Sponsorship:
Over 125 children were being sponsored as of December 31, 2008. Fifteen children had been pre-screened and remained on a waiting list for sponsors. History:
COVE Alliance originated as one man’s dream, and has become a growing network of caring, gifted people reaching out to orphaned and disadvantaged children in Uganda. Hilary Muheezangango began studying for the Catholic priesthoo
d at University of St. Mary of the Lake / Mundelein Seminary in 2003. Soon he was spending time at St. Mary of Vernon parish nearby. Both informally and in gathered groups, Hilary shared personal stories of growing up in central Uganda, an area that had seen multiple civil wars since his birth in 1972 and now faced a large scale outbreak of HIV/AIDS. Hilary’s personal childhood experiences included roaming and sleeping in jungles while seeking safety during times of war. Some years later, as a young seminarian in Uganda’s Kasana-Luweero Diocese, he ministered to hundreds of orphaned youths who had no one caring for them. “Now the remnants of the war became the victims of HIV/AIDS,” reported Hilary. “Pretty much HIV/AIDS has swept the generation that survived the war, leaving many of the children orphans.”
As Hilary conveyed his deep concern for these young people as well as his vision of how to help, many St. Mary of Vernon parishioners came forward to offer support. They talked with their friends and neighbors, and word rapidly spread. So it was that in April 2005 COVE Alliance, a nonprofit organization serving orphaned and vulnerable children in central Uganda, was founded. Focus of Our Work
Our work encompasses six key areas:
Education: At the heart of COVE Alliance are the educational opportunities that teach young people skills and attitudes for positively impacting their futures. School classrooms, dormitory rooms, and guest apartments are expected to be built at the Center in 2009 and 2010. Primary Education: In the Children’s Outreach Program, children sponsored through COVE Alliance live with a parent or guardian and attend one of three designated elementary schools within a ten-mile radius of Kapeeka. Vocational Education: At the future St. Jerome COVE Center, young people will learn life and trade skills that will equip them for sustaining themselves and their families in the future. Health: A dispensary opened at the St. Jerome COVE Center site in August, 2008. The dispensary provides free healthcare to all students whose primary education is sponsored through COVE Alliance and to those who will become students of the vocational school. It is staffed with a nurse, nursing assistant, midwife, and lab assistant. A doctor will be available on a rotating basis. COVE’s long range goals are to become a source of care and comfort for the sick of Kapeeka, and to use the clinic as a training ground for future students specializing in the fields of childcare and healthcare. Nutrition: Nutritious lunches are provided at school through the Outreach Program for children who are sponsored. Housing: A full needs assessment, including a household survey, precedes a child’s enrollment in the Children’s Outreach Program. As funds become available, basic household needs will be provided to sponsored students. When it is fully operational, the St. Jerome COVE Center will serve as home to some students enrolled in the primary school and the vocational education program.
