The ASA Social Fund for Hidden Peoples provides financial resources and
support to qualified individuals and entities abroad. The focus is on the
basic human, health and educational needs of these hidden peoples
including, but not limited to:

  • Women and children who are victims of gender violence
  • Children who are homeless, victims of conflict, HIV/AIDS, and/or
    impacted by extreme poverty

ASA Social fund

for hidden peoples

The mission of the

ASA Social Fund for Hidden Peoples
is to empower hidden people to
reclaim their human-ness. This
includes vulnerable and fragile
children and adults who are
impacted by extreme poverty, civil
strife, abandonment, gender
violence, disfigurement and
physical disabilities. These peoples
are not served by their countries
social support systems.

  • Mission
  • Combining social entrepreneurialism with philanthropy, in order to
    provide support for income generation
  • Ensuring all have reclaimed basic human rights and are entitled to
    human security
  • Vision

ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT

VOCATIONAL TRAINING

OUR PRIORITES

EDUCATION

ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT

  • ASA supports economic empowerment through several microloan
    programs. The populations ASA focuses on for the micro-loan programs
    include victims of domestic violence and other displaced, disadvantaged or
    vulnerable women.
  • CURRENT PROJECTS
  • Northern Uganda: Gulu

The microloan program in
Northern Uganda was started in
2019. The program specifically
targets vulnerable women
affected by war and gender
violence. The program in Gulu is
based on a group lending
program with a maximum of
seven members in each group.
The group of borrowers are
members of the Women’s
Advocacy Network (WAN)
located in Gulu.

Currently there are four active
groups with five to six members
in each group. Businesses
include poultry and egg
production, wine making, and
selling agricultural products,
secondhand clothing, and food
products at local markets.


The Community Microloan
program started in 2015 with
three recipients with small loans
distributed amounting to about
$50 each. The recipients paid
back the loans after three
months with 12% simple
interest. Normal interest rates in
Uganda are 32% compound
interest. After paying back their
loans, recipients were able to
apply for additional loans.

Currently there are close to eight
recipients. Many have small
businesses including farming
and restaurants, and others sell
crafts, beverages and food.
Participants include those
impacted by severe poverty,
HIV/AIDS and gender violence.


  • The Community Microloan
    Program: Entebbe
  • ASA Social Fund for Hidden Peoples’ economic empowerment funding
    expanded its microloan program to over 40 participants in Uganda. It has
    spread to two areas: Entebbe and Northern Uganda. Hidden Peoples
    receiving the loans includes: LRA war victims, acid attack/gender violence
    survivors, orphans, people with disabilities, and albinos. The microloan
    program has also expanded into providing funds for business training and
    training of trainers.

EDUCATION

ASA believes that through education all children have a chance to realize their full potential. The reality for the majority of the students who are supported by ASA’s partner organizations, who have either been orphaned or abandoned, is they do not have families to support their education.​

CURRENT PROJECT

Bright Kids Uganda is a children’s home located near Entebbe, Uganda. Its mission is to rescue vulnerable and economically disadvantaged children from the dire circumstances in which they are currently living by providing them with an education, medical care, a loving home and other basic necessities.

Bright Kids Uganda

VOCATIONAL TRAINING

The ASA focus is on the educational needs of people with physical disabilities. This includes post primary school children and adults who are disabled. The projects support vocational training of up to nine months in skills such as food processing, hairdressing, motorcycle repair, electronic repair, sewing, and knitting.

CURRENT PROJECTS

ASA carried out a pilot training project in western Kenya in 2022-23. Four young adults with disabilities received training via the Lengo Institute for Agricultural Development. Three out of the four successfully graduated and now have the skills to seek employment.

In cooperation with Women’s Advocacy Network (WAN), ASA is expanding the Kenya program to its members who became disabled during the Lord’s Resistance Army revolt. This program will provide scholarships for participants to study at the Disabled Person’s Union, Vocational Training Institute in Gulu.

Kenya Disabilities Project

Gulu Disabilities Project

DONATE TODAY

Make a secure donation online via PayPal. Simply click the icon to the right and choose how you’d like your donation to be used: where most needed, for children’s educational needs, or for the emergency fund.

