
Help Ivan help Ugandans with disabilities
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Objective: To raise funds for the setup of an office in Kampala, Uganda from which Ivan Mwasa, my 29-year-old nephew who is legally blind, can organize his outreach and education programs for people with disabilities in Uganda.
What’s the Connection between me and Ivan?
I am an American who studied abroad in Tanzania, subsequently married a Tanzanian, and lived in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania for four years. I currently work as an Assistant Professor of Public Health at the University of Nevada Las Vegas . I have continued to have strong connections with my extended family back in Tanzania, where I last visited in 2017, and I am particularly close with my nephew Ivan, who is close to the same age as my two daughters. They all played together as toddlers.

I’ve followed his progress throughout the years, and watched him overcome many obstacles, remaining optimistic and hard-working despite setbacks, including losing many years of education as a teen while he was losing his sight to Retinitis pigmentosa (RP), a genetic disorder of the eyes that causes loss of vision. He eventually had the chance to study for two years at Machakos Technical Institute for the Blind in Kenya, receiving certificates in Braille Literacy, Orientation and Mobility, and Computer Literacy. After that, he returned to high school in Uganda, where schools have quality Braille programs, performed well, and was admitted to Makerere University to study Sociology and Social Work. Due to COVID-19, his studies have again been interrupted, but he is keeping himself busy until classes resume.
Last year, Ivan was finally formally recognized as a disabled citizen of Uganda, and has since been working to ally himself with organizations that can help him with his agenda to provide supportive services for others with disabilities who did not have the opportunities he had, and who, in many cases, are still hidden away and considered a shame to their families. Recently, he contacted the International Disability Alliance . They advised him to start by doing outreach and education in communities, finding and identifying people with disabilities, sharing information about available government resources for them, and generally documenting their needs. With a few friends from his Social Work program, he has begun doing this field outreach, and provides the organization with updates. They have also advised him that in order to be formally allied with them, he needs to first set up a physical office. Then, they say they will send a Supervisor to examine his outreach work and potential for success, and if satisfied, they will help him set up an NGO affiliated with them which would be able to obtain material support.
In other words, Ivan needs “start-up” funds. The money we are asking for will allow him to lease an office space for one year and provide basic furnishings such as desks and chairs. We know he will eventually need more, such as a printer so he can print flyers, funds for transportation to different areas to do field outreach, and many other things we haven’t even thought of yet to sustain his activities, but having an official office is his current key priority.
We sincerely thank you for considering this donation. We will gladly provide periodic updates on his progress.
Please watch Ivan's short introduction video!
What’s the Connection between me and Ivan?
I am an American who studied abroad in Tanzania, subsequently married a Tanzanian, and lived in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania for four years. I currently work as an Assistant Professor of Public Health at the University of Nevada Las Vegas . I have continued to have strong connections with my extended family back in Tanzania, where I last visited in 2017, and I am particularly close with my nephew Ivan, who is close to the same age as my two daughters. They all played together as toddlers.

I’ve followed his progress throughout the years, and watched him overcome many obstacles, remaining optimistic and hard-working despite setbacks, including losing many years of education as a teen while he was losing his sight to Retinitis pigmentosa (RP), a genetic disorder of the eyes that causes loss of vision. He eventually had the chance to study for two years at Machakos Technical Institute for the Blind in Kenya, receiving certificates in Braille Literacy, Orientation and Mobility, and Computer Literacy. After that, he returned to high school in Uganda, where schools have quality Braille programs, performed well, and was admitted to Makerere University to study Sociology and Social Work. Due to COVID-19, his studies have again been interrupted, but he is keeping himself busy until classes resume.
Last year, Ivan was finally formally recognized as a disabled citizen of Uganda, and has since been working to ally himself with organizations that can help him with his agenda to provide supportive services for others with disabilities who did not have the opportunities he had, and who, in many cases, are still hidden away and considered a shame to their families. Recently, he contacted the International Disability Alliance . They advised him to start by doing outreach and education in communities, finding and identifying people with disabilities, sharing information about available government resources for them, and generally documenting their needs. With a few friends from his Social Work program, he has begun doing this field outreach, and provides the organization with updates. They have also advised him that in order to be formally allied with them, he needs to first set up a physical office. Then, they say they will send a Supervisor to examine his outreach work and potential for success, and if satisfied, they will help him set up an NGO affiliated with them which would be able to obtain material support.
In other words, Ivan needs “start-up” funds. The money we are asking for will allow him to lease an office space for one year and provide basic furnishings such as desks and chairs. We know he will eventually need more, such as a printer so he can print flyers, funds for transportation to different areas to do field outreach, and many other things we haven’t even thought of yet to sustain his activities, but having an official office is his current key priority.
We sincerely thank you for considering this donation. We will gladly provide periodic updates on his progress.
Please watch Ivan's short introduction video!
Organizer
Karen Callahan
Organizer
Las Vegas, NV