REACH for Uganda

REACH is providing critically-needed work in an extremely poor and underserved area of Uganda. In addition to providing a top-notch education to many kids in the area and providing community-related services, they are bringing hope to the people of this area that life can be better. My family has sponsored two students over a 15-year period, and we have been pleased to see that our donations have made a big difference in these two students' lives. A tenet of this organization is "to give back to the community," and the students are doing just that.

Arlington Academy of Hope gives hope to children who had none and transforms the children into confident and high achievers. Children in rural Uganda can now dream of a brighter future because of the opportunity given to them by AAH. All students in the last 10 years in a row have passed the national exams to go on to secondary. Ordinary everyday people like you and I sponsor children in this program and help to change the course of a child forever for just $400 for a primary student. For the first time, the children who went through AAH program will be graduating College.
The clinic provides critical preventative , maternity and first aid care to the community that had none. First graduates through the AAH nursing program now work at the AAH clinic.
We are thankful to you for choosing to support Arlington Academy of Hope and we hope to meet you at some of our events soon.
www.aahuganda.org

I give to live, for what is a meaningful life if not making an impact somehow somewhere? I sponsor primary and secondary education for a brilliant young man in Uganda named Malali. He has enriched my family's life as we have enjoyed a window into his talents, daily life, hard work, and scholastic achievements. We look forward to supporting him through his education, and then keeping a relationship beyond.

The kids are angels and the staff is absolutely inspiring. I've never been more moved than I was standing in front of the kids from Arlington singing a welcome tune to our group. The kids at Arlington and their outreach school, Bulobi have never left my heart and I still am motivated to return. The Arlington Academy of Hope is what's right in this world.

We have been sponsoring the education of children in rural Uganda and have sponsored four so far. Our oldest child there has made it through two years of college already! We are in regular contact with all of the children through AAH and receive lovely, warm, hand-written letters from them. The school is well-run, and I believe all of my money is put to good use there and throughout the school's outreach to the local community. My son also volunteered for a few weeks at AAH and loved it! I cannot recommend this non-profit more highly!

I worked at Arlington Academy of Hope with Lasell College for 3 weeks in the summer of 2014. It was a wonderful experience and the children are amazing. The work being one there is life changing for both the students, teachers and helpers. This organization must stay around and be supported by others. People need a chance to see how great AAH is and I hope everyone once has a day to experience it.

As a volunteer with AAH two years ago, I fell in the love with the work of the organization and it's community. It is providing sustainable development practices to an area that really needs it. It has earned so much respect from that community and has influenced the development of education in not only the Bududa District but in Manafwa as well. I felt so strongly about the work when I first arrived in Uganda that I worked hard to become the new international coordinator for AAH and I'm so happy I did.

Arlington Academy of Hope holds a special place in my heart. Through their outreach program, I was able to meet people and experience things that changed my life and world view more than I could have ever changed theirs. This program is spectacular and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a nonprofit to work with.

I cannot say enough positive things about AAH! As a volunteer and donor, I can say from first hand experience that this is truly a wonderful organization whose mission is clear and you can feel good about donating both your time and your money and knowing that both are going directly to helping the community. I sponsor a child and I know that the money I donate goes directly to paying her school fees and not lining some CEO's pockets. I have seen the school and its students first hand and it is truly a remarkable place. AAH also does a lot of community outreach within its own community so volunteers and donors are able to
do more than affect one small group of kids and their school. There is an opportunity with work with an entire community. I led a group of college students here in 2013 and both my life and all of theirs were infinitely changed for the better by the experience. One of those students is even back at AAH volunteering for the year right now!

I volunteered with AAH two years ago and it was an incredible, life-changing experience. The entire staff is dedicated to giving the students the best possible experience, down to ensuring the female students have basic necessities such as undergarments and a private washroom, therefore encouraging them to stay in school for the duration of each month. I would highly recommend working with them!

This organization shines because the founders are still personally involved at all times keeping the spirit of why it was founded alive. Outstanding people make a personal commitment to the organization and work tirelessly on ways to improve the lives of young children through education.

Well run and focused nonprofit achieving amazing results and truly changing many lives in rural Uganda. We volunteer and sponsor two children at the school. I like that they help lift up the other schools around them too. With education, you give a child a future.

This organization is maximizing their effect in the area. Taking care of all of the most grave situations (education, malaria, HIV, and family planning) there. Keep it up! It's truly amazing to see how much of a difference they are making not only in the academy but in other government schools too.

I have been a volunteer to this organization for years. They are doing more than just fundraising and sending aid, they are providing opportunities to hundreds of children through a top school, clinic, and sponsorship program. It is sometimes hard to see a direct impact, but i went to the school in uganda and have seen the many lives that have been uplifted and forever changed. It is so well organized and they have a great core base of volunteers and board members. I look forward to being a continual part of their growth!

This is a strong NGO building a foundation for hope in rural Uganda by giving children the chance for a better future through improved education and healthcare. I have traveled to Uganda twice to support the school and clinics. Excellent child sponsor opportunites - only $360 per year! My first sponsored daughter is now attending University in Kampala! Outstanding results in all areas. Get involved!

