About Us
Founded in 2002, Te-Kworo Foundation began as a response to the urgent need for rehabilitation and education among women and children affected by the brutal conflict in northern Uganda.
Rooted in faith, what started under the shade of a kworo tree—offering counselling, care, and hope to survivors of abduction and violence—has grown into a transformative mission.
Today, we empower communities through three boarding schools, a maternal and child health clinic, and programs that provide education, healthcare, and a brighter future.
Guided by Christian values of love, compassion, and unity, Te-Kworo Foundation continues to walk alongside the vulnerable, bringing hope and lasting change.
Te-Kworo means under the kworo tree in the Acholi Lwo language.
Our Impact to Date
4,000+ girls educated
Over 4,000 girls have benefitted from academic studies and vocational training at our three boarding schools, with enrolment continuing to grow each year.
300,000+ people served
Our Medical and Maternal Health Clinic serves a population of over 300,000, providing life-saving care, safe births, and essential health services for women and children.
800,000+ Lives to Transform
Our new maternity hospital, opening this year in Agago, will serve over 800,000 people, addressing one of the world’s highest rates of maternal and infant mortality through accessible maternal healthcare.
Meet Alice Achan
Te-Kworo Foundation Founder and Executive Director, Alice Achan, was just thirteen years old when rebels from The Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) first terrorised her village in northern Uganda, destroying her idyllic village childhood.
The civil war that followed saw the abduction and enslavement of 20,000 children in northern Uganda, with Alice forced out of school for years at a time, often running and hiding to escape rebel abduction.
These years gave her a thirst to continue her education. After escaping northern Uganda and completing secondary school in her twenties, followed by training in social work, Alice chose to return home to help rehabilitate girls returning from captivity. She understood from her own experience the many challenges girls in her war-ravaged community faced to stay in school.
Initially she gathered a group of local Christian women under a Kworo tree, to help house and nurture teenage survivors of abduction. In 2002, as more and more girls returned from LRA captivity, some stigmatized and rejected by their own families, Alice established CCF, which became Te-Kworo Foundation. Alice soon realized that access to education was vital if the girls in her care were to reclaim their lives. In 2008, she founded Pader Girls Academy, now Kworo High School, the first school in Uganda to offer secondary education to child-mothers, supporting these girls and their babies with childcare facilities and a flexible education program.
Today, Te-Kworo Foundation operates three boarding schools in northern Uganda. More than 4,000 girls have benefitted from academic studies and vocational training since the schools were founded, and numbers are still growing.
Te-Kworo Foundation also operates a Medical and Maternal Health Clinic which serves a population of approximately 300,000 people. We strive to give every woman and child the chance of a healthy life by supporting access to life-saving maternal health services and the opportunity for a safe birth for every pregnant woman.
Our Book: The School of Restoration
Discover the inspiring story behind Te-Kworo Foundation in The School of Restoration, written by our founder and Executive Director, Alice Achan, in collaboration with Philippa Tyndale, our chair founder and renowned biographer.
This powerful book chronicles Alice’s journey from a young girl forced to flee her home during the conflict in northern Uganda to the courageous leader who founded Te-Kworo Foundation. Through Alice’s voice and Philippa’s masterful storytelling, the book sheds light on the resilience of women and girls in the face of unimaginable adversity and the transformative power of hope, education, and faith.
More than a memoir, The School of Restoration offers a unique insight into the lives of those Te-Kworo Foundation serves and the extraordinary impact of your support.
“Beyond inspiring… this story of the redeeming power of educating girls and the restoration of traumatised lives is beautiful. The impact will be immeasurable.”
- Tim Costello AO
Our Founders
Te-Kworo Foundation began with the vision of Alice Achan, a Ugandan national whose leadership and lived experiences during the conflict in northern Uganda inspired her to create a grassroots haven of hope for vulnerable women and girls. What started as Alice counseling survivors under the shade of a kworo tree has grown into a mission transforming thousands of lives through education and healthcare.
Today, the Foundation is uniquely distinguished by its leadership under Alice, now Executive Director, and our dedicated Ugandan team working on the ground, alongside our Australian team, guided by founding chair Philippa Tyndale. Philippa, a journalist and author, uses her storytelling expertise to amplify the voices of those we serve and connect supporters globally.
Rooted in Alice’s vision and strengthened by this partnership, Te-Kworo Foundation continues to create brighter futures for generations to come.
Become a Partner
Join us in transforming lives in northern Uganda by becoming a valued partner. Whether you're a business, foundation, or organisation, your partnership helps provide education, maternal healthcare, and vital community support to those who need it most. Together, we can create brighter futures and lasting impact.
Your Support Changes Lives
Every contribution, no matter the size, plays a vital role in transforming the lives of girls, women, and communities in Uganda. Together, we’re breaking cycles of poverty, providing opportunities, and building brighter futures.
Thank you for walking this journey with us. Your generosity makes it all possible.