Hello friends! We’re inviting you to join us in an exciting and important initiative: to help MAGRA Orphanage/Junior School, located in Kabale, Uganda, transition to Bright Future Junior School/Community Center. This means transitioning the children in the orphanage to homes, and supporting and empowering those families to care for their own.

Let me give you a little history of how we got here.

Living in Qatar, we get to meet people from all over the world who come for work opportunities. In 2022, I was blessed to become acquainted with a Ugandan lady named Shelinah. As we became friends, I learned that she was donating a significant amount of her limited income to MAGRA Orphanage/Junior School back home in Kabale, Uganda, which she runs with her brother. Our family decided to sponsor an orphan, and traveled with Shelinah to meet her and visit Uganda in December 2023. My previous GoFundMe’s purpose was to gather needed items to bring to the school, including technology and playground equipment.

Shelinah’s brother, Rash, and the children were very grateful for the donations, and we were impressed with the work they were doing. Although the floors were dirt, their toilets no more than outdoor privacy booths, their cooking done over fire, their hearts were full, and their love was evident. However, I was troubled when Rash took us to the homes of the orphans, speaking of the difficult circumstances these children came from while a parent or relative looked on. I realized that Savious, the girl we sponsor, had been separated from her siblings. What I’ve learned since our visit, as I’ve looked to nonprofits for how to support MAGRA, is that organizations are moving away from supporting orphanages because 80% of “orphans” actually have a living parent. Where orphanages exist, parents experiencing difficulties may abandon them, perhaps thinking they will be better cared for elsewhere. But children raised in orphanages are vulnerable. Nobody can love and protect them, or prepare them for future family life, like a parent can. These parents need support to be able to fulfill their parental responsibilities.

Organizations like Hope and Homes exist for this purpose - to help orphanages transition from institutional to family-based care, to help families welcome their children home. They have a center in Kigali, Rwanda, where they plan to be orphanage-free in 2026! The goal of Hope and Homes is to help families eventually become self-sufficient. They have transformed many orphanages into community centers that educate and support families. This center is well-equipped to help MAGRA, located just 2 hours drive away. They understand intimately the issues facing Kabale, which stem from the Rwandan genocide and its refugees that fled north to Uganda’s border. MAGRA (Miserable Abandoned Groups Redemption Agency) currently provides an education to 196 students, 27 of which stay at the orphanage. As they begin transitioning the orphanage children back home, they plan to change their name to Bright Future Junior School and Community Center to reflect the hope that this change will bring into the lives of the children, the families, and the community as a whole.

When I learned about this movement, I knew this was a cause I could get behind. I believe in family. I believe in helping people learn to help themselves, in strengthening societies from the inside out. Hope and Homes is happy to train and support MAGRA through its transition. Unfortunately, they do not have the means to fund the training - hence, this GoFundMe.

Here is a breakdown of MAGRA’s initial transition needs:

$1,700 for the training

$1,000 for the assessments - to understand the families' needs

$2,300 for the initial transition, to support families in these needs whether they be medical, school fees, or parental or vocational education.

Any amount donated towards the training/transition will be most appreciated. We will keep you updated regarding the transition and how your donation helped. If you are interested in sponsoring a specific child’s transition home, and connecting with them on their journey, please send us a message. And please, please share with those you know! Thank you in advance for your generosity towards this worthy cause.