Stewarding your generosity

Good governance: the quiet force behind your generosity

Governance may not sound like the most exciting subject for a newsletter. But HUGS thinks it matters enormously. In fact, good governance is how we make sure the kindness, you show us through your donations, is turned into the greatest possible opportunity for vulnerable children and young people in Uganda.

Every pound donated brings a question: what is the best thing we can spend it on?

Should we help a gifted young person get to university? Help a school become financially sustainable? Drill a well or improve sanitation? Buy something as small as new cooking pot, or invest in something as ambitious as an entirely new school?

These decisions don't happen by accident.

They start with the HUGS trustees. We are now seven people, with collection of skills and experiences. Richard, our Chair, is a doctor with an MSc in Sustainable Development. Jess is a Senior NHS manager. Suss is a Ugandan national with a degree in Development Studies and experience working in Uganda Children’s Services, Joanna is a Community Doctor, IT expert and oversees our finances. Chris is a Lawyer, specialising in commercial disputes, Pete is a Management Consultant, and soon to be ordained a Curate and Helen is a Creative Director and expert in media.

Different backgrounds, one shared responsibility: to steward your generosity.

Then comes the next layer: our trusted representatives in Uganda. They are colleagues and friends with an impeccable track record of honesty, commitment and compassion. They receive funds, oversee spending, report back to us and, crucially, help us understand what is really needed on the ground..

You may recognise their names. Father John Kyazze is helping us to build a new special needs school. Sister Theresa Abigada, is working to make her school sustainable through a pig-farming project. Sebastian Waiswa is helping teachers move into proper accommodation rather than live in storage rooms. Sister Agnes Nampijja is currently hosting our new 19-year-old volunteer, Alisha.

All of them have chosen incredibly demanding jobs, full of setbacks and problems. Yet they keep pressing on. And, importantly, they ensure not a single penny of HUGS money goes missing.

The story doesn't stop there. Around our representatives are committees and teams of local people: business leaders, landowners, chicken farmers, accountants, carpenters, teachers and—perhaps most importantly—the parents of the children we support.

There are an extraordinary number of people helping to turn your donation into opportunity.

So, governance at HUGS isn't dull paperwork. It is the network of people asking questions, checking decisions, solving problems and making sure that generosity reaches the people it is intended to help.

Your kindness deserves nothing less.

Urgent Appeal: Help Us Provide Safe Sanitation for 120 Girls at Dokolo Girls Secondary School

Can you help us find funding for an urgent sanitation project at Dokolo Girls Secondary School in northern Uganda. Currently, 120 girls aged between 11 and 18 are sharing just two toilet cubicles. These toilets are now full, unsanitary, and no longer adequate for the student who live and learn at the school. What should be a basic necessity has become a daily challenge affecting the girls' dignity, safety, and ability to learn.

The Dokolo girls’ school is situated in the central region of Uganda; a district where women’s rights are not commonly upheld. It is an area with a troubled legacy; where, 30 years ago, the Lord’s Resistance Army were at large. They kidnapped and abused classes of girls. The school’s headmistress was one such survivor.  In this area only 1:10 girls attend secondary school and many drop out because of financial and social barriers.

Educated girls and women change society. Providing a safe place to learn has been a major development objective of organisations like UNESCO, UNICEF and the World Bank for decades. See Unicef website https://www.unicef.org/education/girls-education

Dokolo Girls Secondary School was established to challenge that legacy and create opportunities for young women to continue their education. Under the leadership of its dedicated headteacher, Grace Acio, the school has become a place where girls can build confidence, develop skills, and aspire to a brighter future. A great example of how they are ‘bucking the trend’ is the performance of their girls football team, who win competitions at regional level. 

See this video https://youtu.be/yRBE1Tl7qo8?si=qZ-tV8UG8sVU9jFb

The school plans to build a new latrine block containing five toilet cubicles and a septic tank that can be emptied when required. The project will provide a safe, hygienic, and sustainable solution for years to come.  The total cost is £5,500. Thanks to generous supporters, £1,500 has already been raised, leaving £4,000 still needed.  Do you know anyone who may be interested in supporting us? 

Every donation, fundraising event, sponsorship opportunity, or introduction to a potential donor can help us reach this goal. Together, we can ensure that 120 young women have access to safe sanitation facilities and the opportunity to continue their education with dignity and pride.

Please email hugs.chair@gmail.com or donate below.

A place for children with disabilities

A Place Where Children with Disabilities Belong

We have an exciting new project for 2026. We are going to build a new school, for children with disabilities.  We are partnering with Father John Kyazze, who may of you will know as one of the founder members of HUGS. 

The new residential special needs school, named St Giles and St Gonzaga School, will open its doors in January 2028. This school will provide a safe, loving home and education for up to 120 primary-aged children with disabilities—children who would otherwise have little or no access to schooling. 

For these children, education is not simply about reading and writing. It is about dignity and independence. Many of the children we will welcome have lost their hearing due to birth injuries, infections such as measles, or treatments for serious illnesses like malaria. Others are blind from birth or have lost their sight due to cataracts. Some live with learning disabilities that have excluded them from traditional schools. Without specialised support, these children would be left behind, forever marginalised—not because they lack potential, but because they lack opportunity.

This new school will change that.

Children will receive tailored teaching, compassionate care, and the encouragement they need to grow in confidence and ability. They will form friendships, discover their talents, and begin to build meaningful futures.

Importantly, this project builds on proven success. HUGS has already established two special needs schools in Uganda, St Francis de Sales and Good Shepherd School. With years of experience, dedicated staff, and a deep understanding of what works, we are confident that this new school will become another centre of excellence.

The name itself carries special meaning. St Giles, long associated with care for people with disabilities, and St Gonzaga, a beloved Ugandan saint, represent compassion, protection, and the belief that every person has value. Together, they symbolise our mission: to ensure that no child is forgotten.

We are in the final stage of fundraising and need to raise £30,000 more to complete the project. Every contribution—large or small—is welcome.  If any of our HUGS supporters would like to help us raise money or can identify where we should ask, please contact us.  If you are able to contribute, please visit www.helpingugandaschools.org to donate, or contact our chairman Richard at hugs.chair@gmail.com.