How HALO Rocks it in UG

I came to realize that many of you probably don’t fully understand how HALO operates in Uganda so I thought I’d take some time to explain our system because it’s actually pretty cool.

One of the most important aspects of HALO UG (Uganda) is our partnership with the local nonprofit Cornerstone Development Africa, more commonly referred to as Cornerstone. Cornerstone has been operating in Uganda for 30 years. They are deeply connected to the country. Cornerstone’s main program is their schools. The Ugandan school system is quite different from the American system. Without getting in to too much detail the Uganda system works like this…primary school (levels 1-7), ordinary level secondary school (levels 1-4), advanced level secondary school (levels 5-6). Not everyone goes to advanced level secondary school. Cornerstone runs advanced level schools for boys and girls. The Cornerstone schools are always in the top 10 best schools in the country and many of their alumni go on to play important roles in Uganda (some are members of parliament and part of the local governments). HALO partnered with Cornerstone because of their deep connection to many communities in Uganda, their vast knowledge of Uganda, experience working as a nonprofit and working with other nonprofits, and their values and organizational integrity. It has been a very fruitful and productive partnership for both organizations for the past four years.

As the HALO Ambassador in Uganda I work very closely with Cornerstone. My office, the HALO field coordinator’s office, and the resettlement coordinator’s office all reside within the very large Cornerstone head office located in the heart of Kampala (Uganda’s capital). We work very closely with the Cornerstone staff to ensure a strong partnership.

HALO has five youth homes in Uganda. These homes are directly run by mentors or as we call them in Uganda, Aunties and Uncles. The mentors are graduates of the Cornerstone schools. The mentors are hand selected by the Cornerstone staff (mainly their alumni coordinators and the head mentor) with the approval of HALO staff. The mentors live in the youth homes for three to four years while they are in university. The mentors are held to very high standards and are given a great deal of support from HALO and Cornerstone staff. They receive training throughout the year in the form of weekly meetings, and occasional guest speakers and leadership conferences. 

The nurse who tends to our children giving a lesson on first aid to the mentors

The mentors are the ones responsible for making sure the kids go to school every day, eat three meals a day, receive medical care when necessary, and are loved and cared for. We could not do this without our Aunties and Uncles. They pour themselves in to the HALO homes and we are so thankful for their compassionate souls and their commitment to the children and to HALO. HALO would not function in Uganda without our mentors.

Me and Uncle John at community service

Aunt Harriet and Aunt Teddy of Lungujja home giving directions for community service

HALO also could not function without our field coordinator and resettlement coordinator. Asiimwe, the field coordinator, is a passionate and caring individual who is sharp with numbers and never lets unexplained costs slip by him. Asiimwe is HALO’s accountant in Uganda, but he is so much more than that. Asiimwe cares deeply for all the HALO children. I seek his advice daily on all sorts of issues. Asiimwe helps me make informed and culturally appropriate decisions in regards to HALO work and my own life. He negotiates the rental contracts for all the HALO homes (we rent four of the five of our homes in Uganda) and he even negotiated the rental contract for the house I live in. He frequently visits and checks up on the HALO kids who are sponsored in school but do not live in a HALO home. He makes sure the mentors are aware of their homes financial situation and he is great at reminding us all of the financial implications of our program decisions. HALO Uganda would be fumbling around in the dark without the guiding light that is Asiimwe.

Me and Asiimwe rocking our HALO t-shirts at community service 

We recently hired a new resettlement coordinator and she is already a rock star. Molly was in the Mengo Home before HALO even worked in Uganda. At this time Mengo Home was not well financed and they could not pay for her upper level secondary education. Molly did not give up though. She is an excellent dancer. She dances all the traditional Uganda dances so she joined a dance troop and started dancing and weddings and other events. She paid her own way through upper level secondary. Then she continued to work and support herself through vocational training school. Now she works part time for Cornerstone and part time for HALO. Since she shares a similar background as many of the HALO kids she really understands their troubles and is able to connect with them. It is Molly’s responsibility to prepare our kids to leave the home. She starts talking to the kids up to if not more than a year in advanced. Molly’s ability to communicate with the kids is a priceless addition to HALO UG.

Then there is me.

I am responsible for overseeing HALO’s programs here and I serve as the liaison between the US and UG. I write monthly home updates and keep our HALO US branches stocked with pictures, stories, and information from the kids and program in Uganda. I manage the scholarship program. I facilitate individual and group art projects with the HALO youth. I spend a few evenings a week hanging out with the kids doing various things. Sometimes I just sit on the couch and wait for them to come talk to me while other times I arrange games, projects, or seek out specific kids to check up on. I also strategize, brainstorm, and work to make our programs the best they can possibly be!

 

While we all have different job descriptions and various responsibilities we really work as a team. I could not do my job without my coworkers in the US and Uganda.

GO TEAM HALO!