The ASA Social Fund for Hidden Peoples supports vulnerable and fragile children and adults who are impacted by extreme poverty, civil strife, abandonment and physical disabilities. We keep ongoing relationships with the Ugandans we work with on the ground. You can help us support the needs of these people and organizations with your donation today. Your tax-deductible contribution can help us make a difference in the lives of Hidden People.

Checks can also be mailed to: ASA Social Fund For Hidden Peoples 1323 Fairstead Lane Pittsburgh, PA 15217 For more information, please contact Pauline Greenlick

SHOP TO SUPPORT ASA Our Amazon and eBay stores offer over 3,000 new and gently-used books for purchase. All proceeds benefit ASA. Lou’s Book Report – Amazon Lou’s Book Report – eBay

We do not provide funding to parties prohibited by OFAC. We maintain ongoing relationships with our beneficiaries, and we require information on the ways in which our funding is used, so that we can ensure that funded activities are in line with not only our own organizational goals and principles, but also IRS requirements that foreign programs are substantially similar to programs which would be 501(c)(3)-eligible if they took place in the U.S.

Click here to follow our blog Voices from the Shadows to learn more about the work of the ASA Social Fund for Hidden Peoples in Uganda.

NEWS & MEDIA

Films

Blog

“The Women’s Advocacy Network Beaded Memory Project is provided with microloans from the ASA Social Fund” The Women’s Advocacy Network (WAN) members are survivors of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) civil war fought for over 20 years in northern Uganda. During the war, they were kidnapped and forced to be child brides and child soldiers. Decades later they are still traumatized by their war memories. To help heal, the women survivors bonded together and decided to record their war memories and stories on a large cloth using paper beads. Stitch by stitch and bead by bead they captured their war memories and stories on the cloth. The women are also receiving ASA Social Fund microloans.

“Living Beyond the Violence” This is a short film about gender-violence (acid attack) survivors and micro loans.

“Maxi’s Kids” This film is a thank you to Maxine Bruhns, Director of Nationality Rooms Program at the University of Pittsburgh. In the film, the ten children she is providing educational funds extend their thanks to Maxine.

“Jambo, Maxi’s Kids!” October 12, 2017, E. Maxine Bruhns, University of Pittsburgh Nationality Rooms Director, invited her friends to say “Jambo” and send a video greeting to the 10 Bright Kids Uganda children Maxine is supporting.

“Ronald’s Story” Ronald Kasozi, Bright Kids Uganda student, tells his story how Victoria Nalongo Namusisi took him into her Bright Kids Uganda Children’s Home to give him a better life. He was born in the Sazi Islands, Lake Victoria. Most of his family has died from AIDS and his brothers and sisters are living with HIV/AIDS. Victoria rescued him and provided him with an education, shelter, food, clothing and support. He now tells his story of gratitude to BKU for his education. He will graduate from Pharmacy School and wants to pursue his studies to find a cure for AIDS.

“Connie” Connie Amongi tells her story of what her life was like during the LRA, Joseph Kony, Civil War in Northern Uganda. Her parents were killed by the LRA rebels. In 2008, she was rescued by Victoria Nalongo Namusisi who is the Director of Bright Kids Uganda Children’s Home (BKU). At BKU Connie was provided shelter, clothing, food and most important an education. She is now a successful university student majoring in agriculture studies. She is very grateful for the educational support she has and still is receiving so she can continue her studies.

“Under the Umbrella Tree” Ugandan Victoria Nalongo Namusisi is the co-founder and director of the “Bright Kids Uganda” children’s home, located in Entebbe. This video, profiles her life from poverty, to journalist, to political leader. In 2000, she witnessed extreme poverty, the effects of HIV/AIDS on thousands of Uganda children, and the atrocities of Joseph Kony and his Lord’s Resistance Army. She opened her home to these affected children and has saved hundreds of lives, providing them with shelter, food, clothing, education and, most of all, love.

“Under the Umbrella Tree” (shortened version) This is a shortened version of the film showcasing University of Pittsburgh professor Dr. Louis Picard.

“Opio” This is the story of Opio, a survivor of the civil war in Northern Uganda, started by Joseph Kovy’s Lord’s Resistance Army. Opio was just a young boy when his mother became ill while living in the IDPS camps. She was eventually killed by the rebel soldiers. Having no one to take care of him, Victoria Nalongo Namusisi of Bright Kids Uganda rescued him from the IDPC camp and brought him to her Children’s Home in Entebbe. This changed his life. Now in his early 20s, Opio has a diploma in hotel management and catering and has dreams of owning his own hotel.

