Born Under the Kworo Tree: The Story That Sparked a Movement
Te-Kworo Foundation’s story begins humbly—under the branches of a kworo tree in northern Uganda, where a small circle of women gathered to support survivors of war. What started as moments of shared resilience has grown into a far-reaching movement transforming the lives of thousands of women and children.
At the centre of this journey is our founder, Alice Achan.
Alice was just 13 when the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) began terrorising her village. Her childhood quickly dissolved into years of fleeing through the bush, hiding from rebel attacks, and facing unimaginable loss. Like many children of the conflict, she lived with constant fear, disrupted schooling, and a daily fight to survive.
Yet even in the darkest moments, Alice held tightly to her dream of education.
When she finally reached safety, she returned to school in her twenties and went on to study social work at a tertiary level. Instead of leaving her past behind, she felt called to return home—determined to support girls whose experiences mirrored her own.
Armed with both personal insight and professional training, Alice began gathering women under the kworo tree to care for teenage survivors of abduction and violence. The need quickly grew. Girls were returning with profound trauma—some with babies, others rejected by their communities. It became clear that restoring dignity required more than shelter; it required opportunity.
In 2008, Alice founded Pader Girls Academy, the first school in Uganda offering secondary education to child mothers. What began as a safe place for a handful of young women has grown into:
Three boarding schools serving thousands of students
A Maternal and Child Health Clinic providing life-saving care
And soon, a Maternal Hospital that will change the future of healthcare across northern Uganda
Rooted in faith and guided by Christian principles of compassion, love, and unity, Te-Kworo Foundation continues to build on the vision Alice planted: walking with the vulnerable and restoring hope through education, healthcare, and opportunity.
You Make This Possible
Every step forward—every child in a classroom, every safe delivery, every restored life—is possible because of individuals who believe in this mission.
To explore deeper into this extraordinary journey, we encourage you to read The School of Restoration, the acclaimed book that captures Alice’s story and the early beginnings of Te-Kworo Foundation.
Together, we continue writing a new story of hope—still inspired by the figure of a woman standing beneath a tree, choosing courage over fear.