We need your help! Papito's Education Journey
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Interested in supporting a young, budding human rights lawyer? Meet Papito Francis Ojok. Despite immense adversity including violence, poverty, and war, Papito believes there is hope for peace in his country, and the world.
“My name is Ojok Francis. I was born in Northern Uganda, a small East African country, in the midst of a brutal civil war being waged by a rebel group called the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA). Throughout my childhood I was forced to walk every night to sleep in hospitals to avoid being abducted and turned into a child soldier or killed; a fate many of my friends were not lucky enough to escape. I spent most of my life going to bed without hope of waking up the next morning alive. I will never forget the horror of watching my own village being burnt down, my mother and grandparents being attacked, and my sister being abducted. There has been no justice for these crimes. Against this backdrop I was given the choice to either hate or to love, to revenge or to forgive, to accept war, killing, and mass violations of human rights as the norm for my country; or to transform my anger and frustration into a passion that would drive me to inspire change in my community and country.
I believe that no one should have to go through the trauma and violence I experienced as a child born into war. Since I was young my dream was to become a lawyer and bring justice, reconciliation, and healing to vulnerable and marginalized communities who have been torn apart by war.
Papito meeting with tribal chief to discuss the roles of traditional leaders in stopping and preventing conflict.
I have always known that education is the only tool that would allow me to realize long lasting change in my community and I’ve worked to equip myself to be able to challenge the realities in front of me. Thanks to the generous support of a nonprofit called Invisible Children and other friends, I am the only member of my family to have attended university. I graduated from Kampala International University (KIU) in Uganda with a Bachelors of Law and from Uganda’s Law Development Centre (LDC) with an Advanced Certificate in Legal Practice. During my time at LDC I was involved as a volunteer with the LDC Legal Aid Clinic where I served on the forefront of legal representation of criminal juvenile offenders in Kampala.”
Papito’s passion has always been to advocate for those who the world has forgotten or ignored. He spent nearly 2 years traveling across the U.S. shining a light on the atrocities that were being committed by the L.R.A.
In the time since I completed LDC I have worked as an Associate with the law firm Onyango & Company Advocates in Kampala, Uganda. Recently I worked on the case of the former abductee and LRA fighter Thomas Kwoyelo. Working with the firm has strengthened the practical skills I need as a lawyer to fight for human rights; but, I have realized that if I want to be an effective advocate for the protection of each individual’s rights regardless of their political, social, or religious background there is further knowledge I need to gain. Therefore, I applied for and have been accepted to a two-year dual degree graduate program for Conflict Resolution and Coexistence at Brandeis University near Boston (with a 70% tuition scholarship) and International Law and Human Rights at the University for Peace in Costa Rica (with a 30% tuition scholarship).
I believe the time for change in my country is now. As a master’s student of Conflict Resolution and Coexistence and International Law and Human Rights I believe I can become an agent of peace to enact the change I have spent my life wishing for. Through my studies I hope to learn more about the root causes of conflict, effective methods to resolve conflict, forms and methods of transitional justice, restorative justice, and how to effectively uphold peace and justice during and after conflicts in an international context. I grew up in a community that only valued traditional justice systems and these systems sometimes failed us in times of conflict. I believe that by merging my personal upbringing and culture with my formal education in law I can play a role in bridging these justice systems to bring a more holistic, equitable, and sustainable peace to my community and nation. After completing the Dual MA in Conflict Resolution and Coexistence and International Law and Human Rights I plan to dedicate myself to creating peace in my nation through preventing conflict, acting as a bridge between traditional and modern justice systems, and advocating for the protection of each individual’s rights.
Dual-Program Overview
“The Heller School offers a two-year international dual degree program in which students earn an MA in Conflict Resolution and Coexistence from Brandeis University and an MA in International Law and Human Rights from the University for Peace in Costa Rica. Together, the two degrees provide the breadth of skills and perspectives needed to make a difference at community, regional, national and global levels.
Program Descriptions
Participants spend their first year in residence at Brandeis University, leading to a Master of Arts in Conflict Resolution and Coexistence (COEX) degree...The degree provides the foundations that will enable graduates to design and implement successful interventions that help opposing groups, nations and regions prevent, mitigate and resolve conflicts. The second year of the dual-degree program takes place on the UPEACE campus in Costa Rica...”
