LSOSF – eChange Endeavors

New Year, New Hope with Catholic Education

As we begin a new calendar year, Uganda also begins a new academic year. Following the election violence and the eroding economy families continue to struggle and suffer greatly. Children then miss out on education and the pit of poverty deepens. You contributions help transform difficult situations into new avenues of hope for these families. Would you consider support a student for one year or even one term?

We collaborate with four partner schools and organizations in Uganda to ensure children are able to access quality Catholic Education. We are super excited about launching our new partnership with the Missionary Sister of Mary, Mother of the Church and Bishop Caesar Asili Primary School (photos above) located in the Lira Diocese (central). Lira is one of the poorest dioceses in the country due to nearly two decades of conflict driven by Kony’s Lords Resistance Army. YOUFRA Lira is partnering with the school to support 12 primary students whose parents are small holder farmers in their agricultural program. The cost per student is $150 per term and $450 for the year, which covers studying and boarding. Will you sponsor a primary student today? Donate Today!

Our partner Ocer Campion Jesuit College in Gulu Diocese (north) has 1,000 plus student with one in four students on scholarship (photos below). St Joseph College, a Franciscan high school in Tororo Diocese (east) has 150 students with nearly half of the students full scholarship. (photos above.) Most of the parents are farmers struggling to eke out a livelihood. Without your generous support these youth would be growing up without an education. Catholic education is key to helping children become fully who God desires them to be! OCJC’s motto is beyond academic excellence. For only $50 per month, or $200 per term, or $600 for the year you can help one high school student to keep learning and striving for his or her dreams. Graduating from a Catholic school experience is transformative in their lives and has a ripple effect across their families for generations to come. Collectively we help bring a brighter and more faith filled future to all of Uganda. Will you help one high school student reach their dreams? Give Today!

We are sponsoring Sr. Jackline of the Little Sisters of St Francis to complete her bachelors in education which will enable her to join St Joseph’s College as a social studies teacher. We are supporting Deputy Head Teacher Simon Peter Omollo to complete a MA in Education Leadership & Management. This will qualify him to become Head Teacher for the College one day soon. University costs on average $1,000 per term. Will you help the Little Sisters build their skills? Give Today!

Along with YOUFRA Uganda in Lira & Soroti we are helping young girls whose educational journey were disrupted by an unplanned pregnancy. After the children are born and reach 6-12 months we sponsor the girls to learn vocational skills such as sewing or catering. This will enable them to find employment or build their own business and earn enough to support themselves and the child. Counseling is also provide to the young mothers along the way. Courses last 6 months to 2 years, costing between $600-$2400. Once graduated they receive a sewing machine or similar. Would you help a young mother learn a vocational skill? Donate Today!

Alternative Christmas Market

November 15th & 16th, Saturday 4-7pm, Sunday 8am-2pm @ O’Donnell Hall, AMC Manhattan Beach, CA

American Martyrs is hosting their annual conscious Christmas Market for meaningful holiday shopping experience, offering a unique opportunity to support fair trade artisans, non-profit initiatives, and socially responsible businesses.

Find beautiful, handcrafted gifts while making a positive impact in the world. Every purchase helps support sustainable livelihoods, empower communities, and promote ethical practices around the globe. Let’s celebrate a season of giving that truly gives back.

eChange Endeavors will have a table offering three wonderful opportunities to support families and missionaries in Uganda!

It is more blessed to give than to receive. Acts 20:35

You can donate to our Christmas Dinner initiative $25 dollars which provides a family of 5 a dinner with meat, sides, soda and Christmas cake or cookies. Bless a family or 2 seniors with unexpected joy this Christmas. Give today! Learn more.

For the Diocese of Lira and YOUFRA (Young Franciscans) Advent Retreat program we are seeking $2,000. This will provide 500 young adults between 25-35 with a 1-day opportunity for prayer, reflection, healing and community across 4 deaneries bringing peace, hope and joy to their Advent journey to Christmas. Give today! Learn More.

