South Sudan Charity Blog

Distant Relatives: St. Patrick’s Day & South Sudan

Today, all eyes and thoughts are on Europe’s third largest Island best known for potatoes, Shamrocks, and the reason for the season: St. Patrick’s Day. It has, however, not always been all bliss for the country that produced the Saint of the day, St. Patrick, as mass starvation, disease, and emigration during the Potato famine coupled with decades of violence between Catholics and Protestants brought much civil unrest. Though St. Patrick’s Day is not that popular in Africa—save for Catholics attending Lent Mass, who take… Read More

March 17, 2011 by Sitawa Wafula Tags: holidays, ireland, south sudan, st. patrick's day, uganda

100 Women Become Beekeepers in Onura

Hope Ofiriha’s Onura Beekeeping Project has raised $3,328 on GlobalGiving, and the results are just terrific. The project is running very well under the guidance of the village’s woman project manager and her team at the Onura Women’s Beekeeping Association. Women’s businesses are growing steadily larger and the local economy is also expanding noticeably in Onura sub village where the project is running. The beekeeping project will provide local women with the opportunity to learn a sustainable agricultural skill and earn an income to support their… Read More

February 27, 2011 by Linda Acen Abili Tags: beekeeping, globalgiving, honey, onura, south sudan

Hope Ofiriha Named a GlobalGiving ‘SUPERSTAR’

I have exciting news. Thanks to our generous donors, Hope Ofiriha is listed as a SUPERSTAR on GlobalGiving’s new Partner Rewards Program. This is the highest level that an organization can reach on GlobalGiving! As you may remember, we only became a permanent member of the GlobalGiving community just over a year ago. During the December 2009 Global Open Challenge we raised $4,093 from 51 unique donors for our Omilling HIV-AIDS Project , just getting us over the required $4,000 in donations and 50 unique donors threshold. Since then, we have raised… Read More

February 17, 2011 by William Logai Ochieng Tags: global open challenge, globalgiving, partner rewards program, superstar

Diversification & Dedication Make Us Special

Diversification and dedication is what makes Hope Ofiriha’s team so special. Our energetic team of two employees and 15 key volunteers is the driving force behind our ground-breaking success. The team is far from being homogeneous; its members come from a variety of backgrounds but share a common belief in eliminating poverty through literacy. At Hope Ofiriha, diversity is considered an advantage rather than an obstacle. Individuals put aside their differences to work harmoniously as a team. Age, race, education, and ethnicity hold no boundaries…. Read More

Hope Ofiriha volunteer dropping off supplies

February 7, 2011 by William Logai Ochieng Tags: dedication, diversity, hope ofiriha, volunteers

Referendum Update: Bye-Bye Jalaba for Good!

As you know, millions of south Sudanese went to the polls two weeks ago—many for the first time ever—to make a historic vote on the future of our country. Together, the south Sudanese decided whether to form our own nation or to remain part of Sudan. My mother, brothers, sisters, and I voted for separation, and I travelled to Sudan to participate in this historic moment (visit the Sudan Referendum album on Hope Ofiriha’s Facebook page to see more photos). I campaigned and mobilized people around Magwi County to vote… Read More

January 23, 2011 by William Logai Ochieng Tags: jalaba, referendum, south sudan, william logai ochieng

Pigs for Education Project Fully Funded

Thanks to our generous donors, phase one of our Pigs for Education Project is fully funded! The more than $1,000 donated will buy 30 pigs for Omilling village’s six most destitute families who are eager to send their children to school. Giving pigs to widows and their destitute families will provide a much-needed income boost to help pay for vital basics like food, medicines, and shelter. More importantly, the boost will prevent young children from having to drop out of school to help earn money… Read More

January 10, 2011 by Linda Acen Abili Tags: education, pigs, school, south sudan, widows

Don’t Want to Bring Gloom & Doom to Holidays

I don’t want to bring gloom and doom to your holidays, but I do want to make sure all our supporters are aware that we are less than three weeks away from a referendum vote that might partition Sudan and start a return to bloodshed. If you don’t mind interrupting your holidays to learn more about this potentially dire situation, the Sydney Morning Herald has put together an excellent multimedia website about it entitled Sudan: Referendum of Hope. Former Sudanese child soldier turned rap star, Emmanual Jal, has set up… Read More

December 22, 2010 by Linda Acen Abili Tags: #wewantpeace, holidays, referendum, south sudan

Happy Saint Lucia’s Day to All Our Friends

Happy Saint Lucia’s Day to everyone in Scandanavia and around the world! Hope Ofiriha wants to send warm wishes and thanks to all of our supporters, donors, child sponsors, partners, volunteers, and everyone else playing a role in our success. Just as Saint Lucia was said to have brought food to hungry people during a famine, you gave a hand up to struggling South Sudanese women and children. Your hand up fed the hungry, gave life-saving medicines to the dying, and gave hope to widows… Read More

