Recent News

The foundation returns to Kajo Keji

We are pleased to share that the Foundation has resumed its service offerings in Kajo Keji, South Sudan. This year, 5 new students were welcomed into the program. The 5 students (pictured above) are attending Comboni Comprehensive College, Lomin. we have begun with 5 students in S1 and hope to expand as circumstances permit. The 5 girls with Christine Poni (pictured above, right) are still well mentored by the program staff in Uganda, despite being in school in a different country. 4 of the girls’ parents now permanently live in Kajo Keji. The mother of the fifth girl only travels there occasionally, like most of the refugee parents, to plant, to weed and to harvest crops which supplement their family food in the refugee camp – a general necessity since USAID stopped support to refugees. The Intake of new scholars into S1 will be 30 in total.

The program in Kajo Keji had been suspended for the past 9 years due to security concerns, and we are grateful for the opportunity to safely re-engage with the community. Kajo Keji holds special significance for the Foundation as the hometown of Dunstan Wai. The return to the place where Dunstan Wai was born and where he saw the urgent need for girls’ education is vital. Notably, in 2017 150 scholars relocated to northern Uganda due to violence and we were able to locate every scholar and have them all enrolled in schools. Now we are carefully returning to where the Foundation began and where it ultimately belongs.


2025 Site Visit

In February 2025, members of the Foundation’s Board visited Uganda and South Sudan to meet with students, families, partner organizations, and local program staff.

The visit confirmed that the Foundation is transforming lives. Scholars shared inspiring stories of academic success, ambitious career goals in fields such as medicine and engineering, and deep gratitude for the opportunity to continue their education, an opportunity many would not have had without donor support.

Board members also witnessed the challenging conditions faced by families in the Palorinya Refugee Settlement, reinforcing how critical education is in creating long-term opportunities and resilience.

The Foundation’s success is strengthened by its trusted local partners, the Sisters of the Sacred Heart and the Comboni Missionary Sisters, whose exceptional mentorship and care have earned them the affectionate title of “second mothers” from many students.

The visit also demonstrated the Foundation’s commitment to strong governance and continuous improvement. Recommendations from the Board have already led to practical enhancements in student support, with further plans underway to expand the Foundation’s impact in South Sudan.

The Board left with renewed confidence that every donation is making a meaningful, lasting difference and has committed to conducting field visits at least every two years to ensure continued accountability, learning, and impact.

2024 Students’ workshop

The Annual Workshop for the Students was conducted on 6th July, 2024 at St. Andrew’s College, drawing together students from the four schools in Moyo District: St. Andrew’s College, Moyo Secondary School, Metu Secondary School and Bishop Asili Secondary School. A special arrangement was made to meet the students of Ediofe Girls’ SS at their school since the facilitator of the workshop lives in Arua.

The work shop was held under the theme: “PSYCHOLOGICAL WELLBEING AND ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT”; and was facilitated by Ms. Getrude Bay Obatiru, a Psychosocial Officer with CEFORD in Arua.

Topics discussed included:

  • Self – awareness
  • Self – efficacy
  • Self-Development
  • Understanding one’s personality
  • Career path and goal achievement.

The objectives of the workshop were to enable participants to:

  • Discover themselves, their values, and their powers in building and maintaining peace and fairness.
  • Judge themselves objectively before taking decisions.
  • Have strong interpersonal skills.
  • Manage themselves in conflicting situations.
  • Take a career path they can understand and manage.
  • Manage their retention in school and be pioneers of positive change to their peers.

Students greatly appreciated the input shared with them and their own interactions with fellow students across the schools.

                   

       

           2022 Workshop

In August 2022, the Secondary School Scholarship coordinating team led by Sister Florence Oryema organized a ‘Career Guidance’ workshop. Topics included ways to make successful career choices, identifying personal strengths in choosing careers, knowing the required qualifications in today’s job market. The guest speaker was Ms. Harriet Andrua, Inspector of Schools in Moyo District. The students learned that different careers require different qualifications, that each of them has the strength to choose the right career and be successful in life, that every moment in school counts and they must learn to use school time productively. In their feedback, the students appreciated the workshop, and found the topic truly relevant and beneficial in determining their future career choices.

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