Give the gift of education this Christmas and receive a Wearable Blessing bracelet handmade in Uganda.

Support our scholarship program with Ocer Campion Jesuit College, St Joseph College (Franciscan), Children’s Community Care, and YOUFRA. $200 sponsors one high school student’s tuition for a term, $600 covers a full year. Alternatively, $200 supports one primary student for a year with all their personal requirements. We currently support 30 students ranging from primary 5 through university who otherwise would not be attending school. It is our generosity that makes education possible for the students and their families.

If you make a scholarship donation of $200 or higher, we will bless you with a thank you gift of a My Saint My Hero Little Saints bracelet with hand casted metals from Italy and handmade by women in Uganda.

Give today!

Christmas Dinners & Bundles 2025

Our Christmas dinner initiative has been greatly enjoyed both by our giving and receiving families! This year we want to ensure 100 families and more experience the unexpected joy of Christmas! We touch families with special needs children, poor families, elderly, orphans, and individuals with disabilities.

We connect with children through our partners: Children’s Community Care, YOUFRA Youth Centre Lira, YOUFRA Tororo, YOUFRA Disabilities group Soroti, the Xaverians, and St Joseph College Padhola.

A good Christmas in Uganda is to attend Church followed by a dinner feast together. This includes eating meat–beef or goat along with tasty options of rice, matoke (banana), potatoes, and veggies with soda, then enjoying Christmas cake or cookies. The children look forward to this day all year long. Without our support this year’s Christmas dinner will be just another meal of beans and portio (corn meal).

This December we seek to bless 25 families with Christmas dinners, 75 seniors with Christmas bundles, and sponsor 3 Children’s Christmas parties. Will you help break the tedium of poverty and fill their hearts anew with love, hope, and joy this Christmas? Will you give $25 today to help one family or two seniors have a blessed and joyful Christmas dinner?

Donate here!

May God richly bless you and your family this Christmas season for unto us the Christ child is born ever new in our hearts!

Youth Advent Retreat Lira Diocese

The Young Franciscans of Uganda (YOUFRA) in collaboration with the Lira Diocese are hoping to host 1-day Advent retreats for 500 young adults 25-35 years of age across four different deaneries this December. The Lira and Gulu Diocese were adversely affected by the Lord’s Resistance conflict. Over a 10 year period tens of thousands of young boys and girls were abducted and forced to be child soldiers or support them with cooking meals, cultivating crops, or sex. While the war ended 20 years ago the negative after effects linger on in relationships, education, and economic opportunities. The retreat is a time for the young adults to gather in community, listen, forgive, heal, grow in their catholic faith, and deepen their relationship with the Lord. The Lira Diocese (north & central region, see map below) is one of the poorest areas in the country because of the lost decade of violence. This means the people are only able to give minimally to the church for faith based activities.

We are seeking to raise $2,500 to cover the cost of the retreats including a portable speaker & microphone, reusable plates & cups, lunch & tea ($2.50 per person), transport and administration costs for the team. YOUFRA & the Lira Diocese are providing a team of four to prepare and lead the retreats: Fr. Lawrence Ogwang, Carlo Okwada, Sr. Margaret Awor, National Director of YOUFRA, Emilly Wafoyo, YOUFRA Youth Centre Director. Will you help these young adults renew their hearts this Advent season? Will you help bring them peace, hope, joy, and light to their journey to Christmas by sponsoring some or all of the retreats?

Donate Now!

High Tea for High Hope

We have raised $6,000 half of our goal of $12,000! Will you collaborate with us to help St Joseph College acquire solar power that will power a new computer lab with 20 PCs? This will improve the quality of the student’s education, attract more paying families, and drive the school’s sustainability. Read more below.

Donate!