“The Master's Program in Conflict Resolution and Coexistence (COEX)...train[s] students in theoretical and practical issues of coexistence in divided societies...and provide[s] them with the professional skills to design and implement successful interventions that enable groups, nations and regions to embrace coexistence values...It is designed to help students develop the ability to foster inter-communal and international cooperation in the face of tension and conflict.”
The Master’s Program in International Law and Human Rights “provides students with a rigorous understanding of the role of law in today’s complex global society. Aside from a focus on the foundational principles and values of the international legal system...considerable attention will be given to the role of international law in conflict and peace...collective security arrangements, international humanitarian law, and peacebuilding. Specific attention will be given to post-conflict situations and ‘transitional justice’ mechanisms, which call for complex international legal and policy arrangements, and are crucial for the implementation of international human rights standards...the [program] provide[s] an understanding of the position and protection of the most vulnerable, in particular refugees and the stateless...In addition, students receive training in hands on skills in the realm of reporting, monitoring and evaluation of human rights.”
Financial Requirements
“I was accepted and awarded a 70% and 30% tuition scholarship to Brandeis University and UPEACE, respectively. I am grateful for this financial assistance, but the amount of money required to make this dream a reality is substantial; and, far greater than anything I could ever realistically come up with on my own. I am reaching out to you to ask for your help. Below you can find a budget that provides a fuller picture of the finances I still need to secure to be able to participate in the program. One thing I have learned throughout my life it is that when you need help you should never feel too ashamed to ask for it. Do you have any connections, financial resources you would be willing to offer as support, or knowledge about scholarships that will help facilitate this academic journey?
Brandeis (Year 1)
- Tuition and School Fees: $20,258
- Personal Fees & Living Expenses: $21,560 (I am required to show I can pay this in advance in order to secure a U.S. student visa).
UPEACE (Year 2)
- Tuition and School Fees: $15,950
- Personal Fees & Living Expenses: $8,250
Total: $66,018
To start, I am hoping to raise the first year's tuition and school fees, plus GoFundMe's 2.9% fee - coming to a total of about $21,000. Should I surpass this goal the money will go toward the remaining financial requirements.
Thank you so much for your support. It means so much to me.
Love,
Papito”
“My name is Ojok Francis. I was born in Northern Uganda, a small East African country, in the midst of a brutal civil war being waged by a rebel group called the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA). Throughout my childhood I was forced to walk every night to sleep in hospitals to avoid being abducted and turned into a child soldier or killed; a fate many of my friends were not lucky enough to escape. I spent most of my life going to bed without hope of waking up the next morning alive. I will never forget the horror of watching my own village being burnt down, my mother and grandparents being attacked, and my sister being abducted. There has been no justice for these crimes. Against this backdrop I was given the choice to either hate or to love, to revenge or to forgive, to accept war, killing, and mass violations of human rights as the norm for my country; or to transform my anger and frustration into a passion that would drive me to inspire change in my community and country.
I believe that no one should have to go through the trauma and violence I experienced as a child born into war. Since I was young my dream was to become a lawyer and bring justice, reconciliation, and healing to vulnerable and marginalized communities who have been torn apart by war.
Papito meeting with tribal chief to discuss the roles of traditional leaders in stopping and preventing conflict. I have always known that education is the only tool that would allow me to realize long lasting change in my community and I’ve worked to equip myself to be able to challenge the realities in front of me. Thanks to the generous support of a nonprofit called Invisible Children and other friends, I am the only member of my family to have attended university. I graduated from Kampala International University (KIU) in Uganda with a Bachelors of Law and from Uganda’s Law Development Centre (LDC) with an Advanced Certificate in Legal Practice. During my time at LDC I was involved as a volunteer with the LDC Legal Aid Clinic where I served on the forefront of legal representation of criminal juvenile offenders in Kampala.”
Papito’s passion has always been to advocate for those who the world has forgotten or ignored. He spent nearly 2 years traveling across the U.S. shining a light on the atrocities that were being committed by the L.R.A. In the time since I completed LDC I have worked as an Associate with the law firm Onyango & Company Advocates in Kampala, Uganda. Recently I worked on the case of the former abductee and LRA fighter Thomas Kwoyelo. Working with the firm has strengthened the practical skills I need as a lawyer to fight for human rights; but, I have realized that if I want to be an effective advocate for the protection of each individual’s rights regardless of their political, social, or religious background there is further knowledge I need to gain. Therefore, I applied for and have been accepted to a two-year dual degree graduate program for Conflict Resolution and Coexistence at Brandeis University near Boston (with a 70% tuition scholarship) and International Law and Human Rights at the University for Peace in Costa Rica (with a 30% tuition scholarship).