“One Person Can Make a Difference” One person can make a difference in the lives of many. And Gloria was one of them. She was born with disabilities and was adopted by Victoria Nalongo Namusisi when she was six years old. Victoria loved Gloria and took care of her special needs. She died unexpectedly when she was twelve years old. Victoria and her daughter Angel kept Gloria’s spirit alive by founding Noah’s Ark, a school for the disabled.

“ASA Social Fund for Hidden Peoples Microloan Project” ASA Social Fund for Hidden Peoples’ economic empowerment funding expanded its microloan program to over 40 participants in Uganda. It has spread to two areas: Entebbe and Northern Uganda. Hidden Peoples receiving the loans includes: LRA war victims, acid attack/gender violence survivors, orphans, and people with disabilities. The microloan program has also expanded into providing funds for business training and training of trainers.

“One Day in the Life of Eddy“ This documentary tells the story of a brave boy who is determined to succeed, despite his physical disabilities. Unable to use his legs, he crawls for 45 minutes to get to school. Eddy is one of 2 million Ugandans with physical disabilities. The film, produced by ASA’s Pauline Greenlick, is an International Screenwriters’ Association / WriterDuet package winner and has been selected for the New Faces New Voices Film Festival, WRPN.TV’s Short, Tight and Loose Global Film Festival, and the Gold Movie Awards Film Festival.

“The Most Important Number is One” Ronald Abong confronts the ghosts of his past when he returns to his hometown, 25 years after witnessing the brutal slaughter of his parents and other villagers at the hands of the Lord’s Resistance Army in the late 1990s. The film, produced by Pauline Greenlick, has been awarded Best Documentary Short by the Lady Filmmaker Film Festival, and won an Award of Recognition-Documentary Short in the Accolade Global Film Competition.

Keep up with current news and events by visiting our social media pages linked below.

News and Events

ANNUAL REPORTS

ANNUAL REPORT 2022

Annual Review 2023

ANNUAL REPORT 2021

ANNUAL REPORT 2020

ANNUAL REPORT 2019

The ASA Social Fund for Hidden Peoples was founded by Dr. Louis Picard and Pauline Greenlick. Dr. Picard has been actively involved in African issues since 1965 and has continued his involvement in Africa to the present day. His work in Uganda began while he was assigned to Uganda as a Peace Corps volunteer. At that time his friendship with the late Honorable Manuel Pinto began when they were both teachers at the Aga Khan Secondary School in Masaka. Throughout the decades they continued their friendship until Pinto’s untimely death in 2008. Dr. Picard became aware of Pinto’s involvement in Bright Kids Uganda Children’s home, as Co-Founder along with Victoria Nalongo Namusisi. At that time, with his desire to keep his long time friend’s spirit alive, Picard became interested in supporting the children’s home. In 2008, Dr. Picard, along with his wife Pauline Greenlick, visited Bright Kids Uganda Children’s Home, located in the Entebbe area. It was at this point they made a decision to support the vision and mission of Victoria Nalongo Namusisi, the Director of the home. Initially, they were active in the Bright Kids Uganda USA non-profit, providing support in educational, medical and sustainable project needs of the home. In 2015 they wanted to reach out to several additional organizations closely associated with Bright Kids Uganda and they decided to establish the ASA Social Fund for Hidden Peoples, a non-profit organization in the USA. Through this USA based non-profit, Picard and Greenlick continue to support the activities of Bright Kids Uganda Children’s Home through ASA’s priority areas. ASA Social Fund for Hidden Peoples supports activities in the following priority areas: Education, Economic Empowerment, Social Enterprise Development, Health and Basic Needs, Water and Sanitation, and Special Projects. Currently, ASA has partnered with various non profit organizations in Uganda and Hungary to implement projects in these priority areas.

HISTORY

STAFF

Dr. Louis A. Picard ASA President Professor of International Development, Africa and Middle East Studies at the University of Pittsburgh, Graduate School of Public and International Affairs. Dr. Picard provides policy and program leadership for ASA and has developed and manages its Micro-Enterprise Development Program in Uganda.

