October 23, 2023
“I feel like I can help,” Gloria boldly asserts in her quiet, thoughtful demeanor which betrays the true fire that burns from within her. At 23, Ageno Gloria is already a go-getter. She is on track to complete her BA of law from Uganda Christian University in April 2024. “Before I went for law, I wanted to be a teacher,” Gloria recalls. “Now I want to be a family lawyer.” She continues, “There’s a lot of domestic violence back at home (in Northern Uganda). Women are violated. Women are forced into marriage.” She wants to change that and to advocate for those who cannot advocate for themselves. She believes that too often, girls and women don’t know their rights. Fearlessly, she intends to change that.
Gloria is one of the founding members of Echo Hearts, an NGO in its early stages, founded by a youthful group of 21-32 year old Ugandans. The organization aims to teach people the law and advise them of their rights. “Both men and women do things out of ignorance,” Gloria notes. The organization will help advise men of their responsibilities and women of their rights.
As a youth, Gloria spent two years working with Kectil, a community based organization (CBO) that focused on education, entrepreneurial training and the environment. She fondly remembers her time organizing community clean ups, but counters, “That was not my dream. I was helping someone else aspire to achieve her dream.” Echo Hearts is the beginning of pursuing her dream of giving a voice to all women in Uganda.
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May 22, 2024
Standing by the chalkboard, white chalk in hand, Mercy stays focused. Peering at her are 28 little faces seated on the floor, looking up with wide eyes. Some attentive. Some distracted. Some quiet. Some skittish. Children. What more can you expect from a roomful of 3-year olds?
At just 24 years old, Mercy has achieved more than many who have grown up in Uganda’s Acholi Quarter. When she was in primary two, Project Have Hope took over her scholastic sponsorship, ensuring that she was able to receive an education. It was in primary two when her own mother’s education was halted due to lack of money.
Mercy often reflects on what her life would have been like if Project Have Hope hadn’t made it possible for her to attend school and receive a certificate for early childhood development. “If I had not had an education, I’d be married with kids now,” she says, dismayed by the thought of that path which she has seen many others take. “That means I couldn’t pursue my own dreams.” With an education, Mercy now has the power to build a secure future that will enable her to pursue a path of financial independence, and her current success is enabling her four younger siblings to continue their studies, ensuring they, too, can pursue their own dreams.
February 21, 2024