BiZoHa Orphanage - western Uganda
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BiZoHa Orphanage was launched February 26, 2015.
"Bi" is for Biba Kavass, an award-winning Memphis high school teacher in economics. Biba started the first high school KIVA group in Tennessee, and her students are soon publishing a book titled "Microfinance in Action."
"Zo" is Zoltan Istvan, a journalist who writes regularly for Motherboard VICE, Huffington Post, and other publications. "Ha" is Hank Pellissier, director the the Brighter Brains Institute.
BiZoHa was jumpstarted when a successful GoFundMe campaign raised $5,820. A MotherboardVice article, written by Zoltan Istvan, propelled the viral fundraising. 97 people donated to the campaign; 33 contributed $100 or more!
BiZoHa is the first self-proclaimed humanist/secular/freethinker/non-religious orphanage in the world! Every other orphanage, to the best of our knowledge, is supported by a religious group.
The original, generous start-up funds accomplished an amazing amount - a little cash goes a long way in Muhokya, western Uganda!
A large brick building (see photo) was constructed to shelter 25 orphans and staff - the cost was only $3,122. The remaining funds installed a 30-foot deep latrine; brought in a pipeline for water; and seeded a large share of the orphanage’s 7 acres with crops that will be sold in to provide BiZoha with economic self-sufficiency.
Recently, another $1,000 was donated to BiZoHa by Dr. Bruce Chou - these funds will build a classroom for up 60 children (photo below)
To view the rapid progress of BiZoha - only 60 days old! - click HERE .
Orphans will soon be moved to BiZoHa - from Muhokya, Kahendero (fishing village on Lake George), and Kasese (provincial capital). The orphans - like Dopio (top photo) - are 5-8 years old.
Muhokya is near the Rwenzori mountains and the Congo border.
Does Uganda have an orphan issue? Yes it does.
Uganda has 3.5 million orphans. 13% of the population in the BiHoZa’s region is orphaned - the highest percentage in Uganda. Children are parentless due to AIDS, civil war, violence, accidents, and abandonment. One of the BiZoHa orphans - Muhindo Zolash - had his father killed and eaten by a crocodile; hippopotami also kill villagers. (news story) 70% of Ugandan orphans become criminals as adults. 60% of girls end up in prostitution, where the HIV/AIDS rate is 37%.
Education for orphans is limited. Many are subjected to illness, filth, malnutrition, sexual abuse, and child trafficking (slavery). When they “age out” of orphanages, many become “street kids” sniffing glue, stealing, scavenging in garbage dumps, begging.
BiZoHa will provide its orphans with an excellent education, because they’ll be instructed by the highly-regarded, science-based Kasese Humanist Primary School (KHPS). Many graduates of KHPS advance to secondary schools and universities.
The director of BiZoHa - Bwambale M Robert - was orphaned himself at the age of five. He worked his way through high school as a barber, and subsequently received a university scholarship, where he matriculated in Biology. He is the author of the book, “Orphans of Rwenzori - a Humanist Perspective. ”
BiZoHa Orphanage will be economically self-sufficient in 1 year. This goal will be achieved by selling corn, beans, cassava, peanuts, and lettuce grown on its farm, and by selling drinks at a roadside stand, on the adjacent well-traveled road.
Items Needed Now for BiZoHa Orphanage:
$925 - Roadside Stand - FUNDED by Andrea Vogt
$1000 - Two Solar panels! BiZoHa is on the equator, with daily sunshine One FUNDED by Macsen Rex
$1,200 - Kitchen FUNDED by Christine de Brabander
$1000 - Classroom - FUNDED by Dr. Bruce Chou
$700 - 1 year salary for orphan's "Mother" Guardian
$700 - 1 year salary for orphan's "Father" Guardian
Campaign Co-ordinators:
Bwambale M. Robert (Uganda / BiZoHa director)
Sean McGuire (Canada)
Melissa McAllister (Germany)
Zoltan Istvan and Hank Pellissier (USA)
Questions? contact - [email redacted]
"Bi" is for Biba Kavass, an award-winning Memphis high school teacher in economics. Biba started the first high school KIVA group in Tennessee, and her students are soon publishing a book titled "Microfinance in Action."
