Joanna Macintosh

Esuubi's vision is to see a Uganda where every child knows the love of a mother, the support of a family and the hope of a future.

880,000 children were orphaned in Uganda during the AIDS epidemic of the 1990s and millions have been displaced by civil war in the north of the country. 60% of the population are illiterate, secondary education is not state-funded, if parents can't afford to send their children to school, they don't go. Instead they are likely to end up working on their relatives' land from a very young age. Going to school is a luxury reserved for those who can afford it.

Esuubi believes it can change this and on 14th July, I will be running The Standard Chartered Great City Race in London to raise money for the charity and will also be spending ten days in August volunteering at the orphanage in Uganda.

In Uganda I will be working on projects with Esuubi, including teaching and helping build a new nursery and village housing. I will be working with the orphans at the Namacosi and Ekiwumulo sites and will be organising activities for them to get involved in.

I am really excited about this trip and would love to be able to raise some additional funds, which can make a real difference to this charity - for example, just £300 is needed to provide new teaching equipment to the orphanage, therefore any donation you are able to make, no matter how small, would be gratefully received.

I hope to produce a diary of my time in Uganda and will endeavour to inform you all of you how my time was spent there.

Thank you for your support.

esuubi.org.uk