Welcome to HFOC
HFOC is a registered charity devoted to supporting orphaned and vulnerable children in Busiiro village, Uganda.
Healing Focus Orphanage Centre is a registered Ugandan charity founded in 2004 by Tom Bagoole and his wife Esther. They established the organization to support orphans and vulnerable children in their home district of Luuka, Uganda. Uganda's history, marked by devastating wars, widespread poverty, HIV/AIDS, cultural beliefs, and a lack of social services such as schools and hospitals—exacerbated by government corruption—led to severe breakdowns in family structures and moral values. This environment resulted in widespread issues such as polygamy, child sacrifice, early pregnancies, child labor, and abusive families. Many children lost one or both parents due to these crises, leaving orphans scattered across communities. Many ended up living on the streets or working in sugarcane plantations. Girls faced dangers such as defilement, exploitation, and rape, while boys were forced into child labor. Girls lacked sex education and access to sanitary pads, resulting in many missing schools.
Amid this harsh reality, Tom, despite his own struggles growing up in poverty, dreamed of helping those in need. He worked various jobs to support himself and his siblings, including making bricks, hawking goods, and cutting sugarcane. Despite these challenges, he managed to attend college and later university, working hard to support himself through odd jobs and a partial scholarship. Esther, who also grew up in difficult circumstances, worked as a house help to support herself and pay for her education. Her experiences mirrored Tom's, and together they felt a strong call to improve the lives of orphans and street children in their village. Shortly after their marriage in 2006, Tom and Esther began pursuing their dream of supporting vulnerable children through Healing Focus Orphanage Centre. They established Healing Children Primary School in Busiiro village, which now includes a vocational Centre offering training in tailoring and bookmaking. The organization also supports hundreds of secondary school students through a sponsorship scheme for secondary school and university education. As a result, HFOC has produced students in fields such as engineering, oil and gas, secondary school teaching, and human resources. In January 2008, Tom and Esther met Lucy Freeman, an English intern working with a local human rights organization. Lucy introduced them to her parents, Paul Freeman and Maggie Scott. This connection proved instrumental, as Paul and Maggie became strong supporters of the orphanage, leading to the involvement of UKHF (UK Helping Fund).
The first vocational training Centre, located in Iganga town, began with a single room used as a tailoring workshop. Older girls who had dropped out of school were taught tailoring and design, and each student graduated with a sewing machine as startup capital. Despite challenges, including a break-in that resulted in stolen machines, they persisted. With the support of Paul and Maggie, they moved to a more secure location and revamped the workshop. The third Centre was established in St. Andrews, a large nearby school where Tom covered the costs for 30 orphans. Although Uganda provides free primary education through the Universal Primary Education (UPE) scheme, it does not cover all expenses, such as scholastic materials, uniforms, medical expenses, and meals. Consequently, private schools, which are often too expensive for local families, have become more common, leaving many children without access to education. Paul and his family were deeply moved by Tom and Esther's efforts. They provided financial support for rent and equipment, helping to officially establish Healing Children Primary School. Within a year, the number of students grew to 250, and the school gained recognition in the community. With continued support, the school flourished, providing not only education but also accommodation, sex education through workshops, and sanitary pads for girls, as well as meals and encouragement for students. The focus now is on maintaining the school's quality, improving the welfare of the children, ensuring academic excellence, and establishing a secondary school. Despite ongoing resource challenges, the goal is to make HFOC self-sustaining and to offer comprehensive education, including vocational training, to help individuals create their own sources of income. This aligns with the national policy on "skilling our students."
