We are called Guiding Light Orphans because our ultimate goal is show the children of this area a way out of the vicious cycle of poverty in which they have been trapped. They are unable to take advantage of education or other opportunities if they are sick and/or alone. They don't have hope of a better future if they do not have access to basic health care.

Before founding GLO, Jolly went to these villages and spoke with the people there about what they needed to make their lives better. She learned that the first step on the path to a way out of poverty is the ability to meet the community's basic health needs. By helping them meet this critical need, GLO lights the way on their journey to better lives.

Some of the major challenges are lack of access to basic health care and the absence of health education; this includes no or limited access to screenings, immunizations, preventive services, and basic disease treatment and interventions.

The effects of HIV/AIDs continue to take a major toll on these people; many children have lost their parents, those affected by the disease face social stigma, there is a serious lack of information and treatment, and there is no disease prevention education. Malaria is another major cause of illness and death in this area. And recently, there has been an alarming rise in cases of epilepsy.

These issues are exacerbated by extremely limited access to clean water and unhygienic sanitation practices, geographic distance from major hospitals and clinics, as well as limited microeconomic development.

GLO is focused on Masindi because it is one of the poorest, most underserved areas of Uganda. There are no other NGOs working in the Masindi district, and poor government infrastructure has resulted in officials neglecting the community and its needs. It is also where GLO founder, Jolly Lux, was born and raised. In addition, Jolly was visiting the villages of Masindi when she met the woman who inspired the founding of GLO.

There are many opportunities for you to get involved with us by sharing your time and expertise to help us with our mission to bring basic and quality health care to children and their caretakers in rural Uganda.

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If you are interested in volunteering with us, please take a moment to fill out our Volunteer Application and then email it to info@guidinglightorphans.org.

Donations help fund the cost of holding the medical camps, equipping the VHTs with supplies and ongoing training, and funding special intervention cases such as Christine Paska. Additionally, your donations making it possible renovate, equip, and operate our medical clinic in Nyantonzi. With very few exceptions, all of the administrative work necessary to operate GLO is done on a volunteer basis, so all donations go directly to the work we do and the services we provide to children and their caregivers in Masindi, Uganda.

The Village Heath Team members are critical to delivering continued care, collecting data, sustaining health improvements, monitoring patients, continuously educating the citizens, and identifying needs in order to deliver the best care. They are familiar and well-known to the people and trusted in the villages and communities, which facilitates communication immensely. VHTs are able to provide the connection between the local people and regional doctors, hospitals, and other services, including GLO's initiatives and programs.

In Uganda, we need volunteers who are willing to donate their time and skills, especially at our medical camps and training events, to help us medically with the many aspects of healthcare that we cover.

We are always looking for medical students or any other health care professionals to train our VHT’s. If you would like to learn about volunteering with Guiding Light Orphans in Uganda, please contact us with a little bit about what you are interested in. Thank you for helping us with our mission!

Guiding Light Orphans, Inc. (GLO) is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization and is operated completely by volunteers.  All your donations are tax-deductible. If you have any questions, please contact us.