About Us - UPLUS International

Who We Are

UPLUS Empowerment and Transformation International is a community-centred and globally connected organization dedicated to creating a world of zero child abandonment. Formed by individuals who experienced the pain of growing up without family care, UPLUS was established from a shared conviction that no child should ever grow up feeling unwanted, unloved, or forgotten.

Our foundation is built on compassion, transformation, and sustainability. We exist to strengthen families, empower communities, and build systems of care that protect and nurture every child. By addressing the root causes of abandonment such as poverty, mental distress, inequality, and social exclusion we work to ensure that every person, regardless of background or circumstance, has the opportunity to thrive.

Our Vision

A world free from child abandonment, where every child, youth, woman, and marginalized individuals are cherished, protected, and empowered to realize their full potential within strong families, inclusive communities, and a sustainable environment.

Our Mission

To end child abandonment by fostering community empowerment, social inclusion, equality, innovation, creativity, and resilience. We are committed to empowering individuals and strengthening families to create environments where everyone can flourish.

Our Core Values

Compassion & Empathy

We act with heart and understanding, recognizing the struggles behind every story.

Integrity & Accountability

We uphold honesty, transparency, and moral excellence in all our actions.

Empowerment & Transformation

We believe in the power within every individual to rise above circumstance.

Resilience & Excellence

We stand firm in the face of challenges, drawing strength from our experiences.

Inclusivity & Equity

We celebrate diversity and promote fairness, ensuring that no one is left behind.

Sustainability & Innovation

We create solutions that endure, harnessing innovation and partnerships to build systems that last.

Fun & Positive Energy

We approach our mission with joy, creativity, and optimism. Fun reminds us that change can be uplifting, teamwork can be inspiring, and serving others can bring happiness. We celebrate progress, big or small, because joy fuels resilience and makes transformation sustainable.

Our Target Groups

Our work focuses on key groups whose empowerment is crucial to achieving zero child abandonment.

Children & Youth

By nurturing their confidence and well-being, we prepare them to become resilient and responsible individuals, breaking the cycle of abandonment.

Women

As the foundation of family life, we empower women socially and economically, ensuring they can provide for and protect their children.

Care Leavers

We turn survivors into changemakers by equipping them with life skills and mentorship to advocate for systemic reform.

Communities

We build compassionate and accountable communities that act as protective networks to support families in crisis.

Families & Caregivers

We equip caregivers with the tools, knowledge, and emotional resilience to provide stable, loving homes.

Marginalized Groups

We champion inclusion for persons with disabilities, young mothers, and refugees to restore dignity and prevent isolation.

Community Leaders

We empower local leaders to become advocates for child protection and family strengthening within their communities.

Educational Institutions

We partner with schools and educational centers to create safe learning environments and identify at-risk children early.

From Our Founders

Our mission is deeply personal, born from lived experience and a promise for a better future.

A Promise from the Founders

We were born into silence children without families, growing up behind the walls of institutions that offered shelter but not love. We knew safety, but not belonging. We had meals, but not the warmth of a mother's voice. Our birthdays passed quietly, our tears dried on our own cheeks, and our hearts longed for something the world seemed to have forgotten a family.

night, we whispered to the stars, wondering if anyone out there thought of us. The pain of abandonment left an emptiness no words could fill a wound that shaped who we became. But within that emptiness grew a spark a determination that our stories would not end in sorrow. We would rise, and we would make sure no child would ever feel the way we once did.

As we grew, we realized that our pain carried a purpose. It brought us together brothers and sisters not by blood, but by shared scars and shared hope. From that unity, UPLUS Empowerment and Transformation International was born "You + Us = UPLUS." It is more than a name; it is a promise a promise that we will stand in the gap for every child who feels forgotten, every youth who feels lost, every woman who feels voiceless.

Through UPLUS, we are turning our brokenness into bridges connecting love where it was once lost, and planting hope where abandonment once grew. We are transforming our tears into action, our pain into purpose, and our stories into strength. Today, we raise our voices for every child crying in silence, for every heart longing to be loved. We say, with conviction and compassion:

No child should ever be abandoned. Every child deserves a family. Every story deserves a second chance. Together, we will build a world where love is stronger than loss a world of zero child abandonment

The UPLUS Founders United by Experience, Driven by Purpose

Message from the Lead Founder

"My story began not with comfort, but with survival. I was abandoned at just three months old in Nansana, frail, sick, and suffering from kwashiorkor. Local residents found me and handed me over to the nearby police post, where I was rushed into intensive care to fight for my life. By grace, I survived and from that moment, my journey became a testimony of endurance, faith, and purpose.

I was later taken to Sanyu Babies' Home, and after some time, transferred to SOS Children's Village, where I grew up under a family-like care system. While SOS provided shelter and structure, life in institutional care came with its own invisible battles—emotional isolation, identity struggles, and the constant reminder that love, though present, was shared and scheduled. I grew up surrounded by care, yet often searching for belonging.

Those years shaped me. They taught me both the pain of abandonment and the power of compassion. I realized that thousands of children face the same fate not because they are unwanted, but because their families are broken, unsupported, or trapped in cycles of poverty and hopelessness. From that realization came my life's conviction: no child should ever experience what I did.

That conviction gave birth to UPLUS Empowerment and Transformation International—a movement built on love, empathy, and resilience. UPLUS exists to ensure that no child is left without a family, no caregiver is left without support, and no community turns its back on its most vulnerable. We transform pain into purpose, dependency into empowerment, and despair into hope.

Today, UPLUS stands as a voice for those who cannot speak—a bridge between broken systems and healed hearts. We believe that ending child abandonment is not a dream, but a duty. It starts with us—with compassion that acts, and with communities that choose care over neglect.

To every partner, friend, and believer in this cause—thank you for standing with us. Together, we can rewrite the story for millions of children still waiting to be found, loved, and given a chance to thrive.

From the boy who was once abandoned, now a voice for belonging—I invite you to join us. Together, we can build a world where every child is loved, every family is strong, and no child is ever abandoned again."

Ssekito James Lead Founder & Executive Director