Over 20 years ago, one man from a rural village in Uganda – Twesigye Jackson Kaguri, who had a dream to lift his local community out of poverty – started an organization called Nyaka. Through Jackson’s visionary holistic and human rights-based approach, Nyaka has grown steadily over the last two decades gaining supporters from all over the world and continuing to transform lives every day. Focusing first on education and the most vulnerable children, and then on empowering local grandmothers in the community, Nyaka provides schooling, medical care, food, clean water systems, and other community services. Now there are three schools, thousands of students educated, and a network of grandmothers that has grown to over 20,000 women who have taken in over 80,000 orphaned children. And today, thanks to the support of loving people all over the world, Nyaka continues to grow and develop.

In 2018, a devoted Nyaka supporter helped Nyaka become an official charity partner of the NYC Marathon. This event has become an incredible way for Nyaka to raise funds and spread awareness, as a team of runners is assembled every year to train, run and share Nyaka’s story with the world. During the marathon weekend, while our team runs in New York City, Nyaka also hosts a marathon in Uganda, where athletes, kids, teachers, elders and all kinds of community members run in solidarity with those racing in New York. See pictures of last year’s race in Uganda, below.

This year, we are profoundly grateful to the 23 dedicated men and women of our NYAKA TEAM 2022 – see their names above by clicking “fundraisers” – who will be running for Nyaka in the world’s most acclaimed marathon.  Because they care deeply about the vulnerable children and the grannies who nurture them on the other side of the world, they will be reaching out to their friends and families for monetary support. Then, along with 50,000 other runners from around the world, on Sunday, November 6th they will test their mettle on the daunting 26.2 mile course through all five boroughs of New York City until they reach the finish line in Central Park. There, Jackson will be cheering for and personally congratulating each triumphant runner.  

Here are example of how your generous gifts supporting these runners can change the lives of children and grandmothers in Uganda:

• $25: provide sanitary supplies for a student for 1 year, provide a micro-finance loan to a granny to start a basket weaving business
• $50: provide a uniform and all school supplies for one year, provide a micro-finance loan to a granny to start a goat herding business
• $100: provide sexual education and safety classes to a class
• $300: provide the construction of a sanitary kitchen or pit latrine to a granny home
• $375: provide a primary education and all meals, medicine, and supplies for one year
• $500: provide funds for emergency health supplies to our clinics to continue the response to COVID19
• $625: provide a secondary education and all meals, medicine, and supplies for one year
• $1400: provide the complete construction of a new home for a Nyaka grandmother

See Nyaka’s website here:  www.nyakaglobal.org  and click here for The Nyaka Annual Report .

Thank you for supporting NYAKA TEAM 2022!