◆ About Us
Restoring Hope and Dignity in Uganda’s Young Mothers
Single young mothers are fighting to survive—most living on less than a dollar a day and many affected by abuse, abandonment, or hunger. We use gospel-centered care and hands-on training that gives mothers the safety, hope, and skills they need to rebuild their lives.
◆ Our Beginning
Our Story Begins With One Girl
During Uganda’s COVID lockdown, Josh met Jenifer, a teenage girl fetching water alone. When he asked why she wasn’t in school, she whispered, “I’m not in school, because I can’t afford sanitary pads.”
That moment changed everything.
Josh’s small act of compassion, meeting one girl’s immediate need, opened his eyes to a deeper crisis: thousands of young mothers trapped in cycles of poverty, shame, and silence.
What started with one girl became ten sewing machines, then eight churches, and now over a thousand women gathering to learn, pray, and heal.
That’s how Lift Up Girls began — one act of obedience turning into a movement of restoration.
We believe poverty is more than the absence of money — it’s the absence of hope.
We believe hope and dignity is restored through skill development and holistic support.
When you lift up a girl, you lift up a family, a church, and a generation by breaking the cycle of despair.
Every training class begins with prayer.
Every woman learns in the care of a local church.
Every graduate leaves with the confidence, tools, and faith to build a new future.
◆ Our Future is Bright
Our Vision
We envision a Uganda where vulnerable single mothers, once invisible, become thriving leaders, business owners, and disciples, raising strong families and strengthening the local church.
Because when one woman rises, her whole community rises with her.
◆ Our Daily Commitment
We seek to restore hope and dignity to Uganda’s single young mothers through transformational gospel-centered discipleship and hands-on vocational training enabling them to thrive by earning a livable wage.
Our Mission
Our Approach
-
Restore
Before training can even begin, our young moms receive trauma-informed care along with ongoing mentorship led by Ugandan pastors, teachers, and counselors leading to holistic restoration.
-
Equip
Students receive six months of vocational and life skills training in tailoring, hairdressing, weaving, or cooking. Many graduates are blessed with their own sewing machine so they can begin to earn income immediately.
-
Multiply
Graduates return home to bless their families and communities by launching their own businesses and mentoring other women in faith and skill to do the same.
◆ We Operate Differently
How Lift Up Girls Is Set Apart
Church-Led Model
We partner through local churches, ensuring discipleship and accountability at every level.
Holistic Transformation
Our programs address trauma, faith, and livelihood so women don’t just survive; they flourish.
Immediate Impact on Graduation
Graduates receive everything needed to start working right away, a sewing machine, a trade, and renewed confidence.
Proven Growth
From one classroom to eight training centers across Uganda, the impact continues to multiply because the model is sustainable, simple, and Spirit-led.
Our Leadership Team
-
![]()
JOSH BUWULE
Co-founder + Executive Director (Uganda)
-
![]()
KEVIN RUZINDA ARINDA
Administrator, Program Director (Uganda)
-
![]()
PERRY JOHNSON
Co-founder, Executive Director (US)
-
![]()
ANGEL MONERO
Counselor
-
![]()
PEACE NAKGANDA
Monitoring and Evaluation Officer (Uganda)
-
![]()
DR. KARLA Y. TILLMAN
Pastor of Restoration and Hope (Uganda)
Ugandan Leadership Team
Our local team includes teachers, pastors, and administrators who ensure every woman receives training and spiritual mentorship. They are the backbone of Lift Up Girls — the ones discipling, teaching, and lifting hope daily.
American Leadership Team
Our stateside team includes accountants, counselors, pastors, and advisors who continue to invite others into our journey to pray with, give, volunteer, and partner with us in order to sustain the efforts on the ground in Uganda.
Meet Our Teachers
-
AISHA NAIGAGA
TAILORING ◆ JINJA
-
CATHERINE NABUNYA
HAIR DRESSING ◆ JINJA
-
ESTHER AUMA
TAILORING ◆ BUIKWE
-
ESTHER NALUKWANGO
TAILORING ◆ BUIKWE
-
JENIFER MBAKIRE
TAILORING ◆ IGANGA
-
JOAN MUTESI
HAIR DRESSING AND TAILORING ◆ BUVUMA ISLAND
-
LYDIA
TAILORING ◆ KAMPALA
-
MARTHA NANKWANGA
HAIRDRESSING ◆ IGANGA
Our Board
Our board provides governance, prayer, and oversight to ensure every decision honors God and strengthens the mission.
Board Members Include:
Pastors, business professionals, and ministry leaders from both the U.S. and Uganda.
Advisors with backgrounds in finance, missions, trauma counseling, and community development.
Together, they provide wisdom, accountability, and spiritual covering for all operations and partnerships.
Your Part in the Story
You are the thread that makes this tapestry of restoration possible.
When you pray, give, or share, you become one of the hands that lift up God’s daughters in Uganda — helping them rise in dignity, faith, and purpose.