The Cause

Did you know that one of the best ways to change the world is through education? Yep, that thing we complain about when we are kids. Education is one of the best levers for reducing poverty. This fundraiser is going to raise $25,000 to build a community-led education centre in rural Uganda. You might well know that I have done a lot of work with a brilliant local organisation called I Am Someone. The reason I choose to support them is that they are focused on empowering local organisations to get this important work done. They acknowledge that really if we are going to create meaningful change in Uganda, then it needs to be led and managed by Ugandan’s not some over-privileged white guy with a messiah complex. So all of the projects that I am Someone support are run by locals. Plus, I have first-hand knowledge that Steve, the director is a major tight arse and ensures that all donated money goes directly to the projects, yep, don’t even think about paying a consultant. This means that every single dollar that gets donated to this cause will go directly to building the education centre.

There will be more details to come on this project as the local team is currently putting together a project overview for me. However this project will take advantage of some existing buildings to provide a place where community education is able to be provided. The nature of this education will be responsive to community needs and will likely include things like trades, sexual health, financial management and others. This centre will make learning possible at a really local level, which will lead to continued improvement in the lives of rural Ugandans. One of the things about this project that is so exciting is that it will be able to be partially self-funding. This community is close to a big tourist area and so this education centre will be set up to simultaneously provide fee-for-service to wealthier schools coming into the area. In essence, this Community Education Centre will be a self-sustaining social enterprise, which creates education and job opportunities for locals.

More details to come

And like I mentioned, here are some more details

Background

The Future Stars Foundation Uganda is a non-profit organisation in Uganda that has been operating since 2012. They aim to help orphaned and vulnerable children in the Kasese District. Their primary funding comes from "I am Someone" in Australia.

Future Stars Current Activities:

• Identifying and profiling vulnerable children in the community.

• Providing necessities like food, clothing, and shelter.

• Offering education to children based on their abilities.

• Providing ongoing support to children after they complete their education

• Offering career guidance and counselling.

• Providing medical assistance, including first aid and referrals for further treatment.