Sole Hope
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Programs and results
What we aim to solve
The infestation of jiggers in Uganda.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
School and Community Clinics
Our dedicated team travels to schools throughout the region on a weekly basis. We visit classrooms to educate children about jiggers and how to prevent them. Following the educational sessions, we hold clinics where each child's feet are washed, inspected, and treated for any jiggers present. As part of our commitment, each child receives a brand new pair of shoes, handmade in our workshop, to protect their feet and prevent future infestations.
Residential Treatment Facility
The Young Living Foundation Hope Center aims to heal children who suffer from severe cases of jiggers. Our goal is to equip them with the necessary knowledge and tools to live a jigger-free life. Since the center's establishment in 2013, we have realized that this is the most effective way to fight against the problem of jiggers. The Hope Center provides a safe haven for children with severe cases, often arriving with 100 or more jiggers on their bodies. Children travel 2-4 hours to stay at the center for two weeks or more, where they receive treatment, medication, and education on good habits to remain jigger-free when they return home. During their stay, patients are educated on various topics such as hygiene, cooking, and crafts. They receive three meals per day, education classes, two pairs of shoes, a set of clean clothing, and hygiene products. The center is staffed by full-time nurses, a doctor, and caregivers who provide supervision and care to the children.
Community Education and Social Work
Our team of educators and social workers actively engages with communities across Eastern Uganda. You can find them in schools, under the shade of mango trees, and in households, working tirelessly to teach people how to live jigger-free lives. They provide vital education, equipping individuals and families with the knowledge and resources they need to prevent jiggers. Additionally, our social workers connect vulnerable families to various community resources, fostering a supportive environment for those in need
Shoemaking
We take great pride in our shoemaking program, which employs talented Ugandan men and women. Through their skilled craftsmanship, we produce around 11,000 pairs of shoes annually. Our closed-toed shoes play a crucial role in preventing jigger infestations for those who wear them. They offer protection against harsh conditions and serve as a source of pride for their owners. While our shoes are handcrafted in Uganda, their journey begins with you. By using your hands and donating your old jeans, you can breathe new life into vulnerable individuals in Uganda.
To learn more about our work or to host your own Shoe Party, click HERE. Together, let's make a lasting impact and bring hope to those in need.
Government Hospital Based Partner Clinics
Sole Hope's strategic partnerships with government hospitals, doctors, and nurses enable us to extend our reach and provide vital assistance to jigger-infested communities. Through these collaborations, we address the challenges faced by affected individuals, ensuring they receive prompt and effective treatment. Our process begins with community mobilizers and Village Health Teams (VHTs) identifying and engaging communities. Through comprehensive sensitization programs, we raise awareness about jiggers and the importance of seeking medical help.
Once individuals are identified, they are referred to established clinics within different hospitals for specialized care, including jigger removal procedures performed by skilled nurses. These clinics also offer treatment for other medical conditions, promoting overall well-being. After receiving treatment, patients receive ongoing support from Village Health Teams upon returning to their communities. Currently, Sole Hope proudly partners wit
Economic Empowerment Program
Sole Hope actively engages with community members through the Self Help Group-Economic Empowerment Program. This program adopts a self-help group approach, where small groups of 15 to 20 members, who share common characteristics and goals, come together to harness the power of savings, credit, and social involvement as tools for empowerment. Through this program, we focus on empowering women by equipping them with the knowledge, skills, and resources needed to establish and expand their own businesses, fostering self-sufficiency and financial independence.
Where we work
External reviews

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Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Number of individuals who receive treatment and go home free from jiggers.
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Children and youth, Seniors, People of African descent
Related Program
School and Community Clinics
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
These are patients who are treated by Sole Hope through weekly village/school clinics as well as The Hope Center where we treat the worst cases.
Number of individuals who are employed by Sole Hope in Uganda.
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Indigenous peoples, People of African descent
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Part of the Sole Hope mission is employment. This is a wide range of positions from doctors, nurses, and social workers to shoemakers, tailors, and maintenance crew.
Goals & Strategy
Reports and documents
Download strategic planLearn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
The goal of Sole Hope is to change the future for children and elderly suffering from jiggers one person at a time with the ultimate goal of eradicating jiggers from Uganda.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
Clinics in the villages where we wash feet, remove jiggers and educate on how the children can remain jigger free.
The Hope Center where we bring the worst cases for extended removal, healing, and education.
School programs to dispel myths and ignorance around the problem of jiggers.
Shoes on the feet of children and education about why they should wear them to promote foot health.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
Sole Hope has over 55 Ugandan's on staff on the ground including nurses, educators, tailors, shoemakers, social workers, accountant etc..
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
Progress is charted and reported monthly.
How many children seen
How many jiggers removed
How many families served
How many children at Hope Center
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
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How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
We collect feedback from the people we serve at least annually, We aim to collect feedback from as many people we serve as possible, We take steps to ensure people feel comfortable being honest with us, We look for patterns in feedback based on demographics (e.g., race, age, gender, etc.), We look for patterns in feedback based on people’s interactions with us (e.g., site, frequency of service, etc.), We engage the people who provide feedback in looking for ways we can improve in response, We act on the feedback we receive, We share the feedback we received with the people we serve, We tell the people who gave us feedback how we acted on their feedback
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
We don't have any major challenges to collecting feedback
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
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- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Sole Hope
Board of directorsas of 07/08/2023
Tory Sherman
Jen Jordan
Jessica Falkner
Gareth Gilkeson
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Yes
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
Gender identity
Sexual orientation
Disability
Equity strategies
Last updated: 06/10/2023GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more
- We review compensation data across the organization (and by staff levels) to identify disparities by race.
- We ask team members to identify racial disparities in their programs and / or portfolios.
- We analyze disaggregated data and root causes of race disparities that impact the organization's programs, portfolios, and the populations served.
- We disaggregate data to adjust programming goals to keep pace with changing needs of the communities we support.
- We employ non-traditional ways of gathering feedback on programs and trainings, which may include interviews, roundtables, and external reviews with/by community stakeholders.
- We disaggregate data by demographics, including race, in every policy and program measured.
- We have long-term strategic plans and measurable goals for creating a culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.
- We use a vetting process to identify vendors and partners that share our commitment to race equity.
- We have a promotion process that anticipates and mitigates implicit and explicit biases about people of color serving in leadership positions.
- We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.
- We have community representation at the board level, either on the board itself or through a community advisory board.
- We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability.
- We measure and then disaggregate job satisfaction and retention data by race, function, level, and/or team.
- We engage everyone, from the board to staff levels of the organization, in race equity work and ensure that individuals understand their roles in creating culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.