ONE LINER ABOUT
WHO YOU ARE
OUR VISION
Jeremiah House’s mission is that each youth will understand that they were created for a purpose. They will learn that they have value and worth. We will provide them with hope and the foundations for their future. (Jeremiah 29:11)
OUR STORY
In 2008, Melissa Luyiga (Maertens) travelled to Jinja, Uganda to volunteer. During her time there, she met a number of street kids and developed relationships with them by playing soccer, sharing food, and talking with them. What started as a small act of generosity turned into a lifetime mission: to find a way to change these children’s lives for the better. She started paying school fees for 5 boys, but she soon realized that school fees were not enough. With the help of many friends and family, she was able to rent a home, supply 3 meals a day, provide medical care, and hire staff to care for the youth. Five youths grew to 8, then 15, and we are currently supporting 19 youth. In total, we have touched the lives of 37 youth.
OUR WORK
COUNTRY OVERVIEW:
Straddling the equator in East Africa, Uganda earned the nickname “Pearl of Africa.” During the civil wars of the 70’s and the 80’s, Uganda suffered great losses in both economic and social capital. Since 1986, Uganda has had relative peace and stability in most parts of the country—with the exception of Northern Uganda— allowing the government to implement policies to stimulate economic development.
More than 85 percent of the population live in rural areas. Up to 49 percent of Uganda’s population are children under 15 years, and 1.8 million are orphans as a result of the HIV/AIDS pandemic and the civil strife experienced over the last two decades. More than two-thirds of the total population is literate (76 percent men compared to 61 percent women). However, despite the significantly high levels of literacy, up to five million Ugandans above 10 years of age are illiterate.