Henry Mulindwa, a priest who helped students in his native Uganda, traveled 3,700 miles from his home to serve at St. Joseph’s Roman Catholic Church in Sequim.
His friends want to make sure the 14 million needy youths in Mulwinda’s home continue to get help in his absence.
Barbara Brown heads the Promise of Hope Foundation, an organization dedicated to helping Ugandan youths gain access to education by paying for tuition.
"Oprah’s having the ‘Big Give;’ I thought if Oprah can do it, so can we," Brown says.
Since starting the foundation a year ago, she and other volunteers have raised money by selling items from candles to cups and T-shirts, and brought in $4,000 from a parking lot sale near St. Joseph’s.
"We’ve helped many orphans (in Uganda) go to school," Brown says.
Now comes the foundation’s most ambitious effort yet: The Gateway, a fundraiser dedicated to sending half its proceeds to the Thomas Family Cancer Care Center of Olympic Medical Center and other half to tuition for youths in Uganda.
"We all believe that a small act can have a big impact," Brown says. "While we would love to have big donations, we strongly trust that a small donation that goes directly to a single needy child or woman makes a positive difference in the life of that person and of the community in which that person lives."
Tuition for a child in Uganda is $350-$450 per year at an average elementary school, $680-$800 per year in a good high school, and $1,200-$2,000 for one academic year at a college or institute.
The east African nation has been scarred by HIV/AIDS, leaving a large part of its population orphaned. Estimates have half the Ugandan population – about 14 million people – under the age of 16.
Life expectancy is about 52 years while the literacy rate is 68 percent for men, 57 percent for women.
Children die from polio, measles, whooping cough, worms and, in particular, malaria.
Promise of Hope donations can be made at any First Federal branch in
Sequim, Port Angeles and Port Townsend or send the tuition assistance by writing: Promise of Hope Foundation, P.O. Box 1585,
Sequim, WA 98382.
Mulindwa served at St.
Joseph’s for 18 months and was reassigned to St. Gabriel Catholic Church in June 2009.
In his time here, Mulindwa helped Brown, a church member at St. Joseph’s, pioneer the Uganda School Fund. That project will stretch power lines three miles to bring electricity to a rural school in Masaka, Uganda.
At a glance
The Gateway
What: A fundraiser for the Thomas Family Cancer Care Center of Olympic Medical Center and Promise of Hope Foundation, aiding children in Uganda
When: June 12
Where: Club 7 Lounge at 7 Cedars Casino, 270756 Highway 101
Tickets: $60 each or $450 for table of eight
More information: 681-4363, www.the
promiseofhope.org
