About Us
Introduction
Palma Memorial Hope Center (PMHC) is a women-led and youth-serving, voluntary, humanitarian, socio-economic development, private not for profit, community-based organization (CBO), founded in 2017 by a group of skilled and experienced professionals (Social Scientists and Educationists -well-wishers) in Uganda, and is dedicated to addressing the plight of disadvantaged Adolescent Girls and Boys (largely school drop outs between the age of 14 to 24years), who are in dire need of regaining lost Hope and Dignity for improved livelihoods and meaningful participation in development activities across West Nile –Sub-region-Northern Uganda.
PMHC focuses mainly on psychosocial support through counseling Social and Economic empowerment programs for young girls and boys, with a keen emphasis on their Rights to health, education and socio-economic benefits, raise awareness and prevent barriers, create access to social justice, undertake livelihoods and skills development.
Our livelihood programs such as Tree planting for improved nutrition, financial freedom, and environmental protection, catering, events management , music dance & drama, sports for health and unity, are designed while putting the young girls and boys at the fore front of societal behavior change and their socio-economic growth.
We work within churches, schools and communities where the most at risk and disadvantaged young girls and boys are easily accessed. Through innovative ways, we involve the young and capture their voices to inform our activities and programming.
Our Impact
Empowered Girls and Boys are able to embrace financial freedom and better livelihoods with restored Hope & Dignity. Timely recording of our impact as follows:
- In less than 4 years 2 districts covered so far (Arua and Obongi)
- 11 pioneer Girls counseled and completed economic skills training in Tailoring and Saloon, and were commissioned. To-date they are happily earning a living while utilizing the knowledge and skills acquired at the Hope Center.
- 140 Girls and 10 boys completed economic skills training as well and are waiting for graduation due this year.
- Total of 140 Girls and 10 Boys socially empowered and can take personal decisions and some are community leaders able to influence government decisions.
What We Aim to Address (Solve)/Core Objectives
- The lives of adolescent boys and girls in Uganda are largely affected by poverty, inadequate education and skills, diseases, and unemployment.
- 19% of women aged 14-19 have given birth at an early age which interrupts their education and any future opportunities.
- There is high teenage pregnancy that has led to high school drop-out rate for especially girls with some schools registering as low as 5 % completion rate.
News
Empowered Girls and Boys are able to embrace financial freedom and better livelihoods with restored Hope & Dignity. Timely recording of our impact as follows:- In less than 2 years 1 district covered so far.
Our Strategic Objectives
- To provide a conducive environment for proper healing and learning for the traumatized adolescent girls and boys for their better livelihood.
- To provide the badly needed psychosocial support to the under privileged adolescent girls and boys.
- To provide economic skills empowerment and social empowerment to the most affected girls and boys.
- To protect and restore the environment from degradation by the local communities.
- To fully participate in sports for increased health and Unity among adolescent boys and girls and their communities.
- To increase on awareness and access to quality health services, and care for adolescent girls and boys in areas of operation.
- To strengthen advocacy efforts and institutional capacity to improve the health, social economic challenges and educational opportunities for the adolescent girls and boys.
Executive Summary
‘’The productive potential of adolescent girls and boys in Uganda is critically limited by the reciprocal relationship between low health, education and empowerment indicators. With very little incentive to attain relevant skills training, girls choose to have children early and become engaged in risky behavior suffer rejection and isolation not only by family alone but society at large, further hampering their ability to generate income’’.
To address these challenges, PALMA MEMORIAL HOPE CENTER (PMHC) a Community Based Organization, Accredited by Ministry of Education -Directorate of Industrial Training, Private Not for Profit is dedicated to addressing the plight of disadvantaged Women and Youth Inclusive the Disabled and Adolescent Girls and Boys (largely school drop-outs) who are in dire need of regaining Hope and Dignity for better Livelihood.
From a very humble beginning and No Donor Funds, with enrolment of only 11 girls and 2 boys, 7 girls out of the 11 did very well their training in Economic Skills-Tailoring and Saloon Care & management, and were successfully commissioned by the Arua District Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) and the District Community Development Officer (DCDO), on August 10th 2019 during the Official launch of the Hope Center. To-date, the 7 girls have registered huge testimony of financial independence, regained Hope, dignity and improved Livelihood. This reality of changed lives remains our key motivation to support more vulnerable Girls and Boys who have lost hope in themselves, their families and the communities they come from. By end of 2022 a total of 150 youths managed to complete skills training from the 2 Centers of Obongi and Arua. Currently we have enrolled up to 51 learners (48 girls and 3 boys). We target supporting 100 girls and boys per year and total of 500 Beneficiaries in the 5 years of our Rehabilitation interventions. However, the figures could change to a desirable number such as 1000 Women and Youth supported in the 5 years funds permitting. It’s a concerted effort.
Thanks to the Ugandan government that issued us incorporation certificate in 2017, CBO operating permit in 2018 for Arua and in 2022 for Obongi district, MoE-DIT-Accreditation Certificate and continued to support the Hope Center through the direct participation of District and Sub- County officials. We are forever grateful to the NGO Network for issue of Certificate of Recognition/membership and working closely with us, especially linking us to other partners and collaborators such as UNFPA, CEFORD, CARE INTERNATIONAL, RAHU, RICE Uganda, and OXFAM. Lastly, we thank the families and communities who ably joined hands with PMHC to ensure success and changed socio-economic lives of the Vulnerable Women and Youth
.We look forward to your continued support to the Hope Center Rehabilitation Intervention for Better Livelihoods and Sustainable Development. Please read more about us, our programs and impact plus where we work as you meet our incredible Team of professional Board of Directors and Staff. Most welcome to Donate & Volunteer with us.
Eyotaru A. B. Lillian
Founder and Executive Director
