From the start of Lwengo Widows and Orphans Support Organization (LWOSO) in October of 2012, we have been committed to responding to local community needs and working closely with community members on developing initiatives to address the pressing problems of access to primary and secondary education, community health, and poverty alleviation in Lwengo District.

LWOSO holds regular meetings during the school year with the parents and guardians of the children in the child sponsorship program, it has a locally based school board for Shepherd High School, LWOSO’s secondary school, which advises staff and the LWOSO Board of Directors on issues related to Shepherd High School, and it has a Board of Directors made up of elected members from Lwengo and surrounding districts who have a strong commitment to the mission and programs of LWOSO. LWOSO also employs over 36 individuals from the region who serve as teachers, school nurse, office staff, cooks, security guards, and maintenance personnel. And, LWOSO teachers and staff ensure that students at Shepherd Highs School are involved in community projects such as clean up days at the local health clinic, helping to distribute learning materials to sponsored children in primary school, and tutoring primary students during school breaks.

LWOSO also provided food distributions to families in the community during the lockdown. This locally based empowerment approach has contributed to strong community support for LWOSO, which is now in its tenth year of existence and seventh year of providing a quality secondary education to students in the community.