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The History of Uganda:
Yesterday and today
For over twenty years, northern Uganda
was under attack by the Lords’ Resistance
Army (LRA), a rebel group challenging the
government of Uganda for political control.
This resulted in the abduction of over
20,000 children -- 8, 10 and 12 years old to
staff this army.
One of the greatest damages was the
erosion of personal autonomy as over one
million people were reduced to abject poverty
by displacement to the Internally Displaced
Peoples (IDP) camps for protection. Loss of
homes, family, normal ways of providing for
life’s necessities, and the lack of educational
opportunities contributed to the downward
spiral of a healthy lifestyle. Being the first
casualty of the wars, education became a
luxury which only a few could pursue.
In 2006 peace talks began with representatives
of Joseph Kony, the rebel leader of the
LRA. Kony has been indicted by the World
Court for crimes against humanity for brutal
slaughter of many inhabitants of this area.
Although these talks never resulted in a
signed peace treaty, Kony withdrew from
the area and continues his atrocities in the
neighboring countries.
Today, people are returning to their farms
and attempting to rebuild their lives, However,
poverty continues to exist; opportunities
for employment are limited; educational
facilities are under funded and infrastructure
is practically non-existent. High pupil-teacher
ratio; lack of educational materials; and poor
classroom facilities add to the limited potential
for educational success. They still live in
fear that Kony will return. |
How EENU Came to Be
To address this situation, Father Robert Aliunzi,
A.J., along with four committed volunteers,
formed the registered non-governmental
organization in Uganda called EENU (Efforts to
Educate the Needy Children of Uganda). At the
present time, a Board of Directors has been
established to promote and guide the management
of this organization, with an office in
Kampala, Uganda. Food, shelter, text books,
and tuition are being provided for over 70
students, with the number of applicants for
assistance continuing to grow.
The Formation of EENU-USA, Inc.
When Father Robert came to the united States,
he brought this vision to a group of interested
volunteers, which resulted in the formation of a
501c(3) private charity in September 2007,
called EENU-USA, Inc.
EENU-USA, Inc. is dedicated to funding EENU by
providing for the care and education of vulnerable
children in northern and northwestern Uganda
through a sponsorship program. The ultimate
goal of EENU-USA, Inc. is the building of a
secondary school, St. Thomas Aquinas College --
Adjumani, which would provide educational
opportunities for approximately 600 students.
Official registration of St. Thomas Aquinas
College--Adjumani (equivalent to a U.S. high
school) as a government approved educational
facility has been completed; a site has been
acquired, surveyed and titled under EENU.
Local government officials are supportive of the
development of this school, and the laying of
the cornerstone took place in January, 2008. |
