In dense slums and busy streets of Banda – Uganda, throngs of men and women struggle to earn a few Ugandan Shilling in any way they can. Some beg. Some sell hidden goods from Kenya at dirt-cheap prices. Others turn scraps of wood into charcoal, breathing harmful smoke into their lungs while laboring over the fire. Most entrepreneurial families run small income generation activities directly out of their homes in low-income neighborhoods. They operate inadequate stores, roadside eateries, local fruit and vegetable stands or other… Read More
April News: INFLATION – SET POVERTY
Our hearts go to South Sudanese Refugee children stranded in Kampala and has no possibility to study due to poverty. Please consider giving $35 to send a child to a boarding school in Uganda for 30 days – through our tax deductible partner GlobalGiving. Your donation will combine with other gifts to make a tremendous impact! <Send A child to school for a month!> Without opportunities, the poor often become bound to their dire circumstances – helpless and defenseless to escape the harsh realities of… Read More
Our Clients Hugely Happy
HO grants a tailor-made loan product to serve the need of economically- active returnees who are not served by the banks because of lack of collateral security. We believe the entrepreneurs who lack enough capital to start or expand existing trade should be given a chance to success. Our goal is to give them money to engage in income generating activity. We do our best to reach economically marginalized women and returnees in every corner of Magwi County. With funding from W4, currently we are… Read More
FebNews: A Canter Truck Heading to Magwi County
Omilling is about 25 kilometers from Magwi Center. Accessing either is virtually impossible for villagers because there are no paved roads or public transportation to get there. We had worked hard to get a different vehicle to replace a Landover that got involved in an accident in 2014. We sent out several applications to charities granting automobiles to African-based NGOs. In January, we were thrilled to receive an email from a Japanese charity to confirm that it had given Hope Ofiriha a used truck. The… Read More
JanNews:DEKI Programmes Director Visited Palabek Kal
International Programmes Director, Diane Dafla, from Deki.org.UK, had been in Uganda this January visiting a number of our clients and their leaders in the outskirt of Kampala, and Palabek Kal, northern Uganda. For the few days, she spent she get to know some of our clients and group leaders. While, in the north, she visited their homes, took pictures, and interviewed few. Women in Palabek Kal loved her, almost everybody she met desire to take a picture with her, Josephine Otema said. In these two… Read More
Hope Ofiriha:wishes you a Merry Christmas!
December 25 is only a few days away, but there’s still time to give life-changing gifts that last beyond Christmas. (And you don’t have to brave the mall or stand in line!) It’s as easy! Choose an item below and make a difference today! Your gift is tax-deductible through GlobalGiving this thanksgiving season. $35 per Care Package Bless a poor mother and her child by providing newborn baby essentials. Send a baby care package thank includes socks, a bottle, aloe baby wipes, baby shampoo, nail… Read More
She Relocated to Acholi Quarter 20 years Ago
Achiro Agnes Kasule is 62, a widow and has two children aged 39 and 20. Her eldest child is living independently near her mother’s house. Achiro, her youngest son and her grandchildren live in exile in Banda, a suburb of Kampala city. For the loans, she borrowed, had always repaid on time. This is her tenth loan fully funded pending disbursement. Achiro is an Acholi, originally from the village of Pajok in South Sudan, close to the south Sudanese-Ugandan border. In the past years, there… Read More
My Greatest success is Education
Anna Abwoo lost her husband to a motorcycle ACCIDENT, which left her raise their five children on her own. Determined to provide for them, Anna began selling beer locally brewed in her village. Her profits were tiny, so she looked for other ways to earn a decent income. Click this link to learn more about Anna. Anna explained to program Coordinator Alice Amwony her idea of running a telephone booth that would operate only after her working hours on market days. While opening a tel-kiosk… Read More
A South Sudanese realizes her Dream with Microcredit.