You are cordially invited for High Tea at Williams Place

Saturday, November 22, 2025, 3-5pm

Hosted by Michelle Waters Williams & Laura Frederick

R.S.V.P. appreciated by November 20, 2025

Join us for a lovely British High Tea to hear Laura Frederick, Founder of eChange Endeavors, share stories of the missionaries and families in Uganda we have touched by our support. She has 30+ years of experience working with the poor in East Africa and beyond. She began her missionary journey as Jesuit International Volunteer in Belize from 1990-1992. Laura has been working in Uganda since 2000 and lived there between 2006 to 2011. She continues to collaborate with various missionary partners remotely and through visits.

We are seeking to raise $12,000 for our partner St Joseph College in Padhola, Tororo district of Uganda that provides high school education with a Franciscan spirituality. The College serves rural families, mostly whose parents are farmers and their income is too low or inconsistent to afford the cost of education. The initial community school was started by a German Franciscan along with health facilities and related community programs. He bequeathed the land and facilities to the community upon his retirement back to Germany, who in turn invited Sr. Margaret Awor, National Director of YOUFRA Uganda to run and develop the school anew. In 2020, it was re-opened as St Joseph College Padhola a challenging year to begin. Funds will help install a new solar system for the College to power even more engagement!

We have helped the St Joseph’s College to operate through out the shutdowns and beyond with 6-8 scholarships per year, which has paid teacher’s salaries and purchased needed educational supplies. We funded the renovation of the College’s pit latrines upgrading them with a new modern design, disability access, easy cleaning and maintenance. In 2023, when the roof blew off their main classroom building we stepped in to fund the renovation of the whole building along with a brand new roof. We upgraded doors and windows to glass for better lighting. Added electrical capabilities and finished off 3 small rooms for science & computer labs, along with ceilings and a wide verandah for quieter atmosphere and extra space during heavy rains. We gave the building a new coat of paint inside and out.

Later when the borehole their main source of water for the school and community became spoiled we funded the substantive repairs and replacement parts. We helped purchase 10 new triple decker beds for the dormitory allowing 30 students who live to far away to commute to board at the school. We have also partnered with Farmers Oversees Action Group (FOAG) to build a fence around the College gardens to protect the crops they grow from wandering animals. Food grown on campus helps to greatly reduce the cost of education and boarding for the parents, as well as, a great learning and service opportunity for the students.

Now we are working with St Joseph’s College to implement a solar power solution for the school. They have 20 computers, a printer, and projector that was received in 2019 when they were still at the Eastside location (photos above). Since the campus is off grid with nominal power at the school it is insufficient to run the computers all at once. Getting the full lab working again will enable the students to learn computer skills necessary for today’s jobs, assist the teachers with richer lesson planning and ease their work. The school currently has just under 100 students. The computer lab will also enable the school to attract more paying students, which will help with their overall viability and sustainability. One day they hope to expand to a full vocational college.

Will you join us for High Tea and make a gift of $100 to $1,000 or more now? Donate! or R.S.V.P. with Michelle.

Before and after photos below of the toilet and classroom renovations.

3rd Term Final Push Before Exams

We have raised nearly two-thirds of our 2025 scholarship fund target of $15,000. We are still seeking $5,500 more to help students finish the academic year. Will join your hands and hearts to ours to support these well deserving students?

Our partner Ocer Campion Jesuit College in Gulu northern Uganda offers high quality educational opportunities with Catholic formation to youth whose families were negatively effected in the region by the conflict years. At least one-third of their students are on scholarship. They have 1200 students between high school (O-levels) and junior college (A-levels). We sponsor 3 students at $600 per year and we would like to support more! Faith is central to the students learning experience. Students participating in choir at Mass (photo above), learning & service projects (photo below), and academic work. Wonderful opportunities that are not common at public schools in Uganda. Could you give a full or half scholarship $600 or $300 today to give a student an opportunity of a lifetime? Give Today!

(Photo above.) Students help attend the maize for elderly sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. They easily slip out of their school shoes so as not to spoil them while working in the garden.

