Sustainable Approach

The work of HUGS is delivered by a network of local Trusted Representatives. People with the drive, commitment and creativity to make things happen.

They are in the centre of networks of hardworking, charitable people focused on the improvement of children’s wellbeing. Builders, farmers, parents, teachers, cleaners and many other people prepared to roll their sleeves up and get on with the job.

Father John Kyazze is a university lecturer in Information technology as well as a Catholic Priest. Sr Mary Mukanyangezi is a senior administrator in a large order of nuns and was a representative to the United Nations, Sebastian Waiswa is a father of a deaf child, teacher and director of the Organization of Parents of Disabled Children (OPCD). These are just a few of our trusted representatives. HUGS provides money, finds technical expertise and offers support through debate, dialogue and friendship.

A typical project (if there ever is a typical) usually starts with a conversation with a trusted advisor about their ideas. Ideas like, ‘let’s help educate 15 orphans’, ‘let’s improve school income by opening a hair salon’ or ‘let’s help this girl to become a midwife’. We encourage sustainability and financial planning. The HUGS Trustees allocates funds, sometimes small (‘we would like new play equipment’) sometimes large (‘a science block for all our all girls school would be our dream’). We rely on effective relationships rather than administrative structures to ensure value for money.

The HUGS team in the UK, successfully fundraise over £100K a year from a network of individuals and organisations. We use our contacts to encourage people with relevant expertise to participation in our projects. This can lead to surprising long term relationships, such as the visiting eye surgeons from Moorfields Hospital who restore the sight of some of our children.

We never quite know where our projects will lead us as they develop organically from the ‘bottom up’.

We pump prime projects, rather than maintain financial dependency. When a school is built and running well we allow local management to figure out issues of long term sustainability. We do not own or run any facility. The joy of seeing children’s potential grow is celebrated by local people and we are careful not to take credit away from those who do the work.