My family has sponsored many AAH students and it's amazing how well they all are doing. We've seen several students through primary school into secondary school and now have two in University! We've visited the school a few times which really drives home where these young people would be without the amazing work that AAH is doing. The organization has given these children a much brighter future, an ability to make major contributions to their society, and in working with the children has also had a major impact on this rural community. I'd strongly encourage others to sponsor and become personally involved with a child - but if a multi-year commitment is not possible, any contribution will be put to good use.

My family has supported AAH students for years. This program is such a spectacular example of how a few can make a world of difference for many. My children began their relationship with our AAH kids in elementary school, and have always helped with our contributions to student tuition. It has been a priceless opportunity to teach them the value of helping others, the importance an education in someone's life and the fact that there is a world of difference in life experience for kids who don't enjoy the benefits we do in our comfortable middle class lives. I've kept every letter we've received from our AAH kids. It's been wonderful to see them grow and mature through the years, and to know that we had a part in shaping their future. This program is very well run, efficient and effective in so many ways for the population it seeks to to serve. It should be at the top of any ratings list of non profits.

As a retired teacher, AAH has been a wonderful organization for me to employ my teaching expertise by helping both here and in Uganda. The school is in an extremely rural area where good choices for education were few. AAH has been active for ten years and the transformation of the village and surrounding areas is becoming more and more evident through this now higher standard of education. The first group of students have now entered university - an unheard of possibility prior to AAH 's impact in the village.

I think AAH is a great organization because they are really focused on results and making a difference. Its not just charity, its an investment in people that will pay it forward.

NGO that supports education in rural Uganda. The consistent high national test scores and rating high above other schools shows that this organization has the tool in place to make a significant difference.

We have created a school in rural east Uganda where students thrive. Prior to our school existing, no child in the village went beyond grade 7. After 10 years of being in existence, 100% of our students are going to secondary school, and we are now sending students to university for the second year. Many of the mothers have started small businesses, and we have two clinics, where before there were none. By giving the students a strong educational foundation, and working with the parents, we are enhancing the lives of the people in the village.

As a former Peace Corps Volunteer (Uganda 1969-70), I sought an organization with a mission to make a meaningful difference in sub-Sahara Africa. Arlington Academy of Hope works at the grassroots level providing education to more than 600 primary, secondary and college students, and has enabled me to give something back to the people of Uganda, who were such welcoming and gracious hosts when I was there so many years ago. We sponsor two primary school children, and it's great to receive their letters about their lives, families, community and school. It is a solid organization, founded by Ugandan-Americans celebrating its 10th anniversary. Stateside, it is almost all volunteer with a very warm, community feel to it. Can't say enough good things about it.

Best non-profit I have had the privilege to work with! The people are so wonderful and welcoming, they really make you feel like you're part of the family.

I am the proud sponsor of a child in Uganda who is attending the AAH school and she loves it!! The girls & boys are thriving at the school -- and they would not have had a chance to attend school without the sponsorships and donors that help fund AAH.

Keep up the good work!

I had a chance to interact with a few Arlington Academy of Hope volunteers, staff, and sponsors and i was thrilled by their tireless dedication in improving the lives of children in rural Bududa in areas of education and health.
Arlington Academy of Hope have put a positive and constructive impression in Bududa. They have also created a forum to promote and advocate for social and economic change. AAH represents a refreshing lesson on upholding social work rather than talking about it.
I want to shine a light on the great work of volunteers like Caitlan Mc Daniel and Molly Daniels who i personally met. These are a classic representation of the amazing work done at Arlington Academy of Hope.

I love that they have found a very specific way to measure success - kids going on to secondary school. When they started, very few children from the community were going on. Now practically everyone is. We sponsor a secondary student. As our own children have grown, I have gotten to see this young man grow up as well. He is already a leader, and he will grow up to be a man who will make a difference, and I am grateful for the opportunity to support his education.

We have sponsored a student through AAH since the beginning days of this fabulous non-profit. The Wanda family is warm, open and caring so it's no surprise that they developed an equally feel-good, do-good enterprise. Their upbringing in rural Uganda gives them the background to channel aid effectively and efficiently to those who need it most while their education and organizational skills give them the ability to accomplish this feat in a thoroughly professional manner.

We have been sponsoring two students at the Arlington Academy of Hope (AAH) for many years and have also contributed to the funding of the experimental farm at the school. Students at AAH primary school in Bumwalakani have achieved high scores on the national exams to be admitted to high school and to university. The experimental farm is a relatively low cost project where students grow vegetables to be consumed in the school and in the village and where they learn farming techniques which they can share at home or with others. Aside from the school and the farm, AAH has been successful in setting up health clinics where thousands of people have been able to get care annually. AAH has also been instrumental in getting small loans to women entrepreneurs. This has enabled the women to earn income and increase family income for their food, housing, education and health expenses.
AAH has been able to run all these projects for many years with an overhead not exceeding 6% of annual contributions. Its founders, John and Joyce Wanda, as well as their families and the local staff in Bumwalakani have been the exemplary driving forces of this non-profit. Also exemplary have been the Board Members and the volunteers to AAH.

