What Is on Your Christmas Wish List of 2012?

Choose an item below and make a difference today! Your gift is tax-deductible through GlobalGiving this thanksgiving season. $20 Give a Village Drinking water in South Sudan. Clean water brings health, education, and the chance for a better tomorrow. Often, it means life itself. This holiday season, give the gift that saves lives and bring hope. <Give water!> $35 per Care Package Bless a poor mother and her child by providing newborn baby essentials.  Send a baby care package thank includes socks, onesies, a bottle,… Read More

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

Give Encouragement to Nice Kids!

Let’s overwhelm these children with support as they will be heading back to school next year in Uganda. Leave an encouraging message today! Here’s your chance to send an encouraging message to nice children in South Sudan or Naka currently on visit in Uganda: Just leave a comment on this Facebook post, and we’ll send your message to the children! HOPE Ofiriha children campaign this year has one goal: to help 100 new children stay in school in 2013. Some many factors – illness, hunger,… Read More

Octocber 17th: Bonus Day!

Give More, Get More: GlobalGiving is Matching Donations to Hope Ofiriha from October 17th 2012. Are you looking for a way to support Hope Ofiriha get more bangs for your bucks? On October 17th, GlobalGiving will be matching donations 30% up to $ 1000 per donor, per project. There is $50,000 available in matching funds. Matching will begin at 12:01 am EDT and last until funds run out or until 11:59 pm EDT. Once funds have been depleted, no more donations will be matched. Let’s… Read More

Nata: Needs Help to be at School

From February, 2013, we will send children of families deported from Israel to South Sudan to Kingsway boarding school in Uganda. Nata was arrested in a classroom, and deported to South Sudan. She is fluent in Hebrew, Arabic, and English, after years of excelling in her studies in Israel. Read more We are already active in Juba, although, due to very high costs, we do not yet have a base in the capital. HO is based in Magwi County 85 km away from Central Equatoria…. Read More

Help Children Get a Proper Education

South Sudanese children have been scattered around the globe, after their parents fled the bloody civil war in Sudan. Once South Sudan became an independent state, many began to return to their old-new country. About 1,500 South Sudanese who found asylum in Israel, were deported back to South Sudan this summer. Among them are many children, who studied in the Israeli education system for the last few years, where they got a good head start. The deportees from Israel have not yet had the chance… Read More

Meeting Deportees in Juba

In July the Israeli Immigration authorities arrested dozens of people in a crackdown mainly targeting asylum seekers from South Sudan. The South Sudanese community, estimated of 1000-1,500 members entered Israel through the Sinai Peninsula, searching for a safe refuge, escaping the war and their persecution in South Sudan following their massacre in Cairo, on 2005. Israel granted the South Sudanese with a class protection, which was lifted on April 2012, 9 months after the referendum that granted the independence of South Sudan. Israeli Human Rights… Read More

South Sudan Celebrates Its First Independence Day

On July 9: tens of thousands of South Sudanese are bursting out in streets of  Juba raising the flag to celebrate the country’s first Independence Day. On same Day time last year, planet Earth welcomed its African newest nation. It gained independence after a decade-long civil war; South Sudan is one year old nation full of promise. South Sudan is the 193rd player in the United Nations playground, its 7-year old government has learned to run, and is even tweeting from @RepSouthSudan! So where do… Read More

Get More Bang for Your Donation Buck

Give More, Get More: GlobalGiving is Match Donations to Hope Ofiriha from June 13. Are you looking for a way to support our projects and get more bangs for your bucks? Starting at midnight at 12:00am EDT on June 13, GlobalGiving is matching all donations by 30% for partner, 40% for leader, and 50% for superstar. Good news! – HOPE OFIRIHA is ranked a superstar and donation to the charity will be matched by 50% on the same day. There is a total of $75,000… Read More

Village Microloan Cooperative

Hope Ofiriha has made an application to Pilot Light Foundation to fund the women cooperatives in Magwi County. On April 12:  Carol Levy, and Delphin Muhizi met the beneficiaries to assess their needs. PLF will fund a cooperative as a pilot project from the four proposals. Sixty-five percent of South Sudanese live below the poverty line. Though able and ambitious enough to start their own businesses and lift themselves out of poverty, many simply don’t have any capital to start making money. Banks will not… Read More

