Otino Waa Children’s Village began in 2003 as a mission to rescue 78 orphans who were being targeted by the LRA (Lord’s Resistance Army) to be abducted as child soldiers. Today, Otino Waa houses over 300 orphan children and has onsite medical and dental clinics, primary and secondary schools, vocation training centers, and a café that is open to the public. Children live in houses of 8 along with House Moms, who are widows from the community. Orphaned children as young as the age of 5 are accepted each year, as space allows, and are with us through graduation from secondary school. Many of our children qualify for scholarships and we continue to support them through higher education.

Otino Waa Community Based Care started in 2018 to allow orphaned and vulnerable children to benefit from Otino Waa’s programs, while continuing to live in their home villages. Many of the children we aid with Community Based Care may have lost one parent, but still have a capable mother or father who can care for them. Community Based Care aims to elevate the family by providing some basic needs like food, medical care and education for the children. By helping to alleviate the pressure of simply surviving, the family can become more stable and the children can obtain a valuable education.

Elevate is a program to equip our graduates with the skills and resources they need to begin a productive, sustainable future. Elevate identifies an individual’s abilities and interests, and then empowers them with the training needed to succeed. The three branches of Elevate include: Advanced Education, Vocational Training, and Microfinance.

Economic opportunities like Elevate are part of the solution to break the cycle of poverty in Uganda. The impact of Elevate extends far beyond the actual participants. Graduates are able to provide for themselves and their families, as well as create jobs, spur on the local economy, and ultimately, share the blessings they have received.