bus. Budgeted Ugs 240.000.000/€80.000
Concluding
On behalf of the children we would like to extend our greatest gratitude to everybody, people, organizations, businesses and churches, who appreciate what we are doing and support us with funds, time, and fundraising activities.
The LindA Foundation:
Care and education for orphans in Northern Uganda.
Legal/formal status The LindA Foundation is a community based
organization, duly registered by the Lira local
government in 2003. (registration number L009/03)
Also registered by the Ugandan Government as NGO
(registration number S.5914/4682). The registered office of the Foundation is
situated in Lira town, in the Republic of Uganda.
Address: Soroti Road, Gweng Abara, Adekokwok, Lira
P.O. Box 895, Lira
Tel: 0712 - 566786 Jozina van Eerdenburg
(Executive Director + Treasurer) 0784 – 841954 Patrick Opio
(Project Director + Secretary)
0773 – 334777 John Ogwang Alele (Chairman)
0712 – 566365 Lynn Dreih Adea (Vice-Chairman)
Email: lindafoundation@yahoo.com
Internet: www.lindaproject.com
Bank information: Centenary Rural Development Bank, Lira Branch
Account number 1020100031
