My Biography! 06/27/2010
 
Posted by Oneka Richard, 27 June 2010
Born in 1979, I hailed from Attiak, Northern Uganda. The two decades of war in Northern Uganda started (in 1986) when I was only 7 years. I was a refugee at the age of 7 when my mother and the family flew the north to Sudan for 3 years (1987-1989) and later return to Uganda. I grew up in Internally Displaced Persons Camps (IDPs) created as a result of the war where population depends on relief items from World Food Programme and other humanitarian agencies. At the university in Uganda, I studied Social Work and Social Administration, and Gender and Development.  A Social Worker by profession, I  have worked with Salvation Army Home of Joy taking care of children with disability (2002); Medecins Sans Frontieres Switzerland (2004 Shelter Counselor) supporting Night Commuting Children; and with Gulu Support the Children Organization (GUSCO) (Social Worker 2005-2008) supporting the rehabilitation and reintegration of former child soldiers in Northern Uganda. In all these organizations, I have worked to gives hope to hopeless and disadvantaged children and families resulting from war. I am a strong advocate against child abuse, child protection, child discrimination, and promoter of child participation in development. I have developed good understanding and skills of establishing trustworthy rapport with children from my work. My Childhood Dream was to study and help disadvantaged and hopeless children in my community live better lives. My dream has always been to do more for hopeless and underprivileged children in my community and around the world. In fulfillment of my childhood dream, I am hopeful that building a school for orphans will give hopeless and underprivileged children in my community chance to learn, develop their leadership potentials and become active members of their own community development.  From being a refugee in my own country (in the IDP camps) for over 10 years, my first time returning to Attiak was in 2008. A journal about Attiak , andmy involvement and mission with Caleb’s Hope is coming up next!
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It's such a pleasure to get connected to you all and receive my greetings from Uganda.
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First Post! 06/20/2010
 
Richard's personal journal about life and his work in Uganda coming soon.
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