“I am strong because of you, my people. Kafunjo is not about asking for money. It’s about friendship and love. We are one. Be part of the project. Be part of Kafunjo.” - Bruno
What is The Kafunjo Community Project?
The Kafunjo Community Project is run by an incredibly inspiring man named Bruno Biryomumaisho and is located in the village of Kafunjo in Ibanda district, Uganda. It runs 100% on donations from people just like you. The “Project” is a combination of both a school and orphanage that are just a five minute walk away from each other. The purpose of The Kafunjo Community Project is to provide very impoverished children in Kafunjo with free education, food, medical care, clothes, and countless other basic needs. These children have endured heartbreaking things at very young ages including but not limited to neglect, starvation, progressive yet treatable illnesses, sexual and emotional abuse, threats of child marriages, and suicidal thoughts. Many children first arrive grief-stricken and hopeless. The goal of the Project is to help these children heal from their pasts (both emotionally and physically), provide them a loving place to call home, and set them on a path for a much more hopeful future. Education is what gives children a brighter future while the orphanage gives children a brighter NOW. Both serve an essential purpose.
The school is the heart of the Project as it is the key to releasing children from the devastating cycle of poverty they were born into. Prior to attending Bruno’s primary school, many of these children either didn't have the luxury of attending school at all OR were sent home frequently from other schools due to their families' inability to afford their termly school fees. This was extremely disheartening for them. Bruno’s school is the only primary school in his area that offers children a free education and will never send a child home. It is now attended by approximately 380 children and has employed full time registered teachers who teach the National Ugandan Curriculum. The education taught at The Kafunjo Community Project is of such high quality that it has produced students that have earned some of the highest Primary 7 Leaving Exam grades in the district. We are very proud that the education offered at this Project sets these children up for the very best chance of success. The school at The Kafunjo Community Project provides its students with free education, medical care, and food - all of which their families in the village are often unable to provide. While the Project currently only offers primary level education, both one-time and ongoing sponsorships are what enable our graduates to continue their education at nearby secondary schools and universities. Additionally, future plans are to eventually complete the build of the Project's on-site vocational training center which will offer an alternative to secondary school for all of Kafunjo's graduates.
The orphanage is currently home to over 100 of some of the neediest children in Kafunjo. Some of these children still have family members, but their families are either too poor to care for or have neglected their children (forced them out of the home at a young age). Their lives prior to living at the orphanage were very bleak and filled with much suffering. The orphanage provides them with three meals a day, medical care, clothes, education, a safe home, and much more. The children say they are much happier living there as it provides them a much more stable life and that it helps them forget about their pasts. To learn more in depth about the situations these children endured prior to living at the orphanage, please see our ‘Why Choose Us?’ page.
If you would like to be a part of our donor team that completely transforms children’s lives, gives them hope and a future, and where you get to see the difference your gift makes for them unfold right before your eyes, then Kafunjo is for you.
Who is Bruno Biryomumaisho?
When Bruno was young, he lived with his family in a mud house with a grass roof. He lacked sufficient clothing and only ate one meal a day. As a late teenager, his mother grew mean toward Bruno and neglected him (kicked him out of the house). Obviously, this was very hurtful and it began one of Bruno’s loneliest seasons of life. To this day, he still doesn’t know what caused his mother’s change in heart. Sadly, parental abandonment is very common in Uganda. Eventually, Bruno’s grandma welcomed him into her home with open arms. She showed him much love and became like a mother to him.
As a boy, Bruno struggled a lot with gaining an education as affording his school fees was difficult. Thankfully, a local man stepped up and graciously sponsored the rest of Bruno’s education which, ultimately, allowed Bruno to graduate from primary school, secondary school, and college. He graduated with a degree in Tourism & Hotel Management. This generous act, as well as his Christian faith, is what molded Bruno’s passion to give back in the amazing way he is today. He is an extremely selfless person with a huge heart for serving children in need.
Bruno, his wife (Irene), and their children live together on the school grounds inside a small room in their medical clinic. They have four biological children but, throughout the years of running the Project, Bruno and Irene have personally adopted several of the children who have come to live at the orphanage due to their particularly tragic pasts.
Bruno says the most stressful part of running the Project is having enough funds to provide the children with food and medical care, and pay employee salaries as it runs 100% on donations.
“Thank you so much for making the children’s lives better, for loving me, and making our dreams better.”
- Bruno
Bruno and his sweet grandma
“What is your favorite thing about bruno?”:
-Ashley and Elliott S. (friends and advocates): “Bruno is a constant inspiration to us. He is a very genuine and loving person who has an incredibly humbling positive outlook on life - despite how much he has suffered. If we were to try to imagine the perfect man to fill the role Bruno has, it would be him. The children at the Project often arrive with broken hearts and we believe the culture of love, respect, care, and unity Bruno has cultivated is exactly what they need to heal and overcome. We’ve been so touched to learn just how much the children love and respect Bruno. Many affectionately call him ‘ta ta’ (father) or ‘shwento’ (uncle). The other thing we love about Bruno is his incredible work ethic. He works HARD. If there’s agricultural work to do, he’s in the fields working hours on end planting, weeding, and harvesting. If the pigs need a bigger corral, he’s there. If a child is very sick, he’s awake all night monitoring him/her. He easily has one of the biggest hearts we’ve ever seen in a person.”
-D.J. C. (friend and advocate): “His undying selflessness.”
-Jonathan S. (friend and advocate): “Simply put, Bruno is the kindest person I’ve met. I first met him in 2006 when he was an 18 year old waiter in the town of Kabale in South west Uganda. He took me to see the gorillas of Bwindi National Park and we spent a few days together and have been friends ever since. After this I travelled alone to the north of Uganda - Bruno was concerned I would be in danger so he gave me his spare phone so we could keep in touch. Every morning and evening he would check in with me to make sure I was safe (which I was!). Eventually, when my trip ended I returned to Kabale to give his phone back and ever since we have kept in touch and I’ve frequently returned to Uganda to see him. I’ve watched as he has turned his dream into reality which was always to give children a safe and secure childhood, to give them the opportunities that he didn’t receive as a youngster. He’s stayed true to his word throughout and today there are literally hundreds of children who have had a childhood filled with love thanks to Bruno and the other staff of The Kafunjo Community Project. He truly is an inspirational individual and has helped me to become a better person too, thanks to the example he has set.”
-Martin R. (friend and advocate): “My favourite things about Bruno include his unwavering positivity and vision, the manner in which he trusts in his instincts and listens to his heart - he boldly strikes forward regardless of the challenges, the way the project is developing being testament to this. He is wholly reliable, incorruptible, loving, trustworthy, and boundless in energy, charisma and positivity- a real anomaly, a welcome diamond. He is also fearless, and his endeavours continue to command respect and partnership in his community, essential components for the ongoing journey. I love him. Most folks do.”
-Will H. (friend and advocate): “He is one of the best, most genuine people I have ever met. You can't not believe in him once you've met him.”
-Irene (Bruno’s wife): “The way he cares for children.”