About us
We are a UK-based international charity providing funding for grassroots organisations to support vulnerable young adults in Uganda through professional training. Our key objectives are:
To provide professional training for young adults in areas of extreme poverty.
To empower women, and advocate for equal access and opportunity.
To build a sustainable model that removes the need for aid.
Our Timeline
2006
It all begins in 2006 when the founders set out to provide vital support to orphans and vulnerable children (OVCs) with housing, education, health and nutrition. In a generously donated building and volunteer homes throughout the community, they began by supporting 37 children.
2009
In June 2009, Thomas Stewart visited Shelo for the first time, having heard about their work while volunteering for another charity in Uganda. Seeing their need for additional funding, Thomas set up The Shelo Orphanage Foundation in the UK to aid the construction of their own orphanage.
2010
In 2010, mudslides killed 350 people, including 60 children, and buried three villages resulting in thousands becoming homeless. In response to this crisis, Shelo grew from 5 to 20 volunteers and accepted 300 children who were homeless or in child-headed households.
That same year, Shelo received donations to aid the expansion of their community work, and renovation of the community centre. Construction was set to begin in 2011.
2011
In 2011, Shelo started a renovation of the community centre with five new initiatives:
Centre days
Education programme
Nutrition programme
Shelter programme
An HIV prophylaxis programme
A new proposal, budget and timeline were put in place, with the Pilot Education Programme to being in January 2012.
2012
The charity’s full education programme started with all 300 children attending school. This was achieved by removing barriers to entry, and providing children with materials such as school books, pens, pencils, uniforms, and shoes. In June, another mudslide destroyed three villages, killing 18 people, further 70 people unaccounted for, 480 displaced.
In December 2012, Shelo ran a Christmas meal initiative that delivered a meal to all of the homes supporting the 300 children enrolled in Shelo’s school program, with an estimated 1,800 meals provided.
2013
In 2013, a trustee visit was arranged to meet with the committee, staff members and careers to discuss future work. 271 children attended primary school and 29 children attended secondary school (total 300), and lunch fees were paid for 20 children secondary school students, providing them with a nutritious meal each day they attended school.
In December, the Christmas meal initiative ran again, with another estimated 1,800 meals provided to homes.
2014
In 2014, the charity name changed to “The Shelo Foundation” and our Core Ethos and Objectives document was created. Unfortunately, the UK Charity did not have sufficient funding to continue supporting 300 children through primary school, and so support was reduced to 237 in primary school, and 63 in secondary school (300 total). Lunch fees were paid for the 63 secondary school students, providing them with a nutritious meal each day they attended school. In December, the Christmas meal initiative ran again, with another estimated 1,800 meals provided to homes
2015
In 2015, we launched three new initiatives.
Firstly, the home nutrition programme, which began with 2,700kg of seeds for planting delivered to 300 households looking after children.
Secondly, we created a child and home database, aiming to track the progress of each child through school, and create a record of the living situation for each child from 2015 onwards.
Thirdly our female sanitation initiative. We were provided with 45 packs by Pauline Marshall from Selsey Women’s Institute, with each pack containing washable materials that allow the female student to comfortably attend school throughout her cycle. (Prior to this our female students often missed up to a week of school each month due to their periods).
212 children attended primary school and 88 children attended secondary school (total 300). Lunch fees were paid for the 88 secondary school students.
2016
In 2016, the home nutrition programme continued, with a total of 2,700kg of seeds for planting delivered to 300 households looking after children, and each household receiving the same 4kg maize seeds and 5kg of bean seeds at the beginning of the year. The female sanitation packs acquired in 2015 were distributed to 90 of our female students who can now attend school uninterrupted as a result of this initiative.
As the government subsidised primary school much more than secondary school, the fee for secondary education was much more expensive. As a result we gave priority to secondary school students as this is where we saw the greatest need. 164 children attended primary school and 83 children attended secondary school (total 247).
2017
In 2017, our home nutrition programme continued for the 168 homes of Shelo children still attending school. In total, 2,223kg of bean and maize seeds are delivered to these homes at the beginning of the year.
This year, Shelo recruited a nurse, who was supplied with medications to treat common illnesses and infections in the OVCs we supported in line with government guidelines.
127 children attended primary school and 114 children attended secondary school (total 241).
2018
In 2018, the home nutrition programme continued and in total, 1,416kg of bean and maize seeds were delivered to the 168 homes at the beginning of the year.
Thanks to the nurse recruited in 2017, Shelo children were able to receive treatment throughout the year against infectious diseases such as pneumonia and malaria. Another improvement was seen in our return to paying school fees for secondary students.
111 children attended primary school and 125 children attended secondary school (total 236). Lunch fees were paid for the 125 secondary school students, providing them with a nutritious meal each day they attended school
2019
In 2019, three members of Shelo UK visited Uganda to
Visit the assess the programme and look into tertiary education provision as a next step for the charity.
Conducted interviews with Shelo children with regards to their intentions for tertiary education
Research the feasibility of a tertiary education programme, visiting various training centres
The Shelo tertiary education programme was tentatively launched with funding provided for Nashimolo Joel to attend University. Shelo also transferred funds to support families affected by massive landslides in Bududa, including seeds for planting and educational materials.
31 children attended primary school and 21 children attended secondary school (total 52). Full fees were paid for all students to take their exams, progress through school, and receive a nutritious meal each day they attend school.
2020
In 2020 the professional training programme was confirmed and the charity rebranded from The Shelo Foundation to to Path To Prosper.
Although this refocus took place during the global pandemic of COVID-19 we managed to launch a pilot programme with BLC, a trusted education organisation in Bududa and send 6 students through their first year of their chosen vocational courses.
2023
In 2023, we were delighted to return to Bududa and spend some quality time with our students. With Brenda, our Head of Pastoral Care, and Justine, our Head of Education, we set about assessing our challenges and successes so far, and making further plans and improvements in our programme for the future.
A crucial part of this trip was to spend time with the course leaders at BLC, to witness our student experiences first-hand, to speak with their teachers, and to understand a real day in the life of a Path To Prosper student.
A major highlight of the trip was celebrating Nashimolo Joel’s graduation from his pharmacy diploma in Kampala University. Together with Brenda, Justine, and Joel’s foster mother, we travelled across the country together for this momentous occasion in Joel’s life. He has now secured work as pharmacist in a town near to Bududa, and we have also invited him to join the Board of Trustees at Path To Prosper.