Benson Wereje, Democratic Republic of the Congo
In 2008 we started a partnership with Benson Wereje. At that time he was living in the Kyangwali Refugee Settlement in Uganda with his wife and children. Knowing we would have his strong leadership and project management skills in 2009 we founded Peopleweaver as a US-registered 501(c)3 non-profit organization. We continue to work closely with Benson, he has been the source of project selection, project management and project success.
A huge influx of refugees into Kyangwali has increased the population from 37,000 in 2017 to 109,000 in mid 2019.
Benson talks about conditions in Kyangwali (2020): https://soundcloud.com/stephanie-walrath-205436070/bensons-report
Becky Baker, Uganda
I am a Ugandan born in the Kalangala Islands (Uganda), in a community plagued by the HIV/AIDS virus at the time. I strived to get educated against all odds and eventually qualified as not only a counselor in HIV/AIDs for my community but also acquired a business degree. This enabled me to set up a crafts shop that finds a market for handmade crafts both internationally and locally made by skilled widows and orphans affected by the scourge. I have managed in my small way to make a difference in my community by empowering them to engage in these small income generating activities to better their lives.
Gloria Neema Wereje
My name is Neema Gloria Wereje. I am Congolese, but I was born and raised in Uganda. I lived in the Kyangwali Refugee Settlement (in Uganda) for the first ? years of my life. In 2017, with the help of the UNHCR, my family and I immigrated to the United States. I am currently a high school graduate and am hoping to be a college graduate in 2025. I am majoring in Business Management at Andrews University. Due to war and a hard life, people from my country are living in various other countries as refugees. Because of this, I dream of starting an organization that will work with other non-profit organizations to empower youths and help many different groups of vulnerable people. Helping people makes me feel happy and at peace. I want to be someone the weak and weary can rely on and help them establish a better life for themselves.
Dorcus Daisy, Kenya
Dorcus is an integrative counseling psychologist with over ten years of experience in diverse roles including working with children with intellectual disabilities and neurodevelopmental disorders, refugee children, and children living in informal settings in Kenya, Uganda, and Ghana. She holds a B.A. in Counseling Psychology from Africa Nazarene University in Nairobi, Kenya. She is training as a Somasource Practitioner with Golden Bridge and is trained in Child Protection: Children’s Rights in Theory and Practice through HarvardX.
Since 2008, Dorcus has founded or helped to found several organizations serving youth in Western Uganda and Kenya. Her projects have offered trainings and programs to youth in the fields of literacy, social entrepreneurship, anti-violence, and youth leadership and mobilization. In 2014, through the impact of her work with A Million Faces, where she promotes access to education through the organization's library and resource center, she was selected by A World at School to represent her country as a Global Youth Ambassador. In early 2018, she was selected as one of the Emerging African Leaders and trained in “Leading in Public Life” by the University of Cape Town, South Africa. Dorcus leads by tapping into an individual’s potential to bring out the best in them.
Dorcus has been studying with Golden Bridge since 2015. She serves on the Golden Bridge Social Justice Advisory Team and is also a mentor on the Golden Bridge Support Team.
Joyce, DRC
"An effective teacher is the most important factor in a student’s learning."
Check back - more info coming.