Teresa Amyel knew that setting up a business selling out foodstuff will fill a gap in her household needs that she lost in 20 years of constant civil. Nevertheless the 59-year-old on a meager salary could not find a single bank willing to grant her a loan. In spite of this, Amyel has been able to fulfill her dream, because of microcredit. Before she got microcredit, she did not know these kind of loans were available in Magwi County and Southern Sudan. However, she thinks… Read More
Our Partner in Education: Trolltech Foundation
For the children of Omilling south Sudan, William Logai Ochieng, who has of recent partner up with Trolltech Foundation, is a star in fighting poverty in South Sudan. His real passion is to protect vulnerable children suffering with the growing crisis in his home country. Ochieng kicks off his fundraising campaign with 200,000 NOK donated by Trolltech Foundation to build Mairo Primary School. Using his social media channels, Ochieng is appealing to family, friends and fans to join him in supporting this cause and make… Read More
May: Micro Finance Manager needed
HOPE OFIRIHA is National None Governmental Organization (NGO) based in South Sudan and Uganda founded with an aim to empower women and children living in rural communities to overcome social injustice, disease, illiteracy, and poverty. Our small-scale interventions enhance their social and economic well-being and help them reach their potential. HOPE OFIRIHA’s economic empowerment arm – (micro-finance), seeks to change its previous approach of lending, to establishing a well thought out innovation owned by women to fight poverty through income generation initiative by taking up… Read More
April: Gearbox cleared From Juba Airport
A huge Thank You to DEKI.ORG.UK who funded a gearbox for our land Rover Defender NGO 12/1 RSS! We are able to drive across the county to deliver services. Our vet Land Rover is capable of transporting two tons, or carries 15 people excluding a driver. It will be able to reach communities in remote, difficult -to-access rural areas as it will be able to travel off-road. After when it was grounded due to failure in the gearbox, Hope Ofiriha had a major challenge to… Read More
March News: Interlocking Soil Blocks
Interlocking Soil Stabilized Blocks is a brick technology that has existed for hundreds of years and is just making headway in Omilling south Sudan. Hydraform is doing much to develop and promote its use in East Africa. The interlocking feature to the Soil stabilized blocks were, in fact, developed at Omilling! The benefits of the use of these blocks are great and include: Environmental – breaking away from the general practice of firing bricks, the impact of deforestation and on the wetlands is greatly reduced…. Read More
Feb. News: South Sudan Needs Education
South Sudan needs Education to Defeat Tribalism, Illiteracy, and poverty for future generation. please join us to build a peaceful future! Progress at Mairo Primary School Omilling South Sudan:Work has been going on well at Mairo, and the first double classroom block is completed. The building teams have been very committed, and everyone has worked hard. The water ladies have had to carry water over a half KM on their heads as we have been waiting for the borehole to be drilled. In June of… Read More
Jan. News: Kick Start Microloan Programme
In late November and early December James Collett visited Hope Ofiriha (HO) on behalf of our new partner Deki. He was met at the airport by Alice Amwony who manages our local operations in Magwi, Juba, and Uganda. HO microloan is in its nascent stage with a network of two branches in Juba area. However, it has already mobilized 1,000 poor women into 50 groups, and the disbursement of the first loans to 20 women borrowers starting this January. The initial experiences in Juba suggest… Read More
Hundreds Dead, Thousands Displaced
Only a week ago an alleged coup in South Sudan has left hundreds dead, and many in the region concerned for what the coming days may bring for the world’s youngest country. The UN has reported that thousands of families have been uprooted by the violence, and stability throughout the region is threatened. They report a large number of casualties in and surrounding Juba, South Sudan’s capital. South Sudan gained independence only two years ago after 22 years of guerrilla warfare that is estimated… Read More
December 1: World AIDS Day 2013
Hope Ofiriha has been promoting HIV-AIDS awareness in remote settlements in Omilling countryside – as its contribution to achieve Millennium Development Goal 6; to combat HIV/AIDS. As we commemorate World AIDS Day, and with twenty four months left to 2015, a year by which most countries are expected to meet Millennium Development Goal. Are these goals achievable in South Sudan? Hope Ofiriha is especially interested in goal 4; to reduce child mortality, goal 5; to improve maternal health and goal 6; to combat HIV/AIDS. We… Read More
James Collett: Welcome to Magwi County!
