Since my retirement, I have devoted a significant amount of my time to the Julius Achon Uganda Children’s Fund (AUCF). I became familiar with and began supporting AUCF in January 2007.
Allow me to briefly tell Julius’s story and that of Achon Uganda Children’s Fund.
Julius Achon was born and raised in a grass hut in a small village north of Lira in Northern Uganda. At the age of 13, Julius was abducted from his village and forced to become a child soldier for the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA). After three months, he escaped with 15 other boys, 9 of whom were killed during the escape effort. Julius returned to his village and as part of his schooling began running. Over the next four years Julius became the top Ugandan schoolboy runner and represented Uganda in the World Junior Track Championships in Portugal where he became world junior champion in the 1,500 meters. Julius went on to become a two time Olympian for Uganda in 1996 and 2000, both times carrying the Ugandan flag in the opening ceremonies as Uganda team captain. He was recruited to the United States and attended George Mason University on a track scholarship, became a three time NCAA champion and to this day holds the NCAA record for 800 meters.
Since 2004, Julius has worked for Nike as a member of the Nike Oregon Project here in Portland. His responsibility is to pace and train elite U.S. Olympic athletes who represented the US in the 2008 Olympic Games and recent World Championships.
As Julius tells his story “In 2003, while in Uganda, I was finishing a morning run when I noticed 11 kids sleeping under a bus. I stopped and they approached me for money and I asked them why they were not sleeping at home. They explained their parents had all been “shot dead” by Lord’s Resistance Army rebels and they were living on the streets of Lira having escaped from the same Otuke village as I was raised.
I did not have money to give the children but took them to my father’s house for food. We had no place to shelter the children but my father agreed to take all of them in to his small house as long as I would provide money for food for the children when I returned to the USA. In December 2003, I was hired by Nike and began to send money to my father to feed the children. This was the beginning of the Achon Uganda Children’s Fund”.
Members of Julius' family and village
Since 2004 AUCF has provided food, shelter, clothing, school fees and uniforms and medical care for the 11 orphans and recently an additional 7 orphans from his village. In April 2009, Achon Uganda Children’s Fund gained IRS 501(c)(3) status making contributions tax deductible under IRS regulation.
Please see the website http://www.achonacademy.com for further information. Our goal is for each of the children to become educated and productive members of the Ugandan society and self sufficient.
We have made significant progress in the past year but are currently faced with funding needs to pay for the orphans care). In addition, we will be bringing one of the orphans, Solomon Alongo, to Portland in January for badly needed hip surgery donated by Shriners Hospital for Children, but need $3,000 to pay for airfare for Solomon and a guardian.
I would be happy to answer any questions you might have regarding a donation to AUCF. Please feel free to call me at 503-481-3322 at any time.
Regards,
Jim
Louise Stott Jankowski 5:25 PM on November 18, 2009 Permalink
Sounds terrific, Jim. What a great way to spend retirement. so much unmet need out there.