December 13, 2010 by William Logai Ochieng Tags: holidays, saint lucia, thanks

Inspired Gifts That Help Children in Need

Around the world, many people are celebrating the holiday season. Whether you’re putting up a Christmas tree, menorah, or kinara, please consider inspired gifts that help children in need. Instead of exchanging token presents, such as soaps, fruit cakes, or candles, you can put your money to good use and sponsor a child. As a child sponsor, you and your loved ones can help save a child from a life of extreme poverty. Your sponsorship will not only pay the fees necessary for your sponsored… Read More

Sudanese refugee children living in a slum in Uganda

December 1, 2010 by William Logai Ochieng Tags: child sponsorship, holidays, sudan

Happy Thanksgiving from Hope Ofiriha

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone in the United States and around the world! Hope Ofiriha wants to send a most sincere thank you to all of our supporters, donors, child sponsors, partners, volunteers, and everyone else playing a role in our success. Together, we are making a huge difference in the lives of South Sudanese women and children struggling to build a better future for themselves, their families, and their community. Enjoy this special day of Thanksgiving and remember that we could not do this work without… Read More

November 25, 2010 by William Logai Ochieng Tags: sudan, thank you, thanksgiving

10 New Microloans Given to Women Refugees

Thanks to kind support of our Uganda Microloans Project, Hope Ofiriha is pleased to announce that it has granted loan to ten (10) new additional women to start their income generating business. With their ability to generate income and save profits these women can better protect themselves and their children in areas of poverty, education, and heath. In the six months to come these women will invest in the education of their children by paying school fees through profits earn from their businesses. During the… Read More

September 24, 2010 by Linda Acen Abili Tags: refugees, south sudan, south sudanese, uganda, women

HIV-AIDS Project Makes Remarkable Change

Hope Ofiriha’s Omilling HIV-AIDS Project has made a remarkable change increasing the number of people knowing their HIV status. In Omilling Sudan, 1 out of 5 is HIV-infected. If people can find out their status, they can take necessary steps to remain negative or access care, and treatment services if positive. To further this goal, Hope Ofiriha made a decision to expand HIV-awareness campaign and counseling availability by visiting HIV-experts. Integrating HIV-awareness program into local health services allows local volunteers to offer testing and counseling as… Read More

Motorcycle for HIV-AIDS program in South Sudan

September 20, 2010 by Linda Acen Abili Tags: aids, globalgiving, hiv, magwi county, south sudan

Give Children a Chance to Go to School

The great World Cup football tournament is kicking off today at 4 p.m. with the host country opening against Mexico. I cannot wait! I wish my team (England) was on slightly better form but am still hopeful! There is also something we can do to create a lasting legacy that could see millions more kids receive an education. South Africa President Jacob Zuma has just announced that he will hold a global leadership summit during the World Cup. The aim? Push leaders and football fans… Read More

Children walking 70 kilometers to school

June 11, 2010 by William Logai Ochieng Tags: children, onura, school

June 16 is a GlobalGiving Bonus Day

From 00:00:00 to 23:59:59 on Wednes, June 16, 2010 (Eastern time/GMT-4) ,the GlobalGiving Bonus Day will offer a 50 percent match for your donations. Additional cash bonuses of $1,000 each will be awarded to the top project that generates the largest amount of money and the top project to solicit the greatest number of unique donations. Please make a donation to Hope Ofirha through GlobalGiving by clicking here, on June 16.

June 9, 2010 by William Logai Ochieng Tags: bonus day, globalgiving, hope ofiriha

GlobalGiving Global Open Challenge a Success!

Thanks to you, our generous supporters, Hope Ofiriha has been invited to stay on GlobalGiving website and is now officially a permanent member of the GlobalGiving Community. We look forward to your continued support and participation in GlobalGiving‘s online marketplace for giving. Without your support, we could not have won a spot on GlobalGiving’s site. The $4,093 raised for our Omilling HIV-AIDS Project came from 51 different donors during the December 2009 Global Open Challenge, just getting us over the required $4,000 in donations and 50 unique… Read More

December 23, 2009 by William Logai Ochieng Tags: globalgiving, hope ofiriha, thank you

Urgent Appeal: 300 Children on Waiting List

Hope Ofiriha has granted a year scholarship to both Jolly Achol and Justine Okello to study at Rubaga Primary School in Uganda. There are 300 South Sudanese children living in slums on outskirt of Kampala on our waiting list. These children want to be at school but can’t afford the fees. Please visit our Keep Impoverished Refugees in School project page to learn more and make a donation.

August 5, 2009 by William Logai Ochieng Tags: refugees, sudanese, uganda

Urgent Appeal: Childbirth Delivery Bed for Onura

Each year, many women die in childbirth in the Onura sub village. Virtually all these deaths are due to a lack of childbirth facilities and hemorrhages, which is a common cause of maternal mortality worldwide. Bleeding can be controlled in a clinic but, without one in Onura, it is a death sentence. Our aim is to provide traditional midwives a childbirth delivery bed to save lives in a local post where most births and maternal deaths take place–well beyond the reach of hospitals and government health services. … Read More

June 5, 2009 by William Logai Ochieng Tags: delivery bed, maternal mortality, onura, sudan