Report from BHW Uganda Partnership Facilitator

Recent Events

Anna

We were very saddened to hear of the sudden death of our much-loved partner Anna Ocen (centre in photo) on 14 January 2024. This was following surgery complications and was unexpected. This has left her husband Simon deeply grieving, and I have had discussions with him, and also with their daughter Fiona. Anna and Simon's other daughter, Deborah, is profoundly deaf and I am unable to communicate with her from New Zealand. I am sure that this is really difficult for her too. Our hearts have gone out to the family and Bright Hope World has sent some funds to support the family with the burial and related costs.

Anna’s death has left a huge hole. She was such a loving, generous, kind and wise woman. We have always enjoyed our time with the family, and been greatly impressed by her commitment, organisation and dedication to those that she has served. She has also blessed many people by her commitment to travel and minister to other women both in Uganda and abroad at various times, despite truly serious and at times life threatening health setbacks. These have not stopped her from reaching out to and caring for others.

Hope Restoration Centre 

Presently there are five young people who are finishing their education/training, and for whom Hope Restoration Centre is their one and only home. Tom Okello is still in school doing S6. He has just returned to school this week. Elvis is training to be a teacher at Chamboko University in Kampala. Fiona connects with Elvis fairly regularly and is impressed with his diligence and his commitment. Yeko has finished his O and A levels and is presently studying towards a Diploma in Law. Maurice is doing agriculture, and Jen who is the youngest has just yesterday done her entrance exam to be admitted to train as a nurse. Her school results were OK, and she is looking for a placement, once she has been accepted. Others among those who lived there return regularly to connect with the remaining people living at HRC.

Fiona end Penninah are very aware that the existing house in Lira will no longer be suitable. There are difficulties with the landlord who is probably likely to increase the rent to 900,000 UGX per month (US$236) from July. In 2023 Anna persuaded him to only increase the rental to 750,000 UGX (US$198) and last year's budget was based on this. Fiona is to start the process of determining whether they would be able to find a cheaper rental property in the meantime with a rental of around 300,000 to 400,000 UGX (US$110) per month. This is a good practical step.

It is important for us to continue our current level of support at the moment. Fiona and Simon are both aware that this is going to decrease, particularly as the mill starts to operate more effectively. Fiona is travelling to Lira reasonably regularly and advises that the mill has been operating now continuously since March 2024. This is good progress, although we do not know what the income is at present. I have asked Simon to give me this information. Fiona indicated that the business is building up, as people become aware of it, and the fact that it is open and operating. She is also aware, based on my previous communications, that the focus of the mill is to produce income so that our support, apart from the actual educational costs, can reduce. She has her own ideas for income generation which she is also exploring and believes that this will also assist a lot. I discussed with her whether there was any place for the young people who have been loved and supported by Penninah and Anna, to start to support Penninah in the future. This may be a possibility, but I am aware that Ugandan culture does not seem to lend itself to such things easily. I know too from our last trip that, even though most of the graduates have achieved some form of “employment”, in many situations that employment does not come with regular income and salary. I will be investigating this issue further as I think there is a great need to encourage the young people to give back to Penninah, who has really poured her life into them. 

Plans for the Future

We are working with Fiona (3rd from left) and Simon to ensure, as far as it is possible, that there is a future for the ministry and the young people at Hope Restoration Centre, and also in the two loan programmes that are operating in Lira and Mbale.

Anna's sudden death  has left a great hole in the ministry. At the same time, we have been able to have some quite encouraging conversations, particularly with Fiona as to the future needs and direction of Hope Restoration Centre. Some of what has been discussed is in the realm of possibilities, and some of it will inevitably need to happen.

Despite the grief, Fiona has very much adopted the mantle left by Anna. I have been greatly impressed by the conversations that I have had with her, and her heart is clearly with the continuation of Hope Restoration Centre in some form, not only for the young people who were rescued from the Lord's Resistance Army between 2003 and 2007  and are now proceeding with their lives, but also for the many other people who are benefitting from the ministry, and our assistance. 

Current Issues and Challenges

Since Anna died, Hope Restoration Centre has not had access to the bank account, as Anna controlled it solely. We are, grateful, however that the bank has not simply closed the account. There are two legal reasons behind this. Firstly, the Ugandan government has now required every company and organisation to be registered with the Uganda Revenue Authority, for taxation purposes. Organisations are not allowed to operate without having done this and banks cannot provide banking service to such organisations until the registration has been completed. Anna had started that process before she died prematurely, and it is well in process. Fiona and Simon have been liaising with the bank to advise them of the steps that are being taken and the bank has understood and is not taking any action to either close or freeze the account. At the same time, there is presently nobody who can fully action or access that account although Fiona is allowed to make withdrawals. This situation is in the process of being resolved. She is hopeful that that issue will be resolved in a few months. Fiona is also in the process of dealing with another of Anna's bank accounts, which required an application for Letters of Administration. 

Once the registration process is completed, the bank will still require the Letters of Administration process to be completed before enabling Fiona to fully access the account and operate it. This is quite a lengthy process and will take many months, particularly in a country like Uganda. In the meantime, we did discuss where funds should be sent for HRC. Apparently, Fiona can access the account for withdrawal of funds and the existing arrangements should now continue as we have this clarification. 

Comments / Recommendations

1) We continue the existing HRC support at its 2023 level until July/August 2024, when it will be reviewed as hopefully they will have resolved the accommodation situation and moved to cheaper accommodation.

2) We continue to support the education of the remaining five young people. That is the commitment that was made in 2007 and it is reasonable to ensure that this is finished in the same spirit.

3) We encourage Fiona to continue to step into leadership and management of HRC, and particularly to work with Penninah to develop a plan for the future and appropriate income generation activities which will supplement the income from the mill, and will hopefully ensure that our support for costs, apart from the education and accommodation costs, is able to cease or reduce significantly in the next two years.

4) We recognise Fiona as the appropriate successor to Anna in this work. Simon has sent me what is effectively Anna’s last wishes, and this is what she wanted and what Fiona has willingly agreed to. This will obviously be subject to review as matters develop.

Fiona has a longer-term vision for Hope Restoration Centre than simply supporting the young people. In her words, Anna was totally committed to helping others and was not particularly money focused. Many others have benefited from HRC.  She would hope that there would be suitable future accommodation for Penninah in Lira, and for the continuation of the good work that Anna and Penninah have done. That is not going to be something that Bright Hope World is necessarily going to support but it is great to see that Fiona is working on practical solutions.