About Us
What is ASUNEF?
ASUNEF is a non-profit youth organization devoted to guiding the youth of the community on a path of integrity, education, self-sustainability, and compassion. We provide after school programs as well as programs during school breaks that mentor, teach vocational skills, and offer recreational activities for the youth in our village.
Why?
Poverty breeds a multitude of additional societal problems. In the village of Mahwa, children from impoverished families were dropping out of school, begging for money, entering into early marriages, participating in underage drinking, and committing crimes such as theft and drug use. Many of the youth were lacking purpose. They had been born into poverty, and they accepted that life. However, we know that by providing them with opportunities to get involved in their community and interact with each other, they can become empowered to reach for higher goals. The other part of the problem is financial. All of the children at ASUNEF come from poor families and several have lost one or both parents due to disease, accidents, or abandonment. But we don't believe that these circumstances should stop anyone from achieving their dreams.
Our Philosophy
Like the Chinese proverb, "Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime," we believe in providing the youth with skills to make an honest living so that they can put themselves through school, take care of their future families, and never have to rely on outside aid in order to thrive. Self-sustainability is one of the most valuable gifts we can give the youth of Mahwa.
Our Vision
The youth of Mahwa growing into educated individuals who begin a new cycle of prosperity by teaching their own children the importance of education, self-sustainiblilty, compassion, and integrity.
Our Mission
Through recreational activities, vocational training, mentorship, and a whole lot of love, support and encouragement, we will guide the youth of our village down a path of integrity, compassion, and education so that they are able to take responsibility and ownership over their futures, with the comfort of knowing that they will forever have a family in ASUNEF.
Our Objectives
-To mentor and teach the youth to be self-sustainable, compassionate, and valuable members in their communities.
-To empower the youth by equipping them with vocational skills that will allow them to generate their own incomes, sponsor themselves through school, qualify for a variety of jobs and careers, and fully provide for their future families.
-To eradicate idleness, abuse, intolerance, illiteracy, crime, and poverty in the village of Mahwa.
-To encourage and foster creativity and critical thinking among the youth of the village of Mahwa.
-To provide a safe place in the village where the youth can meet, share, and unite efforts in order to create better lives for themselves.
Our History
The idea of ASUNEF was dreamed up in 2005 by Mugume Nicholas, Kwesiga Arthur and Tayebwa Allan. This trio had grown up in the village of Mahwa and watched in alarm as they saw the youth getting sucked into the cycle of poverty.
"We had a dream to give these children a second chance, but how could we make it a reality?" they asked themselves.
The young men agreed that the first step in creating a foundation would be to form a solid base of support. So, each of them recruited a trusted friend to join the cause and, within two weeks, three became six. On December 22, 2005, the six proudly founded The Association of United Efforts.
Each member contributed one-thousand Ugandan shillings, which totals to approximately $3 USD. With this money, they printed 40 letters asking for support, and traveled door to door in the village seeking assistance. Many villagers were unable to help, but some were so overjoyed with the idea, so they gave what they could to join in the effort to change the circumstances of the youth in Mahwa.
Today, ASUNEF has thirty youth members from the village. Not every child attends the programs every day, but they know that the doors of the Association of United Efforts are always open.
ASUNEF is a non-profit youth organization devoted to guiding the youth of the community on a path of integrity, education, self-sustainability, and compassion. We provide after school programs as well as programs during school breaks that mentor, teach vocational skills, and offer recreational activities for the youth in our village.
Why?
Poverty breeds a multitude of additional societal problems. In the village of Mahwa, children from impoverished families were dropping out of school, begging for money, entering into early marriages, participating in underage drinking, and committing crimes such as theft and drug use. Many of the youth were lacking purpose. They had been born into poverty, and they accepted that life. However, we know that by providing them with opportunities to get involved in their community and interact with each other, they can become empowered to reach for higher goals. The other part of the problem is financial. All of the children at ASUNEF come from poor families and several have lost one or both parents due to disease, accidents, or abandonment. But we don't believe that these circumstances should stop anyone from achieving their dreams.
Our Philosophy
Like the Chinese proverb, "Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime," we believe in providing the youth with skills to make an honest living so that they can put themselves through school, take care of their future families, and never have to rely on outside aid in order to thrive. Self-sustainability is one of the most valuable gifts we can give the youth of Mahwa.
Our Vision
The youth of Mahwa growing into educated individuals who begin a new cycle of prosperity by teaching their own children the importance of education, self-sustainiblilty, compassion, and integrity.
Our Mission
Through recreational activities, vocational training, mentorship, and a whole lot of love, support and encouragement, we will guide the youth of our village down a path of integrity, compassion, and education so that they are able to take responsibility and ownership over their futures, with the comfort of knowing that they will forever have a family in ASUNEF.
Our Objectives
-To mentor and teach the youth to be self-sustainable, compassionate, and valuable members in their communities.
-To empower the youth by equipping them with vocational skills that will allow them to generate their own incomes, sponsor themselves through school, qualify for a variety of jobs and careers, and fully provide for their future families.
-To eradicate idleness, abuse, intolerance, illiteracy, crime, and poverty in the village of Mahwa.
-To encourage and foster creativity and critical thinking among the youth of the village of Mahwa.
-To provide a safe place in the village where the youth can meet, share, and unite efforts in order to create better lives for themselves.
Our History
The idea of ASUNEF was dreamed up in 2005 by Mugume Nicholas, Kwesiga Arthur and Tayebwa Allan. This trio had grown up in the village of Mahwa and watched in alarm as they saw the youth getting sucked into the cycle of poverty.
"We had a dream to give these children a second chance, but how could we make it a reality?" they asked themselves.
The young men agreed that the first step in creating a foundation would be to form a solid base of support. So, each of them recruited a trusted friend to join the cause and, within two weeks, three became six. On December 22, 2005, the six proudly founded The Association of United Efforts.
Each member contributed one-thousand Ugandan shillings, which totals to approximately $3 USD. With this money, they printed 40 letters asking for support, and traveled door to door in the village seeking assistance. Many villagers were unable to help, but some were so overjoyed with the idea, so they gave what they could to join in the effort to change the circumstances of the youth in Mahwa.
Today, ASUNEF has thirty youth members from the village. Not every child attends the programs every day, but they know that the doors of the Association of United Efforts are always open.
