What We Do
Our Programs
Educating Vulnerable Children
At H.E.A.L. International we believe in “Opportunity Through Education”. Orphaned and vulnerable children are supported to attend school through general sponsorship and scholarships which also support their health, nutritional and personal needs. Those who complete their education return to acts as mentors to others in our program to provide motivation, guidance and support.
Our sponsorship program provides education to children that may not have the opportunity to attend school and places them on a path towards a brighter future. We’ve helped hundreds of children to complete their secondary school education and gain the skills to support their own well-being.
Winnie (in yellow shirt) is in Primary 6. She has lost both parents and stays with an uncle and 5 cousins in a one room home.
H.E.A.L. International has an established scholarship program for post-secondary professional and vocational training. Since 2010, H.E.A.L. scholarships have helped 34 students study/complete post-secondary degrees, diplomas, or certificate programs.
Edvin is the oldest of 4 girls from a very poor family and was being cared for by a grandmother who couldn’t afford to send her to school. She is now starting a vocational program as an electrical engineer and is keen to break into this male-dominated field.
To support youth like Edvin and others to achieve their educational goals, please donate.
Peer Health Education
The Peer Education Rwenzori (PER) program (formerly the Peer Education Kabarole program) provides peer-to-peer health education each year to approximately 9,000 adolescents in 15 secondary schools in western Uganda. The program involves student peer educators to provide information on topics such as HIV, AIDS, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), pregnancy and relationships, oral health, and mental health, and in doing so, equip students with the ability to make decisive choices that position them for long and healthy lives. Over the past 13 years, this program has provided outreach programs and training to educate and keep youth safe and healthy.
For more information, visit the PER website.
School Construction
In 2014, H.E.A.L. partnered with the rural Ugandan community to construct a new secondary school in their village. St. Lawrence Secondary School (SLSS) is located in Kahangi Village, Kabarole District in western Uganda. Prior to our involvement, students had to walk between 10 and 25 kms a day to the nearest secondary school. This meant that students had to leave their homes before sunrise and return after sunset.
Through the support of our donors, we constructed a three-block school structure that also houses a library and laboratory. Part of the funding was through a legacy donation made in memory of Mr. Ayaaz Janmohamed of Edmonton.
This school now has 220 students enrolled (as of March 2023) with females making up the majority of the classes.
In April 2021, SLSS received its permanent registration and is posed to apply to be a government school. With the addition of 40 single desks, they could be certified for “O” level exams whereby saving local families an additional expense as students could write their exams in their own community.
If you would like to donate to School Construction, please contact us.
Global Citizenship
H.E.A.L. contributes to building global citizenship through the active participation of Canadian university students in our Learning Beyond Borders (LBB) program. Clubs currently operate at the University of Calgary and the University of Alberta.
Established in 2008, the aim of this program is to instill a sense of global citizenship in youth in Canada and to foster interactive communications between them and youth in Uganda. These LBB clubs raise funds to support the Kakooga, Rugaaga and Kyakayombya Primary Schools.
Where We Work
Uganda, officially the Republic of Uganda, is a country in East Africa, bordered on the east by Kenya, the north by Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by Tanzania.
Uganda is a country with a lot of beauty and natural resources.
Kabarole District, where most of our work takes place, has a current population of 400,000. The district has 127 primary schools (113 government, 9 private and 5 community) and 31 secondary schools (14 government, 5 private and 5 community). Kabarole is primarily a rural area and has a high rate of poverty, illiteracy and poor health including HIV/AIDS.
Our Impact
H.E.A.L. was founded in 2008. During this time, we’ve undertaken several activities and outreach programs and the impact of these efforts are now evident.
Since our founding, over 800 orphaned students have been provided with school fees, supplies, and meals to allow them to graduate from secondary (high) school.
Full scholarships have been awarded to 28 orphaned children to complete post secondary degrees and diplomas in the fields of medicine, nursing, laboratory technicians, law, environmental health, construction, and tourism.
H.E.A.L. International created linkages between students in Canadian high schools and universities with students in primary schools in rural Uganda. These connections have led to a four-fold increase in students achieving the highest tier in their Primary Leaving Exams.
The Peer Education Rwenzori program has brought sexual & reproductive health education to over 30,000 secondary students since its inception. Curriculum materials that reflect the local context have been created in the areas of oral health, sexual & reproductive health and mental health (in progress).
Geographical barriers can prevent poor children from getting an education. Our work with a local community has led to the construction of a secondary school where over 100 students (the majority of which are girls) are now getting an education in their own village.
