"Child-headed families" are found throughout rural villages in Uganda. This means that children are responsible for attaining food, shelter, and education for themselves and their siblings. Mountains of Hope aims to eliminate child-headed families in Mpigi by providing a boarding school for orphans. We already own land for this project to be completed upon, and the dormitories for the children are in progress. Alongside the dormitories, we hope to build a school for the children to attend.
UNICEF reported 2 million orphans living in Uganda in 2003. These orphans are left to fend for themselves, searching for shelter and food on a daily basis. Lacking basic needs, the children are put at high risk for stunted growth, disease, and premature death. Additionally, they are deprived of an education, which can lead to continuous poverty throughout their lives.
Mountains of Hope plans to support 300 orphans with this new facility. The children will be provided with dormitories, food, and a school to attend in Mpigi, Uganda.
Satisfying the basic needs of the orphans will lower their risk of malnutrition, stunted growth, disease, and premature death. With their basic needs met, the children will be able to focus on their education. An education will allow the children to acquire skills for the job market, giving them the potential to rise out of poverty.