Hi, my name is Elva, and I am interning for WalkFree Children's Foundation. Our main objective with this fundraiser is to raise funds to build a place for vulnerable children in Masaka, Uganda. To create 'A Place They Can Call Home'. Our goal is to build a home for 17 vulnerable children where they can be safe and empowered to achieve the most out of life, while operating as a family unit. This will be done by providing quiet places for them to study and do homework to encourage their education. Alongside spaces for them to express their creativity through performances such as dance. We strive to promote a community where children can be nurtured and have a sense of belonging. We have 36 children already in our care, yet only 17 of them require housing, and this construction is to provide that.

There is an urgent need for housing for vulnerable children in Masaka. These children who have been rescued from the streets cannot rely on rented accommodation, and they face eviction. The current accommodation we have is overcrowded, costly, and unsustainable. We need to build permanent accommodation to ensure these children can focus on their education by ensuring their basic needs, such as food, sleep, and accommodation, are met.

Our plan includes bedrooms with individual beds and storage units, plus a study area where children can focus on homework and receive mentorship. We will also have a creative studio so children can express themselves through performance such as drama, dance, and art. In addition to this, we will have a kitchen and dining area where children can have nutritious meals while also ensuring a sense of family through a shared meal.

The house will also have solar panels, rainwater harvesting, and a vegetable garden to foster self-sufficiency habits amongst the children and enhance more environmentally friendly practices.

Since our establishment in 2019, we have saved 10 children from child marriage, kept 36 children in school, cleared 22 medical debts, delivered 1,549 free menstruation pads, and trained 8,117 girls on menstrual hygiene.

This new project is expected to ensure safety and education for 17 children, which we hope to achieve partly through grants, funding, and help from you!

Our place offers guidance and protection for children through our teachers. This is essential, as it is those who are vulnerable and unprotected are more likely to drop out. Listen to the video from 12-year-old Fazira below about her story, how WalkFree found her and helped her stay in school, and her excitement for her new home.

The Letter of authentication to fundraise on behalf of WalkFree is attached below.