AASU is a non-governmental organization (NGO) working in the districts of Kamuli and Jinja. We were founded in 2008 by Sharon Nanjura, a young Ugandan woman who felt the need to give back to her community after she had completed her studies.Our mission is to create sustainable community development through the provision of quality education to all - male or female, rich or poor, young or old, able-bodied or otherwise.
In order to achieve our mission, AASU has four main projects:
Children's Care Home (Jinja town)
The Children's Care Home is based in Jinja and currently cares for 27 orphaned, abandoned or otherwise vulnerable children, mostly under the age of 5. The ideal goal for all of the children is eventual reunion with their families once the home circumstances improve, but those without relatives willing and able to take them back are either adopted, go into foster care or go to Kibuye village and study at the Arise and Shine Nursery and Primary School.
Nursery and Primary School (Kibuye village)
The AASU Nursery and Primary School is located in Kibuye village, with classes from P1 to P4 (5-13 years). There are now 216 students from the local community and the AASU Children's Care Home. We have recently finished constructing 3 extra classrooms and are looking forward to our first class of children reaching their final year, P7, in 2013.
Community Outreach (Kibuye village)
Our Community Outreach project consists of a number of income-generating activities for members of the local community. These projects focus particularly on the women of Kibuye, who are more likely than the men to be without an independent source of income. The profits are kept by the women involved in the projects and help to supplement their family income in a sustainable and independent fashion. We have 3 income-generating projects at the minute, which are tailoring, jewellery-making, and candle-making, and hope to expand these in the future.
Community Education (Kibuye village)
Our Community Education programme teaches members of the Kibuye community about topics which affect their lives, such as HIV/AIDS prevention and care, more effective farming methods, hygiene and sanitation, and nutrition. We also hold adult English literacy and numeracy lessons three times a week, and hope to soon include savings lessons and entrepreneurship sessions. We hold the lessons from a range of locations, including the Arise and Shine Nursery and Primary School, and also conduct regular mobilization for the classes to ensure as many people as possible attend.
Through volunteering at AASU you will gain a range of skills, including:
- Knowledge about reproductive health in the Ugandan context
- Teaching and presentation skills
- Counselling skills in health and social education
- Flexibility
- Problem solving skills
- Creativity
- Intercultural communication skills
- And more!
For more information, please email p.c.arise.shine@gmail.com, and check out the current volunteer listings we have posted!
