Waka Worldwide is a non-profit organization committed to expressing God’s love and care by providing basic needs and support for vulnerable children and youth. Since 2017, we have provided meals and medical care to children in northern Uganda through community-based volunteers. Now, we are developing a new partnership to also provide educational opportunities and psychological care for vulnerable children.

Education: Education is the key to breaking cycles of poverty. Through a local partnership, we are working to establish a learning center for children who currently are on the streets or unable to afford a public education. The center would engage them with a Christian based Ugandan education program that tracks the contents of public school curriculum.

Meals: Many vulnerable children leave home simply because there is no food at home to eat. We intend to provide breakfast and lunch for learning center pupils. These well-rounded local meals will not only combat malnourishment but will also promote healthy growth and development of the mind and body.

Health and Medical Care: Working with our local health clinics and hospitals, we provide medical testing and vaccinations for impoverished youth at high risk for injuries and illnesses. Our volunteers help vulnerable street youth receive necessary medical interventions, including treatment for malaria and typhoid, stitches, and clean dressings for wounds.

Therapeutic Care: Through individual, group, and family therapy, therapists will seek to address the underlying challenges that contribute to each child’s unique vulnerabilities and struggles. In addition, these professionals will engage families, village community, community providers, and clan leaders, in an effort to create sustainable change in the child’s home environment.

Lira, Uganda is an urban center in northern Uganda, where 30+ years of civil war involving genocide has destroyed the fabric of families and communities. Fear paired with the residual effects of war, such as extreme poverty and broken family relationships, continue to impact the community today. As the fourth largest town in Uganda, Lira has become a mecca for orphans and vulnerable youth from surrounding villages. Many children and youth travel more than 100 km by foot — or sneak under trucks — because there are more opportunities on the streets than in their home villages.

We serve vulnerable children, youth, and their families in Lira and surrounding villages. These at-risk children and youth have been affected by decades of war, child abuse, domestic violence, educational neglect, and extreme poverty. Many of these children and youth have seen unforgettable horrors, experienced days of hunger, and believed the lies that tell them they are unwanted and unworthy. We seek to write a new chapter in each of their lives, working to heal their wounds and proclaim their identity as beloved and cherished members of His kingdom.

Eleazar African Foundation (EAF) is a Ugandan non-profit organization committed to expressing God’s love and care by discipling, developing, and delivering basic needs for vulnerable children and youth in northern Uganda. Following the end of 30+ years of civil war in the region, EAF is inspiring a generation of peacemakers and equipping them to livefully into God’s purposes for them.

EAF is a comprehensive social service ministry with a focus on education and counseling. Today, 30% of the population in northern Uganda live on less than $1.90 per day. Education is the key to addressing poverty, yet over 328,000 school-aged children in Uganda have never stepped foot into a classroom -- and 65% of those who do drop out before finishing elementary school. In addition, the extended civil war has contributed to high rates of depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic reactions. High rates of alcoholism and domestic abuse continueto plague this region. As a result, EAF was established to implement community-based programs which will empower vulnerable children and youth and address the root causes of poverty, educational injustice, and child trauma in Lira, Uganda.  

EAF is launching the Eleazar Learning and Counseling Center in 2020! The Eleazar Center will provide alternative educational opportunities for children and youth who otherwise would not bein school. EAF's teachers will provide basic education in English language, mathematics, social studies, and science, thereby expanding their students' potentialand opening doors to inspired possibilities. After classes, teachers will empower children with talent development, livelihood and income generating activities, and equip them with foundational life and relational skills.

To heal their psychological and emotional wounds, children and family will have the opportunity to participate in individual, family, and group counseling. Through counseling, EAF's social worker seeks to reconcile these children with their families, clans, and community. In addition, the Eleazar Center will promote human rights for all children and youth by pursuing civil advocacy, developing a culture of community engagement to counteract stigma and oppression, and extending moral and material support to the poor and needy in its community.