Who we are
Friends of Orphans has been running a comprehensive aid program for war-affected communities in Uganda since 1999. We emphasize community based solutions to poverty by working with local people and local talents. We believe true transformation of a society can only come through education, vocational skills training, affordable healthcare services, women empowerment, food security and livelihood support programs. Founder of Friends of Orphans in Uganda, Ricky Richard Anywar, was a child soldier himself, forced to fight for the LRA. This provides personal knowledge, motivation, and care for the needs for war-affected communities in the area. Friends of Orphans uses a human-rights based approach to heal communities and secure a more peaceful and safe future for the people of Northern Uganda.
WHERE WE WORK
Friends of Orphans headquarters are in Pader Town, Northern Uganda. We work in the Northern Uganda region especially in the districts of Pader, Agago, Kitgum, Lamwo, Omoro and Gulu. Ricky Richard Anywar founded Friends of Orphans at the peak of the war in Northern Uganda when international organizations were unable to reach Pader.
United Friends of Orphans is a U.S. based corporation providing a source of revenue to Friends of Orphans in Uganda. A U.S. based operation allows for greater funding opportunities to build upon the organizations’ missions. We are a registered 501(c)(3) and all of your support is tax deductible.
WHAT we do
healthcare accessibility
In Pader and Agago districts in Northern Uganda nearly 3 in 4 births are delivered without any healthcare services. Births happen primarily at home or on road sides en route to a healthcare facility. Expectant mothers often lack both prenatal and postnatal care due to the travel requirements needed to reach medical centers. Friends of Orphans is building a modern, cost-effective hospital that will provide treatment to expectant mothers, children and impoverished local communities in Uganda. The hospital is located in a rural area where medical facilities are currently non-existent.
vocational skills training & Education
Friends of Orphans’ Atim kikoma “Let me do it myself" vocational training program aims to empower war-affected youth through business education and skills development in order for students to become self-reliant entrepreneurs and leaders in their communities. The school admits 400 war-affected youth (boys and girls) yearly between the ages of 13-24. The Northern Hope secondary school also provides quality education to war-affected students and orphans with aims to provide basic education like reading and writing, as well as provide relevant training to meet the current workforce needs.
women empowerment
We empower the women of Northern Uganda by increasing economic opportunities and improving access to spaces of decision-making. We do this through teaching entrepreneurship skills to fight poverty and addressing cultural norms to increase gender equality and reduce gender-based violence.
Soldier boy
Read about the founder of Friends of Orphans, Richard Ricky Anywar, in Keely Hutton’s novel, Soldier Boy. His story is an inspiration and provides personal insight into the realties of war-affected youth.
