About Acres of Hope Uganda
After years of being terrorized by the Lords Resistance Army and becoming the worlds epicenter for HIV/AIDS, Northern Uganda is working to get back up on its feet. Public education is limited and the quality is poor, clean water and electricity are rare, and most people call mud huts with a grass roof, home. Thousands of children have lost one, if not both parents and their opportunities to obtain life’s basic needs are few and far between. Daily, children wake up before the sun, walk miles to fill up dirty jugs with even dirtier water, and trudge back home with the heavy containers on their heads, only to go to bed fighting hunger pains.
Located in Nebbi, Uganda, Acres of Hope provides hope for a future to orphans and vulnerable children by providing them with basic needs such as food, shelter, medical care, and an education. The goal is that these children will mature and become productive, generous citizens who will pay it forward and be bright lights in the community.
Pastor Geoffrey
Pastor Geoffrey is the dedicated visionary, founder and leader for Acres of Hope. Hundreds of children and adults call him “Dad.”
His faith and relationship with the Lord can be compared to that of Noah. When he began planning Acres of Hope, people thought he was crazy. Locals told him it was not possible, but Geoffrey forged ahead. Geoffrey knew that God allowed him to survive an awful childhood so that he could help hundreds, if not thousands of other orphans and vulnerable children know the love of Christ and live a better life. Geoffrey is an example of what it means to be selfless, compassionate, faithful, determined, patient, and incorruptible. He is a man after God’s own heart.
Homes
The first structures built at Acres of Hope were pods houses.There are currently (2023) six houses, each one is home to about eight young children and a house mom. There is also a girls dorm, home to approximately 100 teenage girls, and a boys dorm is opening soon! In total, nearly 250 students live on campus during the school year. Other students live in the community with guardians or caretakers who receive support from Acres.
School
Before Acres of Hope, most of these children prayed for school fees so that they could attend school. Now, hundreds of students have had their prayers answered as they attend school at Acres of Hope (or have their school fees paid for so that they can attend another school). When the school first started, some of the classes met under a mango tree, and others met under tarps. The rain and storms frequently caused problems and classes had to be cancelled. There are now multiple permanent school buildings that include nursery school, primary school, office space, computer lab, and clinic! Secondary school started at Acres in 2023 in a temporary building. A new secondary building will be under construction next!
Agriculture
Some of the steps in becoming self-sustainable is the development of numerous agricultural projects. From goat rearing, to dairy cows, to pigs, turkeys, ducks, and chickens, Acres of Hope feels like a farm. The children learn practical skills while they help care for the animals. The animals provide food for the students as well as an income for the program. Aquaponics is a unique project, the first of its kind in Northern Uganda. Its a’fish pond, in which the waste is pumped out to nearby gardens and used a fertilizer. In addition to the aquaponics gardens, Acres of Hope recently planted a banana plantation, and has several other plots of land for growing crops.
Women’s Empowerment
In addition to supporting the students, Acres of Hope empowers the caregivers, mothers, and other women in the community by providing the resources to earn an income. Some women are currently raising animals such as goats and pigs as a long term investment, while others are creating and selling beautiful artwork.