Biography

Growing up in a large family, Jane learned to prioritize the needs of others above her own from a very young age. She was a diligent student and determined to obtain her degree, even baking chapattis and knitting blankets to earn the money needed to pay for her schooling. Against the odds, she completed a teacher certification program in 2002. Two years later while listening to a radio program describing the plight of returning child soldiers she felt compelled to help. She immediately went to the Rachele Rehabiliation Centre to see what assistance she could offer; she became a counselor tasked with aiding youth to process what they had seen, done, or experienced during the conflict. During her time at the RRC, she worked with 3,000 former child soldiers. When the RRC closed in 2007, Jane felt strongly that there was still more work to do; she started Children of Peace Uganda (CPU) so that she could continue to support these children.

CPU opened in 2011. Jane’s mission is to help former child soldiers, children born in captivity, and children orphaned because of Uganda’s civil war to heal. She works to empower these youth so they can mature into leaders and ambassadors of peace and help rebuild their communities. Over the last two years, Jane and her small staff of 4 social workers have worked with 315 youth to help them recover from the traumas suffered during the war. Through counseling, educational scholarships, and vocational training, CPU aims to build the ability and capacity for these youth to regain a sense of normalcy and to successfully start the next chapter of their lives.