St Joseph College, provides high school education with a Franciscan spirituality school in Tororo district eastern Uganda. They have nearly 100 students with ALL on partial or full scholarship. Most of the students’ parents are farmers struggling to eke out a livelihood. Without your generous support these youth would be growing up without a proper education. As we know, Catholic education in collaboration with the Holy Spirit is key to helping children become fully who God desires them to be. For $50 per month, or $200 per term, or $600 for the year you can help ensure one more youth is able to reach their dreams. Will you help to transform their lives and the whole family? Give Today!

The YOUFRA Youth Centre in Lira Town (photo below) is helping 15 primary students with boarding and accessing a quality school, which they are not able to do living deep in the rural areas.

Their parents are former war victims and abductees who lost their chance at education leaving them with farming as their only source of income, which is unreliable and limited. We are making sure the next generation doesn’t also loose out on education. It costs $50 per term per student for boarding and requirements. Can you help us with food, backpacks, uniforms, shoes, school books and other school requirements for one or two students? Give Today!

In Kampala, Children’s Community Care (CCC) empowers families with children that have disabilities through medical support, community awareness, and educational scholarships. We help provide scholarships because the higher costs of the children with disabilities puts their siblings at risk of not attending school. In order to affirm the dignity and worth of all children, we sponsor 3 students through CCC: 1 high school student and 2 A-level students at $600 each annually. This helps honor their assistance in helping care for their siblings too. Will you help ensure these hardworking students have a chance to reach their educational dreams? Give Today!

A New Franciscan Congregation for the Youth!

With great rejoicing the Association of the Sons of St. Pius of Pietrelcina, a new congregation of the Franciscan Family in Uganda dedicated to the formation of youth in Africa is ordaining their first two deacons on September 4, 2025. This is the next step for the candidates: Br. Brian Obbo and Br. David Onyango towards full priestly ordination within one year following more service in parishes. This is a great partnership with Bishop Sanctus Lino Wanok and the Lira Diocese that will bless the entire country.

With 77% of the population in Uganda under the age of 25 there is a great opportunity and responsibility for the Catholic Church to form the young generation well. This requires having more priests to provide the sacraments and catechizes to the youth. This work also needs resources. The priestly garb alone for these two young men including cassocks, albs, long sleeve clerical shirts, double colored stoles, cincture, dalmatic, shoes, and more is $900 each. Funds are also needed for their activities with the youth and the education costs for the next 8 young men currently in formation. This cohort alone is a blessing from the Lord! Donate Today! {Brian in photo above far right w/red colored shirt at YOUFRA Youth Centre.}

Kindly consider helping this new congregation start strong! We are seeking to raise $900 to cover half of the costs of these two young men who are giving their life to Christ and the service of his Church. Additional funds beyond this goal will be used to help in the formation of the next cohort of 4 candidates. Following an initial 3-6 months of formation the candidates begin their 3 years of university training in philosophy. They join 2 other candidates studying theology. This new congregation is being founded in Uganda by Sr. Margaret Awor, L.S.O.S.F., National Director of YOUFRA, and Fr. Michael Onyango, S.S.A. The hope is to have many more priests available to assist with Mass, confessions, catechises, and formation of the youth in Uganda and throughout East Africa. Donate Today!

{Photos from Youth Advent Retreat in Soroti Diocese 2022.} Donate Today!

Lenten Appeal 2025

We are seeking to raise $12,000 for our partner YOUFRA Youth Centre in Lira to renovate their indoor kitchen and dinning area. We are on a long-term development path with Sr. Margaret Awor, LSOSF and the team at the Centre. Funds will be used to repair structural issues in the kitchen and dinning area including the foundation and walls, complete the ceiling, replace windows, and finish building out the plumbing, cupboards, counter tops, painting, and purchase much needed appliances and furniture. Today the kitchen and dinning hall is an unfinished room. In a subsequent phases, we will refurbish the two main large gathering halls with new windows and doors, add ceilings, lightening, trim and fresh paint.

