Uganda Martyrs Orphans Project

Who We Are UMOP

A Message from Father Centurio

"Everyday there is a funeral ... with children left behind with no one to care for them. As a priest, they call me Father. How can I sleep at night if I don't try my best to look after these children?"

In the US, tax deductible donations for UMOP are accepted by The River Fund, a 501c3 corporation. 11155 Roseland Road. , #16, Sebastian, FL 32958 or Fr. Aubrey McNeil, O.F.M., Holy Cross Church, 600 Soundview Ave., The Bronx, NY 10473 USA.

How UMOP Was Founded

Margaret Angoye founded the Uganda Martyrs Orphans Project in 1992, when she began taking in abandoned children. In 1999, after Margaret’s death from AIDS, the work was taken over by her brother, Rev. Father Centurio Olaboro, who also serves as parish priest of the district.

Using a tract of family land as a base, he expanded the program. In 2000 The Great Aubrey Memorial College was built on the grounds of UMOP, and began providing a top quality secondary education. Great Aubrey graduates consistently earn top scores on government exams. In 2000 Ma’s Orphan’s Providence Centre was also started, providing housing to many of the children. In 2003 St. James Lumino Polytechnic School was established, and UMOP began placing some children there and paying their fees.

The number of children served grew steadily, yet the need grew even faster. UMOP was serving about 400 orphans in the spring of 2003, when it also took responsibility for 300 exploited and vulnerable street children who had been identified by the International Labor Organization of the United Nations. With this group, the Center increased the proportion of older students in its care. The number of children now approaches 1400, a limit set by the available funding.

The staff of all UMOP projects and affiliated schools is drawn from the local community. The Director, Rev. Father Centurio Olaboro, himself an orphan, has lived all his life in this area.

UMOP is a registered indigenous Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) founded in 1992.

Although UMOP receives no direct support from the Catholic Church, we are grateful for the kindness of Archbishop James Odongo of Tororo Archdiocese for his generosity in allowing his priests to participate in the project for the good of the children.

We have collaborated with the International Labor Organization, the National Council on Children, the World Food Program, and local authorities.

In the US, the River Fund, a 501(c)(3) charity, accepts tax-deductible donations on behalf of UMOP.