Our Vision
A world where all children are loved, enjoy equal opportunities and resources, and live happy lives free from discrimination, abuse and exploitation.
Our Mission
To provide a loving home and sanctuary for orphans, abandoned and abused children, equipping them with programmes that empower and interventions that meet their health, academic, social and psychological needs
It is within this home that Grace Villa’s founder Ruth resides with 24 girls between the ages of 3 and 21. The rest of the 200+ girls are under community and kinship care. The first course of intervention at Grace Villa is to empower and enable extended families to care for the orphaned girls in their own home settings.
These consist of mainly grandmothers, and sometimes big sisters, aunties and older cousins. It is only those children that we completely fail to settle with safe, extended family, or those who are brought to us by the police or probation offices that are given a home at Grace Villa. The Matrons oversee all home affairs.
The girls follow a timetable to participate in the various home and compound chores, just like any child would do in a home. Meal time is family time. The girls gather around the table to pray, eat and share what happened that day.
Each girl has a bed of their own, in rooms that we try to personalize as best we can. Each school day, the girls go to school in the morning, and return home in the evening. Over the weekend the girls do chores, general cleaning, and just hang out in the mornings.
The afternoons get busy, as this is our Project Day. Every child that Grace Villa supports is expected to come and participate in the various games and activities that have come to define Grace Villa. Sports, tailoring, baking, music, dance and drama, debate club, knitting and mat making.
Each week, these activities are complimented by prayer, praise and worship, life skills development talks and counseling sessions all aimed at raising an all-round, responsible and God fearing girl child.
Sunday’s are for church in the morning, then we all go home for lunch, which is an event. This is the one day we have an elaborate meal, cooked by whoever is slated on the time table. Each “chef ” tries to outdo herself each time. In the afternoons we go in nature walks, the girls read, write in their journals, watch television, play board games or simply relax.
In Ruth’s words, “We have the precious gift of getting to watch them grow and evolve each day”. They all have a tough story to process through. Our job is to nurture them towards the realization that their horrific pasts do not define them, and that they are now safely home.
The individual stories of each one of these 140 beautiful children in our care are what push us to keep struggling, raising our voices, writing, traveling around Uganda and the world to tell their stories and inspire action.