Mother’s Day In 80 Countries

Mother’s Day is May 13th in 80 countries around the world. Mothers give us the courage to dream BIG. So do teachers, neighbors, friends, and mentors. Hope Ofiriha gives you the chance to empower these nurturers to dream big for them-selves and help the future generation realize their potential. This May, honor someone who nurtured you by giving them a chance to nurture someone else. Here’s why. Empowering all Women: Women make up the vast majority of the World’s poor (over 75% of the 1… Read More

Stand Up With Millions For World Water Day

Join us as we celebrate clean water and raise awareness for nearly one billion people without water. When you donate your voice on Facebook or Twitter, you will stand up with millions of others this year in the name of clean water for all. Next Thursday, March 22, is World Water Day, but the celebration runs all week long. When you donate your status at waterday.org, we will automatically post you on Facebook to tell your friends and followers to join you. Then, each day… Read More

The Kony Video Generated Controversy

The KONY 2012 video has generated significant controversy. Misinterpretations of social media content may lead some people believing the LRA is now active again in Uganda. Read more: On How  Uganda Government responded. It must be clarified at present the LRA is not active in Uganda. Practically expelled by the Ugandan People’s Defense Forces (UPDF), the LRA has retreated to dense terrain in the Central African forests. They are weakened group with a number not exceeding 300 men. The threat posed by them is considerably… Read More

Hope Ofiriha Is Unique

HOPE Ofiriha is very Unique to most NGOs working in South Sudan. HOPE Ofiriha believes that as much money as possible should be spent where the donors intended are needed most – Omilling! Too often, money given to NGO is wasted on administration, cars and very little money actually gets its way to the poor whom donors wish to help most. HOPE Ofiriha is unique. William Ochieng has given a substantial amount of his money to the NGO, working part-time for free, he flights to… Read More

A Small Loan with a Huge Impact

International Women’s Day, on March 8, is a time to reflect on the achievements and contributions of women around the world. Here’s a story that illustrates how Hope Ofiriha’s microloan programs can help carry a woman from a life of poverty to one of dignity, independence, and leadership as the chief executive officer of her own business. Grace Kamatoro grew up facing harsh circumstances. Her brothers and sisters resettled in Canada and Australia. Grace decided to stay in Africa to fight poverty to the end…. Read More

HO Plans to Buy Manual Delivery Bed

Onura Maternal Survival Project will soon save lives of hundreds of mothers and their babies when the childbirth delivery bed arrives. The project also will train mid-wives to deal with childbirth complications. On July 19 2011 GlobalGiving throw a baby shower for South Sudan’ Onura clinic. Due to the overwhelming supports of GlobalGiving’s donors, we’ve raised over $21,000 to save even more mothers and babies. HO plans to buy a childbirth delivery bed from Aegean-tech, a producer based in China. Aegean-tech has quoted the price… Read More

Omilling Gears For Valentine’s Day

Valentine’s Day has a history of love, and caring.  But this Valentine’s Day, perhaps it’s time to celebrate with a gift many of the world’s poorest women desperately need: delivery kits. According to the United Nation Population Fund (UNFPA), 1,000 women die every day due to pregnancy or childbirth. Ninety-nine percent of these deaths occur in less developed world and 90 percent in Africa alone. Reproductive health, including access to the information to plan a family, is a human right the world’s nations have recognized… Read More

The Land Rover Reached South Sudan

The Land Rover is released from the Custom and is deployed to the disposal of our Program Coordinators in the ground. Reaching Omilling rural communities has been a major challenge not only for HO, but also for other humanitarian agencies working in the country.  The vast area is rural, and roads are also bad. The land Rover has the capabilities to match the challenge. The land Rover is capable to transport two metric tonnes to reach communities in remote, difficult – to – access rural… Read More

Pigs For Education Project Fully Funded

Thanks to your generous support we are excited to report that phase two of our Pigs for education project is fully funded! The more than $1,000 donated will buy an additional 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… Read More

A Volunteer Driver is Urgently Needed

Are you a safe, friendly driver keen to give back to your community? Do you want to volunteer for an organization that makes a difference to women’s lives? Hope Ofiriha is an independent small charity recognized for its innovation in empowering women and children living in rural communities to overcome social injustice, disease, illiteracy, and poverty. Our small-scale interventions enhance their social and economic well being and help them reach their potential.  We are seeking a volunteer who is genuine about making a difference in women’s… Read More

What Is on Your Christmas Wish List?

