In rural Uganda, accessing medical services can be impossible, which results in families losing loved ones from easily treatable diseases. You have the opportunity to become a founding donor in Guiding Light Orphans' first medical clinic in Uganda, which will provide a large range of medical tests and treatments, helping alleviate pain and extend lives.
Due to the economic differences between the United States and Uganda, and our highly efficienct organization, even seemingly small donations can have immense impact through this campaign. Will you help alleviate suffering and provide hope?
Do you prefer making a one-time donation to medical facility costs, or would you rather provide sustaining support to the monthly operation costs of the clinic? The choice is yours! Monthly donations allow us to plan strategically for the future and grow responsibly, but we also understand that ongoing support isn't always feasible. Whether you choose to give one time, or provide ongoing support to the clinic, we will make sure your donation is used efficiently and responsibly to deliver care and alleviate suffering.
Share: On average every social media share generates between $10-15 for nonprofit organizations, which means taking a moment to tell your friends about this clinic project can have significant impact for minimal time.
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Sponsors: Know a generous individual or company who would be willing to provide an innovative matching campaign? We have a unique opportunity.
Providing consistent, sustainable, life-saving healtcare services will require an initial investment in basic medical equipment and a small monthly cost for essential staff and medications. Fortunately, economics in Uganda allows Guiding Light Orphans to acquire these resources at low cost, which means your donations will go very far in this campaign.
One-time costs:
Monthly costs:
To make these goals more feasible for individuals, we have broken down major expenses into smaller donation amounts that can be covered by a reasonably small group of people. If you are interested in setting up your own campaign for one of these costs for a workplace, social group, or family fundraiser -- we would be delighted to empower you with tools and advice, just contact us!
Our Story
Jolly Lux, founder and executive director of Guiding Light Orphans (GLO), was born and raised in Masindi, Uganda. She came to the United States in 2000 and became a U.S. citizen in 2010. During a trip to Uganda to visit family in 2011, Jolly accompanied her aunt, a local politician, on a tour of some of the rural areas in her native Masindi district. In one of the more remote villages where they stopped, a young woman approached Jolly, assuming that she was there in some official capacity. The woman had AIDS, and she had lost her husband to the disease. She asked Jolly, “Who will care for my four-year-old son when I die?” Jolly responded with stunned and helpless silence. In moments, the woman disappeared back into the crowd. That chance encounter was the seed from which Guiding Light Orphans grew. In that moment, Jolly had no answer for the woman. Now she does.
Founding Guiding Light Orphans
When Jolly returned to the U.S. she felt compelled to do something – she just didn’t know what. She and her husband, Kurt, considered everything from trying to find the boy and adopt him, to financial support, to building a school. They quickly realized they didn’t know what kind of help was really needed. So Jolly returned to Uganda and asked.
On her return trip to Masindi, Jolly met with village elders, social workers, teachers, community leaders, and local council leaders. She learned that the most pressing need is basic healthcare. Lack of access to health information, essential services, and facilities was the root cause of poverty and death in rural villages. She found that those at the greatest risk are the children, many of whom have been orphaned as a result of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. The challenge faced by the woman Jolly encountered on her first visit was all too common.
Having gained first-hand knowledge of the real needs of these communities, Jolly and Kurt fully understood they could not solve all of the issues the people faced, but they knew they could help. From their passion, commitment, and their firm belief that, “a small dent can make a big difference,” Jolly and Kurt founded Guiding Light Orphans, Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
A model for immediate aid AND sustainable change
Based on what she learned from interviewing people in the villages of the Masindi district, Jolly saw the desperate need for immediate assistance, but also recognized that direct aid would accomplish little without long term support. The community leaders Jolly spoke with also made it very clear they wanted to be part of the solution. Involving members of the communities would be critical to the success of any efforts toward improving the health and lives of these people.
"If you give a man a fish, you feed him for a day. If you teach a man to fish, you feed him for a lifetime"
Jolly and Kurt decided on a two-part approach: semi-annual medical camps for direct aid, and resident Village Heath Teams for on-going, community-owned, change.The medical camps deliver urgently needed care. Guiding Light Orphans (GLO) holds them twice a year to deliver basic health screenings, immunizations, education and disease prevention services, and medical referrals when needed.
Training and equipping local teams makes access to basic health services sustainable on a long-term basis. The Village Health Teams (VHTs), currently one man or woman for every two villages in the parishes served, continue to deliver services year-round.
While the services of the medical camps and the VHTs are available to all, GLO focuses on improving the lives of children, many of whom have been orphaned, and their caretakers. And in all of their efforts, they strive to convene and collaborate with other local and global organizations working to improve and empower the lives of the people of Masindi.
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