“The Recyclable Bottle Collection Funding Scholarships”
The Hope Oris Foundation, an initiative started by Mr. Oris, a former refugee from Kyangwali western Uganda has for over two years been offering scholarships to refugee students in Kyangwali. They have students at Planning for Tomorrow (P4T), and what continues to fascinate those following the work of Mr. Oris’ foundation is their source of funds for the scholarship program. According to Mr. Oris, the primary source of money is selling bottles to recycling plants in Norway, where him and the family currently live.
The foundation’s founder also revealed to Kyangwali News that two students, one at P4T and the other at CODA have also been able to get permanent scholarships through their Norwegian friends who support their recycling efforts. These students are Gorrete and Fobie. Mr. Oris goes along with his two children to collect bottles for sale, where he explained that based on recycling specifications in Norway, 2 Pant labeled bottles would cost Uganda Shillings 820/= ($ 0.25 USD) and the 3 Pant at Uganda Shillings 1,260/= (approx. $ 0.35 USD)
The Hope Oris Foundation is currently not registered in Norway but Mr. Oris told Kyangwali News that they are in the process of getting registered and that they are well known in the Haugesund Kommune. He said, “ We are well known herein Haugesund Kommune; all churches, restaurants, offices and TV Stations” adding, “We have an interview with Haugeland TV on Wednesday the 22nd” as he explained the future of the foundation. Now that they have to rely on the money from the collection of bottles, he assured our correspondent in a chat that they would continue to recycle to generate money to finance the Scholarships in the refugee camp of Kyangwali.
Mr. Oris, one of the rising influential resettled refugees from Kyangwali is seen by many as a courageous man working to help those left in the terrible refugee camp life, has also attracted a lot of criticism about some refugees who get resettled to various countries including the United States who do not give back to the communities they came from. We contacted Mr. Khalid Ndeko, the Executive Director of P4T Uganda to learn more about the scholarships and how his organisation benefits from the foundation’s scholarships. We learned that they do not benefit directly from the scholarships because the foundation pays funds for students at the P4T school, making the primary beneficiary of the program, the students themselves. Here is what Mr. Ndeko said, “P4T as an organisation does not have a direct benefit from Hope Oris Foundation (HOF) as we do not manage the scholarship fund ourselves or select the beneficiaries” adding, “We however appreciate the generosity and the big heart because so many children can not afford a quality education in an environment like the one at P4T”.
The Director also gave us an insight on how they plan to reach out to the foundation, to engage on the efficiency of the scholarships so more children can benefit in the future. He said, “ We are hoping to engage HOF to consider giving us some scholarship slots for the children that come directly to us seeking sponsorship.” When pressed on his opinion on what the foundation is doing and whether other refugees living overseas can actually learn from it, he said that he is sure anyone abroad can amanage to support at least one child only if they are given a reason to do so.
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