Choose an item below and make a difference today! Your gift is tax-deductible through GlobalGiving this thanksgiving season. $20 Give a Village Drinking water in South Sudan. Clean water brings health, education, and the chance for a better tomorrow. Often, it means life itself. This holiday season, give the gift that saves lives and bring hope. <Give water!> $35 per Care Package Bless a poor mother and her child by providing newborn baby essentials.  Send a baby care package thank includes socks, onesies, a bottle,… Read More

Magwi Office: Akello Susan, Field Coordinator

Akello Susan holds “O”&“A” – Level certificates of secondary education; three months Certificates in HIV/AIDS Counseling; Human rights and in project Management. Akello joined Hope Ofiriha in November 2011 to become the Field Coordinator for Magwi County as Staff member. As such, she is responsible for overall project management, capacity building, and representation.  She has two years of experience in designing, implementing, and managing small scale projects in Bweyele Refugee Camp, Uganda. And she also has skills in a number of areas including HIV/AIDs Awareness,… Read More

Today is World AIDS Day

Dec. 1, is World AIDS Day. Theme: Zero new HIV infections. Zero discrimination. Zero AIDS-related deaths. On World AIDS Day, organizations and world leaders hold events to commemorate and raise awareness around the struggles of people suffering from HIV/AIDS. Over the last month, world leaders have been speaking publicly in honor of the day, highlighting the need for not just medical interventions in treatment and prevention but education and awareness too. In her speech to the National Institute of Health, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary… Read More

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

A Land Rover Is Heading to Omilling

Omilling is about 62 kilometers from Torit’s state capital. Accessing either is virtually impossible for villagers because there are no paved roads or public transportation to get there. A volunteer worked 50 hours in the past two weeks to ensure that a donated Land Rover is prepared for its new role in south Sudan. The Land Rover is cleaned, passed EU traffic test, and painted Green. It has left the Sweden port of Wallham on November 19 by EUKOR Car Carriers Inc, and is expected… Read More

Omilling Mairo School Building Update

Astrid Wang and Lunde Arneberg’s second trip to Omilling has been postponed/rearranged. Their schedules are tight in November. Between now and December 15, they are to deliver their thesis. They are also redesigning the school’s structures. If they return in November, they will only spend two weeks, but in January they can stay for four weeks. The New Year is better because it is more time. Returning in January, Astrid and Lunde will build more classrooms, and train villagers in red soil block production skills. With our small-scale projects, we are continually… Read More

We’ve Reached $50,000 in GlobalGiving Donations

I’ve got great news to share! Today, thanks to our generous donors, we reached $50,000 in GlobalGiving donations, more than $32,000 of it this year. GlobalGiving has given us an invaluable boost at a time when many of our regular donors are cutting back due to the global recession. Thank you Global Giving! Thank you Hope Ofiriha supporters! Thank you donors! As you may recall, last July GlobalGiving’s participated in (or turbo charged) our rally to throw a baby shower for our Onura clinic in South… Read More

Impoverished South Sudanese Children in Uganda

Impoverished South Sudanese children in Uganda often become slaves to their new “families.” Some, especially the girls, are sexually or physically abused, and all of them are expected to work hard. Polly’s story is unique. In fact, it is common for South Sudanese refugees to live as squatters in slums in the outskirts of Kampala, Uganda, often homeless. More than 1,000 children, most of them girls, have become “impoverished children” or “independent orphan children.” Their parents, too poor to feed, and educate their children, send them to live with… Read More

Combating Poverty through Education

Omilling’s former child-soldier problem is a complicated one! Astrid Wang and Lunde Arneberg from the Oslo School of Architecture & Design are returning to Omilling to construct Mario primary school in November. The plan A – is to build one classroom, girl-pit latrine, and a teacher’s house. They are busy re-designing the school’s structure to match village’s standard. Fighting against decades of marginalization and intense state of poverty that spawn the practice, it is sometimes hard to imagine there is a way to help. Funding… Read More

Meeting in Omilling, South Sudan

Work on the Mairo Primary School is at a new stage! Last August, Astrid Rohde Wang and Lunde Arneberg from the Oslo School of Architecture & Design, and I visited Omilling to  meet with the villagers. The Traditional Authority has approved the building plan and the community has already taken the ownership of the project. The two volunteers visited the donated plot and measured the site where the school will be built. The villagers gave a helping hand, and also assisted in searching for the red soil  discovered… Read More