Annual Report 2010

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 2010:

1.    SOS Programme (Send an Orphan to School)

2.    Children’s rehabilitation home House of Grace

3.    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.
 
1. SOS Programme (Send an Orphan to School)

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 and Technical School.

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.

In 2010 the number of children were as follows:

Total number of children in SOS Programme: 78

- Of which in Primary: 31
- Of which in Secondary or Technical: 45
- Living in House of Grace: 43
- Handicapped: 6
- Having an individual sponsor: 44

In 2010 we again faced many challenges.

The director narrowly escaped death and lost some 25 kilo’s. She couldn’t eat anything anymore. After a long treatment she is now very fine and healthy, regaining her weight.

Because of this absenteeism we had to put a new office structure in place. Patrick Opio is the Project Manager, Charles Ebonga helps him at the office as Social Worker. He studies this at Lango University in the evenings. At the school Isaac Obura is helping as storekeeper and bursar, while studying Business Administration in the weekends. Tonny Ayena acts as secretary, waiting to go to University in September.

This all works very well, so some good came out of the problem.

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.

2. 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 2010 43 children found a home there. Some only during vacations, since they are attending secondary boarding schools. 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.

Last year we started our fundraising activity: Buy a brick! This has given us the opportunity to renovate some structures. The old office building is now the girl’s dorm: Wim’s house. They also have their separate toilet block. The bakery has been divided into two. The front is housing our offices. The back has been converted into a very nice activity hall/dining hall. The original oven is still there, but hidden from view by a plywood wall. In front of the office we now have a nice parking for cars and a football field for the children. All in all a great improvement.

3. Other activities 

We also concern ourselves with counseling and testing on HIV/AIDS, hygiene and the importance of safe and clean drinking water.

This year we had a young woman graduate as midwife (with us since S1). She is now working in John Paul II Hospital in Atapala. She would like to have her own maternity clinic on our grounds in the near future. Since there is no clinic in our community we plan to raise funds for this.

2010 marked the 10^th anniversary of the existence of The LindA Project, our Dutch partner organization that raises funds for us. We thought to commemorate this by giving all our sponsors a CD.

So, in July and August we welcomed 3 girls from the Netherlands as volunteers. Together with Solomon Okello, a former student, they managed to produce a very nice CD with the children: This is who we are!

We have sold many copies abroad, the proceeds went to pay the school fees.

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. 

Realisation workplan 2010 

2010: 1 euro = 2800 Ush

Workplan 2011 

1. Finance S.O.S. programme: school fees of 72 children. Including 
   the children’s personal- and school requirements, medical costs, food, etc. Budgeted: Ush 72.000.000 / € 24.000
2. Finance House of Grace. Budgeted: Ush 59.800.000 / € 19.933
3. Finance office Lira. Budgeted: Ush 10.175.000 / € 3.392
4. Finance miscellaneous. Budgeted: Ush 36.800.000 / € 12.267
5. Continuation of building a proper Primary School in Gweng Abara, Lira District. Budgeted: Ush 300,000,000/€ 100.000
6. Planning for new land and construction of new House of Grace because of the plans of the Uganda Electricity Company to renew their poles and so force us to vacate our current premises. Budgeted Ush 602,000,000/€ 200.667
7. Raising funds for the start of 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. Budgeted: Ush 500,000,000/€ 166.667
8. Raising funds to buy a pick-up truck. Budgeted: Ush 90.000.000/€ 30.000.
9. Raising funds to buy a school bus. Budgeted Ush 150.000.000/€50.000
10. Raising funds to replace the Toyota Carib. Budgeted  Ush 20,000,000/€ 6.667                                     
11. Raising money for a church building. Budgeted: Ush 175,000,000/€ 58.333.

2011: 1 euro = 3000 Ush

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. 

If you are interested in reading our financial report, please contact us and we will send it to you.