I believe the time for change in my country is now. As a master’s student of Conflict Resolution and Coexistence and International Law and Human Rights I believe I can become an agent of peace to enact the change I have spent my life wishing for. Through my studies I hope to learn more about the root causes of conflict, effective methods to resolve conflict, forms and methods of transitional justice, restorative justice, and how to effectively uphold peace and justice during and after conflicts in an international context. I grew up in a community that only valued traditional justice systems and these systems sometimes failed us in times of conflict. I believe that by merging my personal upbringing and culture with my formal education in law I can play a role in bridging these justice systems to bring a more holistic, equitable, and sustainable peace to my community and nation. After completing the Dual MA in Conflict Resolution and Coexistence and International Law and Human Rights I plan to dedicate myself to creating peace in my nation through preventing conflict, acting as a bridge between traditional and modern justice systems, and advocating for the protection of each individual’s rights.
Dual-Program Overview
“The Heller School offers a two-year international dual degree program in which students earn an MA in Conflict Resolution and Coexistence from Brandeis University and an MA in International Law and Human Rights from the University for Peace in Costa Rica. Together, the two degrees provide the breadth of skills and perspectives needed to make a difference at community, regional, national and global levels.
Program Descriptions
Participants spend their first year in residence at Brandeis University, leading to a Master of Arts in Conflict Resolution and Coexistence (COEX) degree...The degree provides the foundations that will enable graduates to design and implement successful interventions that help opposing groups, nations and regions prevent, mitigate and resolve conflicts. The second year of the dual-degree program takes place on the UPEACE campus in Costa Rica...”
“The Master's Program in Conflict Resolution and Coexistence (COEX)...train[s] students in theoretical and practical issues of coexistence in divided societies...and provide[s] them with the professional skills to design and implement successful interventions that enable groups, nations and regions to embrace coexistence values...It is designed to help students develop the ability to foster inter-communal and international cooperation in the face of tension and conflict.”
The Master’s Program in International Law and Human Rights “provides students with a rigorous understanding of the role of law in today’s complex global society. Aside from a focus on the foundational principles and values of the international legal system...considerable attention will be given to the role of international law in conflict and peace...collective security arrangements, international humanitarian law, and peacebuilding. Specific attention will be given to post-conflict situations and ‘transitional justice’ mechanisms, which call for complex international legal and policy arrangements, and are crucial for the implementation of international human rights standards...the [program] provide[s] an understanding of the position and protection of the most vulnerable, in particular refugees and the stateless...In addition, students receive training in hands on skills in the realm of reporting, monitoring and evaluation of human rights.”
Financial Requirements
“I was accepted and awarded a 70% and 30% tuition scholarship to Brandeis University and UPEACE, respectively. I am grateful for this financial assistance, but the amount of money required to make this dream a reality is substantial; and, far greater than anything I could ever realistically come up with on my own. I am reaching out to you to ask for your help. Below you can find a budget that provides a fuller picture of the finances I still need to secure to be able to participate in the program. One thing I have learned throughout my life it is that when you need help you should never feel too ashamed to ask for it. Do you have any connections, financial resources you would be willing to offer as support, or knowledge about scholarships that will help facilitate this academic journey?
Brandeis (Year 1)
- Tuition and School Fees: $20,258
- Personal Fees & Living Expenses: $21,560 (I am required to show I can pay this in advance in order to secure a U.S. student visa).
UPEACE (Year 2)
- Tuition and School Fees: $15,950
- Personal Fees & Living Expenses: $8,250
Total: $66,018
To start, I am hoping to raise the first year's tuition and school fees, plus GoFundMe's 2.9% fee - coming to a total of about $21,000. Should I surpass this goal the money will go toward the remaining financial requirements.
Thank you so much for your support. It means so much to me.
Love,
Papito”
Fundraising team (3)
Lindsey Platt
Organizer
Andrew Nelson
Beneficiary
Papito Francis
Team member
Erica Brandt
Team member