Finding UOA
Before I found UOA I spent a year wanting to do something to help children orphaned by AIDS, and particularly to do so within a "teach a man to fish instead of just giving him a fish" mode that would help the families build independence in the care they could give to the children. It also mattered a great deal that it be more of a family environment for raising the children, not orphanages. Children grow up and must integrate into society, but with no family within a culture that prizes family ties, what status would the children of orphanages find waiting for them? Also, the ophanage model has already been proven to not meet the emotional needs of children, which is why it is no longer the standard here in the West (America, Europe, etc.), yet overwhelmingly this substandard care is what is funded for children of less financially developed countries.
I was going to create an organization myself because I couldn't find one doing what I envisioned. Then I found UOA! As a volunteer, I have been thanked many times for the work I have done assisting UOA with its efforts, such as creating this website. But really the thanks goes to them. John Rutayuga has done the hard work of creating UOA and developing it into a tool that is affecting the lives of many vulnerable children and those who are trying to care for them. It is wonderful that I can use my technical skills to assist with that. Many thanks to all the workers, here and abroad, making the vision into a healing reality.
