The story of U4Uganda began in 2009 when Dolores Bopp Potterton answered a life-long calling to go to Africa and traveled to Alenga, Uganda with her daughter, Erin. There they witnessed poverty and humanity that broke open their hearts. 

Wanting to not only provide immediate aid, but also initiate long term change, Dolores set out to find the best means of creating a brighter future for the people of Alenga. So, she listened. She listened to Father Stan, a Comboni missionary priest who serves his people with great love, purpose and vision. She listened to the school headmasters, teachers, parents and students. In the end, with all the many overwhelming needs of the village, Dolores knew in her heart, the best way to promote change was to begin by making a better life for the children. It was the powerful words from Ogali Alfred, Amilo primary school’s headmaster who said, “If you lift the children out of the dirt, everything will change,” that formalized the focus - a better future was through Education.

Dolores returned to the United States and began to tell the story of what she and Erin experienced. As she shared the story - people’s hearts were opened, and they in turn shared the story with others, and so on and on it went - a wave of Hope among people of all ages began to swell. The youth were the ones who stepped-up and energized the mission. They organized pool parties - Splash The Hope, dodgeball tournaments - Catch The Hope. Schools and Religious Education classes became involved - raising awareness and support from family and friends by doing chores, holding school fairs, bakes sales, coin drives, to name just a few. A desire to DO something for the people of Alenga was set in motion and U4Uganda was born. Kids here, helping Kids there-U4U - all for the good of each other.