With these renovations completed the YOUFRA Team will be able to host 50-150 young adults in their 20s, 30s, and 40s at the Youth Centre for workshops, trainings, and retreats. This provides the youth with a place to take a break from home to gather, sing, pray, laugh, learn and connect with other young adults and renew their hearts, minds and dreams. As well youth will be able to build an array of skills. These opportunities are a rarity for young adults! Retreats are focused on the sacraments, spiritual formation, and strengthening families. Trainings covers topics such as farming, shoe making, baking, hair styling, entrepreneuship, team building, communication, reconciliation, financial management, and beyond. Will you join us and make a gift of $100 to $1,000 or more today? Donate!

2025 Academic Year Begins!

I will make you a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth. Isaiah 49:6

We support students with scholarships in Uganda to ensure the next generation of children become fully who God desires them to be. Our partners include: Ocer Campion Jesuit College (OCJC), St Jospeh College Padhola (SJC), the Little Sister’s of St Francis (LSOSF), Young Franciscans (YOUFRA), and Children’s Community Care (CCC). We are currently supporting 15 students high school or higher with tuition and boarding, and another 24 primary students with boarding and personal requirements.

At the YOUFRA Youth Centre students are orphans or selected from struggling families of former conflict abductees that participate in the YOUFRA Agriculture program seeking to improve family livelihoods. (See top photos). This is another way that we ensure their children don’t also loose out on education. We are seeking an additional $700 to buy sufficient mattresses and backpacks, plus $500 for uniforms, socks, books, notebooks, pens & pencils, and personal requirements for the children for the first term.
Would you give something today to right an injustice and keep these children attending school? Donate Today!

At St Joseph College we support 6 scholarships a year, which costs $300 per student per year. We are also seeking to raise $600 to repair their bore hole and other minor improvements to the campus before the year begins. Could you contribute something today to help grow student enrollment? Donate Today!

Ocer Campion Jesuit College in Gulu northern Uganda which offers high quality educational opportunities to youth whose families were negatively effect by the conflict years. We sponsor 3 students at $600 per year. Donate Today!

We support education for the professed Little Sisters of St Francis to finish their A-levels. We currently sponsor one sister at a cost of $750 per year.

Children’s Community Care in Kampala empowers families with children that have disabilities through medical support, community awareness, and educational scholarships. We help support 3 scholarships for 2 A-level student at $600 each annually and 1 student for a Diploma, which costs $750 per term. Donate Today!

We also have 3 students working to complete higher education. Gerald is studying for a Diploma in Laboratory Technologies. Mercy is completing her BA in Education this year. Emilly is to complete her Master’s in Family Counseling to enable her work with families traumatized by the war years. Cost ranges from $600-$750 per term for university fees.

Would you help ensure these hardworking deserving students have a chance to reach their educational dreams? Donate Today!

Christmas Dinners & Bundles 2024

Happy Advent Season!

The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; Upon those who dwelt in the land of gloom a light has shone. You have brought them abundant joy and great rejoicing. – Isaiah 9:1-2a

Where are the places in your heart and in your life that you need hope? Where do you need peace? Where do you need joy? Jesus is standing out side knocking on the door of your heart. You just have to let him in! He will cast out the despair, the distress, and the disappointment. If you let Him in, He will transform your heart and life. One way to let Jesus in is to make a good confession before Christmas. Another, is to go to Eucharistic Adoration or daily Mass. May your Advent be blessed by prayer, generosity, and reconciliation so that your heart may be prepared for the fullness of joy come Christmas.

This Christmas we seek to bless 25 families with Christmas dinners, 75 seniors with Christmas bundles, and sponsor 2 Christmas parties for children. A good Christmas for a faith filled Ugandan is attending Mass, eating meat along with tasty options of rice, matoke (banana), and potatoes, with soda and enjoying Christmas cake or cookies. With $25 we can feed a family of 5 or support 2 seniors. Would you help us bless all these families this year? Will you help break the tedium of poverty and help fill their hearts anew with love, hope and joy this Christmas? Give Today!

Thank you, Thank you for your generous hearts! We wish you a very Merry Christmas from all of us at eChange Endeavors, our partners and those we serve in Uganda. Love & blessings, Laura, Founder