Empathy
We start from the experience of the person in front of us. Most of the people doing this work have lived some version of it themselves.
About the foundation
An Edmonton-based non-profit supporting newcomer families and people without a home in Canada, and running education programs for refugee children overseas.
Our story
From Nakivale to Edmonton
Hope Ineza Foundation was established in 2022 in Nakivale refugee settlement, south western Uganda, by people living in and alongside that community. The work began with education: helping children back into school, explaining to families what schools require, covering fees for children who had none.
The foundation is now based in Edmonton, Alberta, and most of what we do happens here. The people who started it had made the journey themselves, and they knew that arriving in Canada is its own kind of difficult: a hundred small unknowns, in an unfamiliar language, in a winter nobody warned you about.
So the Canadian work took two shapes. We sit with newcomer families through their first months and work through the practical business of building a life here. And we go out with food, water and warm clothing for people living on the street, because hope is not only for people who have just arrived.
The programs in Uganda continue. We hold non-profit documentation in Alberta and remain a registered non-profit in Uganda for that international work.
Ineza means kindness.
- Founded in Nakivale settlement2022. Education support for refugee children in south western Uganda.
- Education program extends to Kyaka IISchool reintegration, orientation and work against drug use across two settlements.
- Registered as a non-profit in UgandaPermission to operate and to partner with other organizations.
- Alberta documentation and the Edmonton baseThe foundation establishes itself in Canada, and a supporting community forms across Canada and the United States.
- Settlement support and street outreach beginTwo Canadian programs: helping newcomer families through their first months, and taking supplies to people who have nowhere to sleep.
- The Mbarara school projectA model primary and secondary school in Uganda, costed and seeking funding.
Mission
What we are for
To reshape perspectives and empower individuals through transformative education and training. We aim to challenge preconceptions, foster inclusivity, and equip people with the tools they need to thrive: newcomers building a life in Canada, people without a home here, and underprivileged communities overseas.
Vision
What we are working towards
Empowering a world transformed. We envision a future in which our work in education and training has contributed to communities in Canada and beyond that thrive on inclusivity, innovation and resilience.
Motto
Empowering minds, igniting possibilities.
Values
Empathy, diversity, continuous learning
These three values guide our efforts to create an environment where everyone has the opportunity to learn, grow and contribute.
Diversity
The people we serve come from many places and arrive by many routes. Our programs are built for that reality rather than against it.
Continuous learning
We run pre- and post-program surveys and keep feedback channels open, so that what we deliver next is better than what we delivered last.
Objectives
The commitments in our organizational profile
Community engagement
Workshops, seminars and outreach that carry the organization’s message and values through the communities we serve.
Online education
Platforms and resources that reach a wider audience and provide learning beyond geographical boundaries.
Mental health and wellbeing
Mental health, stress management and wellbeing built into programs to support holistic development.
Advocacy and policy
Advocating for educational policies that promote open-mindedness, critical thinking and inclusivity in formal education systems.
Collaborations and partnerships
Partnerships with schools, universities, other non-profits and businesses to extend the reach of our work.
Evaluation and assessment
Continuous assessment of program effectiveness, with data-driven improvements that keep us aligned to the mission.
Sustainability and growth
Long-term sustainability through effective fundraising, grant applications and diversified revenue.
Measuring impact
Clear metrics focused on outcomes: changed perspectives, new skills and shifts in attitude.
Youth and student engagement
Mentorship, leadership programs and scholarships that reach young people early in their development.
Leadership
Rev. Pastor Jean Paul Mutabazi
Rev. Pastor Jean Paul Mutabazi founded Hope Ineza Foundation and leads its work in Edmonton and overseas. He prepared the foundation’s project proposal and the Thirty Dollars Campaign, and is the point of contact for partnership enquiries.
His work combines the practical and the pastoral: sharing a word of hope, and providing food, clothing and school fees to those who need them, on the streets of Edmonton and in the settlements overseas.
Faith and access. Hope Ineza Foundation is a faith-motivated organization with roots in the church community. Our programs and assistance are open to everyone we serve, without regard to belief.
Governance
Legal status and accountability
- Based in
- Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
- Founded
- 2022, in Nakivale refugee settlement, south western Uganda
- Canada
- Non-profit documentation held in Alberta, permitting work and partnerships within the province
- Uganda
- Registered non-profit organization for our international programs, with permission to operate and to enter partnerships
- Leadership
- Rev. Pastor Jean Paul Mutabazi, Founder
- Partners
- Churches, community groups and individual supporters in Canada and the United States; for the international programs, the Government of Uganda through the Ministry of Education, alongside agencies including UNHCR and UNICEF
- Evaluation
- Pre- and post-program surveys assessing mindset change and integration progress, with open feedback channels for continuous improvement
Support the work
Every gift goes further than you would think
In Edmonton it buys water, food and warm clothing for someone living on the street, or a kettle and a set of pans for a family setting up their first Canadian home. Through our international programs, $30 covers a school term for a child in a Ugandan refugee settlement.