Project Hope is an organization that is committed to helping and supporting victims of the Ugandan Civil War. The previous objective of Project Hope was to support a child daycare center in Uganda and make it self-sustainable. From the donations and help of hundreds of volunteers, it was a great success.

Now that the Home of Hope Orphanage and the Bugabo Lake View Primary School are self-sustaining and in good hands; it's now time to turn our gaze to St. Monica's Tailoring Center. Located in the Gulu region of Uganda, St. Monica's Tailoring Center is located where the people were the most victimized by the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA). By helping St. Monica's Tailoring Center, we are helping the lives of hundreds of people that were hurt by the war that has consumed Uganda for over 23 years.

For the past 23 years, Uganda has been ravaged by a war between the Ugandan government and the LRA.

The LRA (Lord's Resistance Army), is a rebel group that intended to overthrow the Ugandan government. Over time, as their cause weakened, the LRA resorted to kidnapping children to fight as soldiers. The LRA has become infamous for its brutality: cutting off of people's hands, feet, ears and noses as well as terrorizing much of northern Uganda. But perhaps their worst acts are the large-scale abduction of young children. Both boys and girls may be forced to kill, even their own parents and siblings.

Any resistance resulted in dismemberment, rape, or death. Now that the conflict that plagued Uganda is drawing to a close, there are over a million people displaced from their homes. Many of whom were abducted when they were children.

Because brutality and rape was common, many girls returned home with children and babies that weren't their own. This lead many to be turned away from their own families. With no place to go or no education to fall back on, these child soldiers are on the verge of desperation. This is where the St. Monica's Tailoring Center comes in to help these women.

Project Hope is going to be supporting St. Monica's Tailoring Center, a vocational training school that provides disadvantaged girls and young women with education to help them lead successful lives. Located in the Gulu region of Uganda, St. Monica's is in one of the most disadvantaged regions in the country.

Through the donations of school supplies, dried food and other necessities Project Hope will be able to support hundreds of people.

Most of the young people who survive do so after having lost the opportunity to get any sort of basic education or formal training. Many girls and young women will find themselves helpless as single mothers without any means of support.

This, coupled with the Luo culture which provides very little opportunity for girls to go to school or go on with their studies, makes the position of these girls and young women very vulnerable.

The St. Monica Tailoring Center is a vocational training school that was started by Italian Missionary Sisters in 1975. The purpose for establishing this institution was the promotion of disadvantaged girls and young women in the pursuit of self-fulfillment and social justice.

Today, the Center is run by African nuns, part of the Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Through home management and vocational training, the Center attempts to provide disadvantaged girls and young women in Gulu with necessary life skills and training.

As Sister Rosemary, the Center Director says, "We need to develop people so they can cope with the future. Many of these girls are not accepted by their families when they return from the bush. We want to give these girls a chance to survive and succeed as well as helping them to learn to love the babies they have been forced to have."

The Center has recently started addressing several concerns in regard to financial needs and materials necessary for education. WE NEED YOUR HELP! We are calling upon volunteers, donors and well-wishers, to join together with us in our quest to improve the lives of disadvantaged girls and young women in Northern Uganda. Your support is greatly appreciated!

With the help and support of City Barbeque, Project Hope was able to raise over $500!

Keep up the good work!