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Ray of Hope Africa was founded in 2007 in a bid to adequately help address the dire needs of the society; Agriculture and Food security, infrastructure development and economic empowerment, education, health, human rights and good governance, children, youths, women and the elderly, HIV/AIDS and other epidemics, orphans and other vulnerable children (OVCs), land, environment and natural resource protection. RAHA is a duly registered Non Governmental Organization (NGO) number (S. 5914/8594).

RAHA, in her bid to help improve enrolment of children in schools and reducing school drop out rates initiated a project dubbed, ‘Inspire a Ugandan Child Go and Keep in School’. In the month of August 2011 with great support from Mr. Adriano Reis, courtesy of the UN, children from Brazil (College Carlos Ventura – Southern Brazil) expressed interest in making friends with Ugandan children. The School chosen to champion the project was St. Paul Kyasenda Primary School, a community based and community founded primary school whose pupil population is 327 (57.2% females and 42.8 males). The school has a child day care centre and a primary section, located in Karambi Sub County, Kasese district - western Uganda.

The linkage of Brazil children to RAHA children at St. Paul Kyasenda Primary school has raised awareness and love for education not only among children but the parents as well. As reported by the School Head Teacher, Mr. Mwesige B. Innoncent, “the enrolment is now stable with commitment from parents by providing a few affordable scholastic materials to the children a practice that was lacking among parents. However, full material and financial support from parents is limited  by their peasantry life coupled by the burden of taking care of orphan children, whose numbers are high (Most orphan children lost one or both of their parents during the Allied Democratic Forces [ADF] armed conflict that lasted for about a decade in the district of Kasese and surrounding areas). There is now effective attendance of classes by pupils who attended once or twice in a week and those who had completely dropped out of school have enrolled with the hope that they will as well have friends from Brazil. Besides, parents who did not appreciate the role of education have changed heart and are now registering their children at the school as they feel their children are being left out on making friends with children outside Africa. The act of writing letters and sharing experiences from children in Brazil has thrilled all our children and the community around. Besides, the linkage broadly embraces the interests of the Ugandan government and UN MDG of ‘go to school, stay in school and complete school’. Our children are looking at this linkage as an opportunity to explore new cultures, new forms of education, and inspiration for growth as responsible citizens of Uganda and to the world as a whole”.

Support RAHA in serving and reaching out to the needy population of children and OVCs to have a better childhood and live a purpose driven life.

HIV infections and AIDS-related deaths are declining among children. In southern Africa, the number of children under 15 who became newly infected with HIV fell from 190 000 in 2004 to 130 000 in 2009—a 32% reduction. In 2009, 54% of pregnant women living with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa received antiretroviral drugs to prevent transmission of HIV to their children, up from 15% in 2005. In Botswana, Namibia, South Africa and Swaziland, coverage of antiretroviral for preventing mother-to-child transmission of HIV reached more than 80%.  Between 2004 and 2009, AIDS-related deaths among children in southern Africa declined by 26%, from 120 000 [88 000–150 000] to 90 000 [61 000–110 000]. South Africa is one of the few countries in the world where maternal and child mortality has increased since the 1990s. AIDS is the largest cause of maternal mortality in South Africa and accounts for 35% of deaths in children under 5.

Uganda in general has poor safe water coverage with most of the households using impure water.  According to climate change experts, river Nyamwamba in Kasese alone is already contaminated by stockpiles from Kilembe mines which are harmful to human health. Since 2008, gut perforation disease has increasingly spread to all parts of the district with at least two people being operated daily since the outbreak. The cases have reportedly been recorded at all 3 district hospitals of Kagando, Bwera and Kilembe with people reporting stomach complications. 

Since the 1960’s, Kasese district in Western Uganda and Northern region of Uganda have undergone several conflicts ranging from cultural, land related, tribal, political violence, rebel activities and poverty. The ADF rebels who were based in the Rwenzori Mountains, committed atrocities against the local civilian population, driving them from their homes and farms in the mountains into the lowlands. As the IDP (Internally Displaced Population) in the region grew, food became scarce and the towns became unable to absorb them. Thousands of civilians were murdered, large numbers of land mines were laid, and attacks were made on civilians, police and UPDF locations.