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Uganda, Africa Sustainability Non-Profit

Empowering Lives, Building Sustainable Futures

Give to Vocational Training

About Us

Hope Shine Uganda is a Christian organization dedicated to empowering vulnerable women and children from urban slum communities in Uganda, breaking the generational cycle of poverty. Founded in 2012 by Joseph Arineitwe, the ministry was born out of a deeply personal experience. After witnessing the profound challenges his own sister faced when she became pregnant at 15 — rejected by some of their family and ostracized by the community — Joseph felt a divine calling to support young girls enduring similar hardships.

Many of the women Hope Shine serves have little to no education. Often, they leave rural Uganda for the city in search of employment, only to find themselves trapped in slum conditions. Many work as domestic helpers for as little as $12 a month — sometimes without pay — while others are exploited or forced into prostitution to survive.


Our Mission
Who Does Hope Shine Serve and Why?

We serve the people living in the Namuwongo slum, which is one of Kampala's largest slums. (Kampala is the capital city of Uganda.)

  • 90% of households live in extreme poverty earning less than $1 a day.
  • The median age is 16 years old, and about 77% of the people are below 25 years old due to the HIV/AIDS epidemic
  • POVERTY is the reason for so many teenage pregnancies
  • Many young girls from poor families are forced into “early marriages” or transactional sex to earn a living.
  • 42% of girls marry (not in the legal sense) before the age of 18.
Meet The Team

Daphine's Story

Daphine is a single mother of two children. She successfully completed Hope Shine’s year-long vocational program in December 2022, earning a certificate in tailoring and fashion design. While in our program, Daphine showcased exceptional dedication and talent and was one of our top students. To support her promising future, we presented her with a sewing machine at graduation. She started her business from her single-room house.

Daphine moved to a new location in June 2023 to expand her business. Recognizing the opportunity for additional revenue, she also started selling soft drinks in her busy area. She is now able to pay her children’s school fees and rent for her residence. She dreams of establishing a mini-supermarket and expanding her workshop to manufacture uniforms for the schools in her community.

Daphine's Story

Anita's Story

Anita moved from her village to the city of Kampala in search of employment after dropping out of school, due to the lack of school fees. She ended up in the slums of Kampala where she started working as a maid. She was abused by her employer who threw her out when she became pregnant. As a result, she found herself homeless and without the means to return to her village. Upon learning of her situation, Hope Shine began providing support until she gave birth to her precious baby. We then enrolled her in our vocational program, where she successfully graduated with a certificate in hairdressing and cosmetology. Hope Shine provided the necessary equipment for Anita to start her own hair salon. Today, she is a proud business owner and she has worked so hard to expand her business. She is now able to provide for her family and her baby is attending baby classes (preschool).

Anita's Story

Alice's Story

Alice is a mother of two children. She used to work as a maid, but she faced significant struggles trying to provide for her kids and afford life’s essentials. When she came looking for food assistance for her family, an opportunity arose for her to enroll in a year-long tailoring and fashion design course at Hope Shine Uganda.

In 2021, Alice graduated as one of the top students and was given the equipment to launch her own shop. Today, Alice successfully manages two shops where she employs two individuals. Thanks to her determination and hard work, her children are now comfortably attending school, and she is able to support her family.

Alice's Story

Our Impact In Numbers

52
Children Sponsored
599
Women Enrolled In Group Savings
1250
Vocational Graduates
600
Families Fed Each Month
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