Education sponsorship
Scholarships, uniforms and scholastic materials give vulnerable children a place in class, with girls supported to stay in school.
Acred Hill of Hope · Mukono, Uganda
Where hope has room to grow: through Love, Learning, Work .
We walk with vulnerable children, women and youth in Mukono, Uganda, giving them meals, school and skills to build a future of their own.
Registered NGO in Uganda
Founded in 2020
Children, women and youth, together.
The weight
Free school still costs a child's lunch
In 1997, Uganda abolished tuition fees in primary school. Enrolment grew, and with it the hope that every child would find a place in a classroom.
Yet many children still leave before they finish. Classes are crowded, teachers are stretched and facilities are thin, so learning is hard to hold on to.
And free school is not free of cost. Parents must still feed their children breakfast and lunch, and for a family with little to fall back on, a missing meal can be the reason a child stops coming.
What stands in a child's way
- Poverty
- Conflict
- Distance in rural areas
- Early marriage
- Violence in and around schools
31%
of people in rural Uganda live in poverty
of Uganda's population is under 18, about half
~50%
people seeking refuge in Uganda
1,000,000+
Sources: UBOS National Household Survey 2016/17; Strategic Plan 2023–2028, citing national demographics; Organization Profile
None of this is fixed, and a community that acts together can change it.
Our name
Why a hill?
Names carry stories, and sometimes destinies. A hill is a place you climb together, and from higher ground you see further than you did at the bottom.
Acred Hill of Hope was started by concerned citizens in 2020, after they met families who had nothing to fall back on. We hold to a simple belief: when the sun goes down, the stars come out.
Overcoming poverty is not a task of charity; it is an act of justice.
Love · Learn · Work
Three steps on one road.
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Step 01
Love
Every child needs to belong before they can learn. For the children we sponsor, that starts with breakfast, lunch and supper, and a bed with a mattress and blanket.
Hygiene support, clean water and sanitary pads for all girls at school protect health and dignity, so girls can stay in class.
- Breakfast, lunch and supper every day
- Beds, mattresses and blankets
- Sanitary pads for all girls at school
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Step 02
Learn
A scholarship opens the classroom door. Uniforms and scholastic materials mean a child can walk through it ready to learn.
We empower the girl child, raise awareness of child protection and work to keep girls in school.
- Education scholarships for children
- Uniforms and scholastic materials
- Child-protection awareness and girl-child empowerment
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Step 03
Work
We would rather give a family a net for fishing than the fish itself, so women learn vocational skills and receive startup capital to begin their own livelihoods.
Farming and leadership training follow, along with links to government programmes we help families access: Operation Wealth Creation and the Youth Livelihood Programme.
- Vocational skills and startup capital for women
- Farming and agricultural training
- Leadership training and livelihood programme links
Our work
Six ways we restore communities.
Health and nutrition
Breakfast, lunch and supper for the children we sponsor, plus beds, mattresses and blankets, so they can learn well fed and rest properly.
Water, sanitation and hygiene
Clean water, sanitation and hygiene support, including sanitary pads for girls, protect health and keep children in school.
Skills and livelihoods
Vocational skills, startup capital and agricultural training help women and families build incomes that last.
Women, youth and girl-child empowerment
Leadership training, child-protection awareness and support to keep girls in school help women and young people lead.
Environment and community leadership
We work with community members and local leaders to care for the environment and take responsibility for the place they call home.
A composite day
A day of hope, hour by hour.
A composite day drawn from the support we provide at partner schools. No individual child is identified.
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WakingA bed to wake in
A child wakes in a bed with a mattress and a blanket, rested, warm and ready for the day ahead. It is a small thing that makes every other thing easier.
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Before classBreakfast before class
Before the walk to school there is breakfast, a plate of food to start the day. A child who begins fed can listen, ask questions and keep up.
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In classReady to learn
In a clean uniform and with their own scholastic materials, the child takes a seat among classmates. Nothing marks them out; they are simply a pupil, ready to learn.
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MiddayLunch together
At midday, lunch is shared. Plates are emptied, voices carry across the yard, and the afternoon lessons begin with a full stomach.
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AfternoonDignity and hygiene
Girls receive sanitary pads and hygiene support quietly and without fuss, so they can stay in class and think about the lesson, not the worry.
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AfternoonMothers building livelihoods
Elsewhere in the community, mothers meet to learn skills and save together. Training and startup capital can turn an idea into a stall, a garden or a small trade.
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EveningSupper and homework
Supper comes at the end of the day, then homework at the table. The child falls asleep knowing tomorrow holds a meal, a bed and a place in class.
Impact
What showing up looks like.
Year we began
2020
Regions of Uganda reached: central and eastern
2
Meals a day for the children we sponsor
3
Children we sponsor
50
Women supported with skills
30
Partner schools
6
- School uniforms
- Beds
- Mattresses
- Blankets
- Scholastic materials
- Breakfast, lunch and supper
- Sanitary pads
- Counselling
- Agricultural skills
- Clean water
Counts reflect the 2021–22 review; updated annually.
Voices
In their words.
We believe that one day we shall be able to lift these women out of poverty and see them spearhead development in their families and communities at large.
where we can provide 'a net for fishing', we do it instead of giving 'fish'.
There are limitations in us advancing our work but we are not short of commitment, dedication, transparency, and accountability.
the way to appreciate God for your sight is by giving a hand to someone in the dark.
Gallery
Moments of hope.
Nothing to show in this category yet.
2030
The hill ahead: our 2030 commitments.
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1
Educational sponsorship for vulnerable children
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2
Water and sanitation for communities
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3
Primary, secondary and vocational training centres
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4
Vocational skills for women and youth
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5
Skilling centres for women and youth
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6
Partnerships with like-minded organisations
These commitments sit within our 2023–2028 Strategic Plan, built on three themes: institutional strengthening, policy influencing and socio-economic empowerment.
Read our storyYour move
Be that great generation.
Every sunrise starts small, with someone choosing to show up. Our work depends on people willing to sponsor, partner or give time. Choose the way that fits you, and walk this hill with us.
Partner with us
Bring your organisation's skills, networks or resources alongside ours.
Give time or in-kind
Offer your time, your skills or goods that the children can use.
