FAQ

 

What is HOPE FOR HUMANS?

HOPE FOR HUMANS is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing dignity, comfort and hope to children afflicted with Nodding Syndrome and their families. HOPE FOR HUMANS is the newest branch of Gulu Hope, a well-established charity in northern Uganda that has provided education and vocational training for young adults since 2007.

What is Nodding Syndrome?

Nodding Syndrome, or nodding disease, is a neurological disorder with no known cause or cure. Its name is derived from the strange nodding-like symptoms children display in the first stages of a seizure. This mysterious condition typically affects children between the ages of 5 and 15. Those affected experience intractable seizures and stunted physical and mental growth. A typical Nodding seizure is triggered by eating or exposure to cold. Because it is a progressive neurological disorder, the children become completely impaired, and require round-the-clock care by a society already stressed to its limits. Children with Nodding Syndrome are said to “live in dead bodies.” The seizures result in children wandering into the bush, falling into open cooking fires, water wells, or creeks. Tragically, parents are forced to restrain their children by tying them to trees or locking them inside huts so they are able to perform their daily tasks.

How many villages in Uganda are you helping?

Our first Care Center opened in August, 2012 in a village in Odek in northern Uganda and is caring for 100 children. We are currently expanding our project in Odek and our next site will be in Kitgum province, one of the districts with the highest prevalence of Nodding Syndrome in northern Uganda.