Peacebuilding

* Internet Café Project

Knowledge is power, and one of the most effective tools for accessing information is the internet. The internet is by far the most efficient way to interact with peers in foreign countries. But in Uganda, internet usage rates are high, severely hindering most students' access to information and global interaction. Therefore, one of the purposes of this project is to offer internet services to youth at a dramatically reduced rate, paring it with free skills training lessons.

To help offset the costs of running the café, the café space will be used at market rate by the local business community during school hours.

* Sports Project

Sport often unifies people and transcends linguistic or cultural barriers. It provides a platform for non-violent interaction and in some cases can inspire people to avoid violence or delinquent behavior. The PFAI Sports Project organizes free daily sports activities, which are open to all community members. A concerted effort is made to include marginalized youth, including homeless or street involved youth, young women, HIV positive folks or people with disabilities, for example. Before each game, participants engage in a short peacebuilding exercise that is then used as the theme of the day’s game.

PFAI in Aura also operates a ball loan program. Youth are able to sign out footballs (soccer balls), basketballs and volleyballs for use during the day. The aim of the project is to give people the tools to be able to play, an important part of youth development. It has been reported by local authorities that because of this program there has been a reduction in delinquency. Before this program, many youth were idle in the afternoons because of a lack of activities available to them. Studies have shown that when youth are idle, the prevalence of negative behaviors in communities usually increases.

The loan program also to teaches the value of sharing and working together. Sharing sports equipment is a new idea in the Aura area.

A proposed future phase of this activity is a PFAI sponsored “Peace Cup” where randomly created teams of youth from both West Nile and Acholiland will compete together for the cup. The aim of this project will be to link youth from these two areas in a friendly competition where youth from both regions will play with each other, fostering cooperation and peacebuilding.

* Orphanage

PFAI has assisted Lotus Home orphanage in Nepal raise funds in order to help ensure the long-term sustainability of the orphanage. The owner of the orphanage has 15 years experience running a travel office, which he was forced to sell when the civil war in Nepal escalated in 2004. PFAI began working in Nepal with the Lotus Home orphanage in the summer of 2008 and have supported them since through the use of small scale economic ventures, such as a candle-making business. There are currently ten children who are staying at the orphanage and are supervised under the care of a husband and wife, who is an orphan herself. The orphanage is located in the Balaju-Chowk community in the capital city of Kathmandu. PFAI would like to extend programs to help further orphanages in the future.

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Registered Charity Number: 85776 9558 RR0001