Carmen Parise ASA Senior Advisor for East Africa Carmen is a native of Pittsburgh, having earned a degree in Economics and Geography from the University of Pittsburgh. Upon completion of flight training, he enjoyed 35 years employed as an airline pilot, finishing his career as a Captain with United Airlines. After his retirement from the airline industry, Carmen served at a non-profit as the Director of the Disabilities Ministry and Vice President of Ministries. Although coordinating projects globally, his affinity for East Africa has led him to concentrate his endeavors in Kenya and Uganda. Carmen’s hobbies include swimming and remaining active working part-time as a package delivery driver. Carmen and his wife Cheryl have been married 40 years and have 3 grown children.

Abigail Salisbury ASA Legal Advisor Abigail specializes in non-profit law and has a law practice in Pittsburgh, PA. She has a law degree and a Master’s Degree in Public Policy and Management from the University of Pittsburgh. In addition, Abigail was elected to the House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

Ashley Saxe ASA Chair As a physical therapist and Doctor of Physical Therapy, Ashley’s focus for ASA is on health and special needs for survivors of gender violence and their children. She received her Doctor of Physical Therapy degree from the University of Pittsburgh and completed a certificate in African studies. She has studied in Tanzania and completed physical therapy internships in Sierra Leone and Malawi. She served as the Co-Coordinator for the Hidden Peoples Project at the University of Pittsburgh.

Dr. Bok-gyo Jeong ASA Board Vice-Chair Dr. Bok is an Associate Professor of Public Administration at Kean University in New Jersey. He received his Ph.D. from the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs at the University of Pittsburgh. His teaching areas include Research Methods, Policy Analysis, Comparative Public Administration, Social Entrepreneurship and Enterprises, and Nonprofit Management. His research interests include nonprofit accountability, social enterprises, and the partnership between civil society and international organizations. He served as the Founding President of Purposeful Penny, an ASA affiliated student-led charity organization. He has been sharing and promoting the mission and vision of ASA Social Fund and its partner nonprofits including Bright Kids Uganda through Diversity Workshop and Global Awareness Initiative. He has served with ASA since its foundation in 2015.

Pauline Greenlick ASA Board Member Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Pauline has worked in education for over thirty years teaching students with special needs. She is a filmmaker and has produced over thirty films focusing on the stories of hidden people in Uganda. In addition, she produces films for businesses and non-profits in the Pittsburgh region. She is an active member of the Battle of Homestead Foundation of Pittsburgh.

Hannah Greenlick-Michals ASA Secretary​ Hannah Greenlick-Michals is a Professional Practice and Clinical Education Specialist at the Children’s National Medical Center, Washington D.C. She is working on the PhD in Health Science with a concentration in Health Promotion and Wellness. She holds the Masters Degree in International Development from the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs from the University of Pittsburgh.

Kristen Hochreiter ASA Board Member Kristen studied at Carnegie Mellon University’s Heinz College in DC, where she obtained a Master of Science in Public Policy and Management with a Concentration in International Development and Conflict Management. She has over 10 years of experience in organizational development with small NGOs both domestically and internationally. She obtained her Bachelor of Arts in Social Work, Global, and African Studies and studied abroad in Northern Uganda and Rwanda in 2013. During her time studying in Uganda, she interned with an organization called Gulu Women Economic Development and Globalization (GWED-G), which fueled her passion for international development, non-profit management, and conflict resolution.

Kihwan Kim, Ph.D., MBA ASA Special Projects: Social Enterprise Development Dr. Kihwan is an assistant professor of Management at Kean University, Union, NJ. His teaching specialty includes social entrepreneurship, small business development, and leadership. He has helped numerous regular and social enterprises to develop their product and service, strategic plan, marketing plan, and market analysis. His area of interest at ASA Social Fund is Special Projects that focus on Social Enterprise Development.

John Michals ASA Board Member John is a special education specialist who teaches in the Fairfax School System, Fairfax Virginia. He advises ASA on education and special needs issues.

Paige Noah ASA Board Member Paige received her J.D. from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law, and her M.P.I.A. from Pitt’s Graduate School of Public and International Affairs (GSPIA), while working as co-coordinator of the Hidden Peoples Project and serving as an African Studies Graduate Fellow. During her time at Pitt, Paige was a member of the Ford Institute for Human Security’s Working Group on Gender Equality in Public Administration for the United Nations Development Program. She was also a member of Pitt’s 2019 Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot team. Paige is currently an associate attorney at Goldberg, Persky & White located in downtown Pittsburgh.

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