James is arriving South Sudan today from UK. During his visit he will train HopeOfiriha staff, and volunteers with a know-how skill to use mambu in it unique microloan initiative which started after the formation of the partnership few months ago. James’s main reason of visiting is to make sure thing is working well from the beginning. James Collett is a team member of Deki.org.uk Mambu enables any MFI to deliver state-of-the-art banking through its software-as-a-service cloud solution. Agile, flexible and open, Mambu eliminates the… Read More
Holiday Season: Give the Gift of Child Sponsorship
Around the world, many people are celebrating the holiday season. Whether you’re putting up a Christmas tree, menorah, or kinara, Hope Ofiriha invites you to think outside the box when giving or asking for gifts. Instead of giving or receiving token presents, such as soaps, fruit cakes, or candles, put your money to good use and give the gift that keeps on giving,child sponsorship. As a child sponsor, you and your loved ones can help save a child from a life of extreme poverty. Your… Read More
Laura Iteng: Our First Deki Entrepreneur
Laura (68) who is one of our first entrepreneurs to request a loan from our partner Deki is setting up her business in charcoal retail. Now a widow, she has raised her 6 children who are now making their own lives. She currently supports three orphans who are under her care. Until now Laura has been selling second hand clothes but she is changing trades because charcoal retail will be more profitable for her. She will invest the loan into 10 sacks of charcoal, which… Read More
Our New Microloan Partner: Deki
Hope Ofiriha announces the new partnership with Deki to provide loan to underserved areas of southern Sudan and Uganda. Hope Ofiriha is first Deki’s partner in East Africa, and has approximately 1016 clients, serves marginalized women earning less than $ 1 a day, and is committed to commercially scaling its operations and its reaches. We are thrilled to collaborate with Deki as our second MFI partner to anchor our expansion into Southern Sudan and Uganda, said Alice Amwony, program coordinator. Hope Ofiriha, under the entrepreneurial… Read More
Progress at Mairo Primary & Onura Nursery School
Thanks to our generous donor, phase one of our school building is now built! Work has been going on well at Omilling, and the first two classrooms block are nearly finished. With all our projects we are continually learning, and the buildings should be quicker to assemble. We have experienced supplies problem, and the shortages of soil block production due to heavy rain fall, but these problems have been addressed. We are now keeping larger stocks of materials in one of the classrooms. The construction… Read More
South Sudan: Hard-Earned Independence
The world newest nation will be celebrating its second Independence anniversary July 9th 2013. During this historic event, I will share this story with you from HopeOfiriha, the small-scale development organization working in Magwi County South Sudan for years. “We started a new life in a world newest nation” was the answer I heard from the people of South Sudan in Magwi on my arrival. I am here to share in the celebrations for the second anniversary of the African newest nation, and to see… Read More
About Day of the African Child
The Day of the African child has been celebrated on June 16 every year since 1991. It was first initiated by the Organization of African Unity. It is in honour of the children who participated in the Soweto uprising in 1976 when about 10,000 black school children in south Africa matched in a column more than a half a mile long, protesting against apartheid-inspired education. They demanded to be taught in their own language, which resulted in the killing of unarmed young protestors by the… Read More
Oklahoma Needs Your Help
You can help victims of the deadly tornado that swept through Oklahoma On Monday by making a donation to Oklahoma Tornado Relief Fund. We are raising international awareness to raise funds for GlobalGiving for cleanup and victim aid. Know of any ways to fundraising? Let us know, and we’ll send a donation link there. Let us stick with our friends in Oklahoma in this hard time!
Can You Befriend Us at Facebook?
Not everyone has extra cash to give but that need not mean that you cannot be a valued support of our work. To connect us with other people is an important task that help us find new fan – supporters. If you use Facebook simply go to our page and “Like” it. If you become a member and then share it with your contacts on Facebook. Go to HO Facebook page now. Most e-mail programs allow for a personal signature why not simply add a… Read More
Celebrating Norway’s Constitution: Happy May 17!
Each year on May 17 Norwegians fill the streets with cheers and flags in celebration of Norway’s constitution, adopted in 1814. It sometimes happens that foreigners inadvertently walk out of Oslo’s main railway station and stumble into the capital city’s May 17 parade. Either they then join in, or they run for cover and exit the country muttering about total chauvinistic madness. There may well be an element of madness about Norway’s May 17th celebrations, everything being relative. The event commemorates the Norwegian Constitution, signed… Read More
The Appeal
HOPE OFIRIHA is spreading STAND UP FOR AFRICANMOTHERS appeal because it has similar purpose to Stop South Sudanese Moms From Dying In Childbirth project. AMREF nominated HOPE OFIRIHA to distribute this petition to Global audiences to help elect an African midwife for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2015! Sign the petition now! We want to believe in a future where African women have access to care during pregnancy and childbirth. A future where they can decide when to have a child, and even if they… Read More
Warm a Mom Heart by Changing Lives
The gift every MOM wants: the ability to raise healthy children. New Mother and Baby kit (GIVE NOW!) Want to do something heart-warming this Mother’s Day? Gifts that change the lives of women and families in South Sudan are a wonderful way to honor the special mom in your life. Thank her for all she’s done by giving a mom living in poverty supplies to care for a newborn. Or help a Mom send her children to school, equip her with a small business loan to improve… Read More
GlobalGiving Visits Our Project in Uganda
“Now I am a human,” said Beatrice, when I asked her about her life now compared to before she received her first loan of Sh150,000 (about $55) from Hope Ofriha in 2008. Beatrice is a refugee from South Sudan who escaped during the country’s civil war in 1997 – first to Kenya, then eventually settling in Kampala, Uganda. At first she sold vegetables in the local market, making very little money. She couldn’t afford to pay rent or to cover the school fees for her… Read More
