Providing the best education for the poorest children in Africa.
Introducing Global Challenge
Welcome to the Global Challenge website and thank you for choosing to take some time to find out more about us.
Global Challenge aims to alleviate poverty and suffering, and improve education and self sufficiency in the Soroti region of Uganda.
We work closely with charity coordinators and volunteers in Uganda, running practical projects that help the community. Projects have included funding school staff and meals, introducing live stock schemes, delivering teacher training and working with highly qualified professionals to deliver medical clinics.
We finance and support most of the running costs and all the capital costs of Crossroads Secondary School, providing education to around 300 children who are orphans or come from families who are very poor.
We also provide help to young people with disabilities and learning difficulties in the sub counties around Soroti, giving them the specialist equipment that they need and improving their education, health and quality of life. We seek to change perceptions about disability amongst the communities in and around Soroti by delivering training to churches, schools and communities in Uganda.
Our ‘Livestock project’ and the teaching of tailoring at Crossroads School, both aim to encourage self sufficiency and alleviate poverty.
Who Are Global Challenge?
Global Challenge was set-up as an outreach charity by Queens Road Baptist Church in Broadstairs. Global Challenge is run by Trustees in the UK who are all non-salaried volunteers and seeks to find practical ways of bringing social justice and equality to those in need. The charity works in the Soroti region of Uganda to improve education, reduce poverty, improve self-sufficiency and improve the quality of life of children with special needs. Over the past ten years, the charity has built up strong and personal links with co-workers in Soroti, resulting in a high level of accountability. The Trustees closely monitor and review the projects with our partners.
Catherines Family
The History of Global Challenge
In 2001 a team of nine visited Tororo and Soroti and were able to conduct a number of village clinics. The team included a doctor, trained medical staff and two dentists. Hundreds of people from neighbouring villages attended the clinics during the two week period and the team was able to provide some basic nutritional education.
By 2003 strong links had been made with our Ugandan partners and a number of smaller groups from Queens Road Baptist Church made visits to help establish projects that in consultation with local people would provide support to the community. At that time the “keep fit cow project” was started with support from the local community in Broadstairs.
Following the terrible problems with the Lords Resistance Army (LRA) between 2001-2005, a team of twenty visited Uganda for two weeks. It was during this time that the church building at Nakatunya was improved and the sewing project began. It became clear following this visit that if the projects were to move forward and become sustainable, the initiatives would need a dedicated group who could secure long-term funding and develop further projects. Out of that, Global Challenge was born.
Non-governmental Organisation (NGO) Status
In 2018, we became a recognised NGO in Uganda and we are now working hard to gain a protected five year NGO status. This will allow us to purchase land in the name of Global Challenge and build a flagship, inclusive secondary school close to Soroti that will cater for children of all needs and provide essential bording facilities to children who at the highest risk of dropping out from education.
The Way We Operate
We became established on March 1st 2006 and achieved full charitable status as a ‘Charitable Trust’ on November 26th 2007 (Charity Number 1121686). We are registered as a charity for tax purposes, including gift aid, under reference XT18583 with effect from 25th October 2007. An overview of how Global Challenge Charity spends its money and other information about the charity can be viewed on the Charity Commission’s Public Charity Register.
At least 95% of all donations, including Gift Aid received from the Inland Revenue, are used directly for projects. We fund some of the costs for one Trustee to visit Uganda each year to oversee the charity’s work. Queens Road Baptist Church may fund some of the costs for a second person to visit Uganda.
Regular visits are essential to ensure projects are progressing, that the charity’s funds are being used appropriately and the highest standards of stewardship and accountability are maintained. The Trustees and their helpers in the UK are all volunteers and claim no expenses whatsoever for their time spent working for Global Challenge.
The Trustees usually meet each month. Meeting agendas include a review of the previous meeting’s minutes and action points, and a Treasurers report. We also hold information meetings to which all supporters are invited, and give regular updates to the congregation at Queens Road Baptist Church.
The Trustees are happy to visit local schools to talk about the charity’s work, and many schools generously support the charity’s work.
Our financial year runs from March 1st to February 28th (29th). Our Chairman is elected in March each year.