"Zo" is Zoltan Istvan, a journalist who writes regularly for Motherboard VICE, Huffington Post, and other publications. "Ha" is Hank Pellissier, director the the Brighter Brains Institute.BiZoHa was jumpstarted when a successful GoFundMe campaign raised $5,820. A MotherboardVice article, written by Zoltan Istvan, propelled the viral fundraising. 97 people donated to the campaign; 33 contributed $100 or more!
BiZoHa is the first self-proclaimed humanist/secular/freethinker/non-religious orphanage in the world! Every other orphanage, to the best of our knowledge, is supported by a religious group.
The original, generous start-up funds accomplished an amazing amount - a little cash goes a long way in Muhokya, western Uganda!
A large brick building (see photo) was constructed to shelter 25 orphans and staff - the cost was only $3,122. The remaining funds installed a 30-foot deep latrine; brought in a pipeline for water; and seeded a large share of the orphanage’s 7 acres with crops that will be sold in to provide BiZoha with economic self-sufficiency.
Recently, another $1,000 was donated to BiZoHa by Dr. Bruce Chou - these funds will build a classroom for up 60 children (photo below)
To view the rapid progress of BiZoha - only 60 days old! - click HERE .
Orphans will soon be moved to BiZoHa - from Muhokya, Kahendero (fishing village on Lake George), and Kasese (provincial capital). The orphans - like Dopio (top photo) - are 5-8 years old.
Muhokya is near the Rwenzori mountains and the Congo border.
Does Uganda have an orphan issue? Yes it does.
Uganda has 3.5 million orphans. 13% of the population in the BiHoZa’s region is orphaned - the highest percentage in Uganda. Children are parentless due to AIDS, civil war, violence, accidents, and abandonment. One of the BiZoHa orphans - Muhindo Zolash - had his father killed and eaten by a crocodile; hippopotami also kill villagers. (news story) 70% of Ugandan orphans become criminals as adults. 60% of girls end up in prostitution, where the HIV/AIDS rate is 37%.
Education for orphans is limited. Many are subjected to illness, filth, malnutrition, sexual abuse, and child trafficking (slavery). When they “age out” of orphanages, many become “street kids” sniffing glue, stealing, scavenging in garbage dumps, begging.
BiZoHa will provide its orphans with an excellent education, because they’ll be instructed by the highly-regarded, science-based Kasese Humanist Primary School (KHPS). Many graduates of KHPS advance to secondary schools and universities.
The director of BiZoHa - Bwambale M Robert - was orphaned himself at the age of five. He worked his way through high school as a barber, and subsequently received a university scholarship, where he matriculated in Biology. He is the author of the book, “Orphans of Rwenzori - a Humanist Perspective. ”
BiZoHa Orphanage will be economically self-sufficient in 1 year. This goal will be achieved by selling corn, beans, cassava, peanuts, and lettuce grown on its farm, and by selling drinks at a roadside stand, on the adjacent well-traveled road.
Items Needed Now for BiZoHa Orphanage:
$925 - Roadside Stand - FUNDED by Andrea Vogt
$1000 - Two Solar panels! BiZoHa is on the equator, with daily sunshine One FUNDED by Macsen Rex
$1,200 - Kitchen FUNDED by Christine de Brabander
$1000 - Classroom - FUNDED by Dr. Bruce Chou
$700 - 1 year salary for orphan's "Mother" Guardian
$700 - 1 year salary for orphan's "Father" Guardian
Campaign Co-ordinators:
Bwambale M. Robert (Uganda / BiZoHa director)
Sean McGuire (Canada)
Melissa McAllister (Germany)
Zoltan Istvan and Hank Pellissier (USA)
Questions? contact - [email redacted]
Organizer
Hank Pellissier
Organizer
Oakland, CA