We have been child-sponsors for 2 students for many years. We have met the Wandas (real people making a difference, who started the school) and we feel like we know our students who write us several times a year. We see their growth through these letters, and it is simply amazing. They know us through our letters to them. Tracking volunteer efforts in Uganda is easy; the newsletter informs us about education and community events as well as tragedies (such as flooding, mudslides, etc). AAH is a model for low-overheard (no overhead?) non-profit NGOs. I hope to someday spend some summer weeks volunteering at AAH in Uganda.

Over the summer, I spent two weeks volunteering with the Arlington Academy of Hope in Bumwalakani, Uganda. To say it was an amazing experience would be an under-statement. During my time there, I got to see the excellent services the organization provides to the community. You can really see the different the education, health services, support, and joy AAH brings to the area. I hope to one day become the volunteer coordinator for the organization; I had that great of an experience with them!

I visited the village and AAH in April 2005 and could not believe all the good work they were doing in this small village in Uganda. Now their impact throughout the area is even more far reaching.

My daughter just spent a year working for AAH in Uganda. This organization, in three words, MAKES A DIFFERENCE. That is why we are all here, isn't it? AAH is dedicated to improving the lives of Ugandan children, and they are ceaseless in their efforts --from fundraising to volunteering,

I had the fortunate opportunity to volunteer with AAH last year and had the most incredible, life-changing experience. Uganda, as an East African country, has incredible weather all year long and a population eager to accept visitors as family, creates the most relaxing backdrop to do some incredibly impactful economic development work. At AAH, I stayed in the rural village of Bumwalukani and worked at AAH's primary school. I also got to visit government schools in the area, distribute TOMS Shoes, learn more about healthcare at AAH's clinic, and become a sister and daughter to so many beautiful (yet underserved) village community members. During my free time I saw so much of the beautiful country through cheap/weekend safaris and rafting and hiking opportunities. My favorite part, though, was spending time with AAH's hardworking and thoughtful students. These are the most incredible Holden I have ever met. If you ever get the chance to volunteer with AAH, you can be sure to fall in love with each and every one of them. Hands-down the most rewarding experience of my life!

I volunteered with AAH for 1.5 years in Uganda and cannot speak highly enough about the incredible impact the organization has on the greater rural community of Bududa, Uganda. I worked on a variety of projects in the school and community and was witness to every dollar fundraised making the greatest impact. The organization's dedication to life skill acquisition and access to services promotes the growth and development of many individuals within one community. Naturally, this has created drastic changes in the overall outlook of life for our students and their families. The academy of Hope is a true testament to the social transformation the Board of Directors, local staff, teachers, volunteers and friends of AAH work so hard to promote.

I didn't know anything about Uganda until I started volunteering with AAH. I know the money is well spent because I have met the Wandas several times and met some of the volunteers who have gone over to Uganda, as well as Uganda staff. It is really heartwarming to be a small part of an organization that is doing so much good.

Arlington Academy of Hope is an absolutely phenomenal organization. I've spend the past year fundraising for AAH through She's the First, another awesome nonprofit that sponsors girls' education in the developing world. AAH's commitment to gender equality is admirable, and they are doing amazing things for girls and boys alike in Uganda. Not to mention the organization is made up of kind and generous people and volunteers!

I really like that AAH is positive and focused on helping poor kids in Uganda. I was very moved to learn how their schools are giving the kids a change to break out of abject poverty.

My wife and I have supported AAH since the very beginning. We are proud to be a small part in a great organization. Children in rural Uganda now have an opportunity to receive a great education and health care. John Wanda, the founder, and a former work colleague deserves so much credit for giving back to the people in his country of birth. I enjoy reading the updates from John and AAH detailing AAH's progress. And my daughter writes regularly to the girl that we sponsor.

I have helped organize shipments to Africa, helped at the picnic and in preparations for the Gala, amongst other things. I am not ale to travel to Africa myself so I do all I can from this side. It is very rewarding.

love this amazing group - highly dedicated, doing really great work in Uganda

I have supported Arlington Academy of Hope for years, primarily as the sponsor of a student at the school. It is an amazing opportunity to make the difference in the life of a child. AAH is terrific.

This is a great organization producing great results. They are saving many lives, and the kids in Africa deserve it

Arlington Academy of Hope (AAH) is a phenomenal organization doing top rate education and health work in rural Uganda, one of the poorest countries in the world. They work in one of the poorest parts of Uganda, a remote area with dirt roads, little electricity, running water, or sanitation services. In spite of this, they are changing lives. What I like best is that they are very focused on measurable results and can tell you where every dollar comes from. For example, in a region where less than 14% of children graduate from primary school and go on to high school, they have a 100% pass rate on the national standardized tests that determine if you can go on to high school. They rank in the top 1% of more than 19,000 schools nationside based on standardized tests in spite of their remote and impoverished location.