The Oliva Project was founded to help people with intellectual disabilities in Uganda to develop the skills they need to become independent, thriving and contributing members of their community. Our goal is to provide vocational and life skills training these wonderful people and, through community outreach programs, to help them to not only find a personal sense of pride but to change the negative way they are perceived and treated in Uganda.
The special education system in Uganda is still developing and due to lack of funding progress has become stagnant. 97% of people with intellectual disabilities do not complete their primary education (according to a 2002 census) due
​to their age and a lack of support from parents. When they leave school they return to their villages where, their condition is greatly misunderstood. This misunderstanding extends to the origin of their disability, how to care for them, and most importantly their ability to thrive and contribute. This, unfortunately, ends in them being mistreated and often neglected.
The Oliva Project is committed to the idea that by providing these children with skills outside the ordinary curriculum, including vocational training and life skills, we can help them to develop the skills necessary to become more independent and self sustaining. Our goal is to help these children show their local communities that disability does not mean inability. We work with schools to help people with intellectual disabilities to develop these skills and we work with their families and communities to increase their understanding of each disability, teach them how to care for their family member or community member, and to change their perception of intellectal disability by showing them how much these unique and increadible people can contribute.
THE OLIVA PROJECT was founded to change the way children with disabilities are treated in Uganda, by proving that disability does not mean inability. We help these children develop the skills they need to become thriving and contributing members of their communities by pushing forward the special education system.