Part 3: The 30 Most Notable Africans of 2013

Part 3: The 30 Most Notable Africans of 2013
03 Feb 2014

Conche McGarr 30 Notable Africans of 2013
#5: CONCHE MCGARR
Country of Origin: UGANDA

What: In Uganda, an estimated 2.3 million children have been orphaned due to civil unrest and the AIDS epidemic. When you confront this type of statistic, it can be overwhelming trying to figuring out how to make a dent in the needs of so many; however, this didn’t stop Conche McGarr from taking the leap and finding a way. As a former teacher in Virginia public schools, McGarr decided to return home to Uganda in 1998 to teach a workshop on setting up community-based systems to care for orphans. Within one week, word spread and McGarr found herself working with 200 people. By 2004, her nonprofit, Bambi Uganda Orphans (BUO), was founded and grew quickly. BUO’s mission is to improve the living conditions of Ugandan orphans and the families who care for them by providing financial, technical and educational assistance to community-based organizations (CBOs) which provide services to vulnerable children in Uganda. The organization also directly manages programs that improve the lives of 4000 vulnerable children.

Why I’m Inspired: As a mother of two and grandmother of three, this energetic community organizer could have easily decided to retire and enjoy the perks of grandmotherhood. Instead, McGarr works up to 60 hour weeks serving this organization that has been a labor of love for the past 10 years.  An unsung hero, her acts of selflessness have contributed to the welfare and well-being of individuals in 100 villages  in Uganda. It certainly takes a village to raise a child, but often it starts with the power of one.

To find out more about Bambi Uganda Orphans and how you can contribute to the important work of empowering orphans and the women that care for them, click here.

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Julian B. Kiganda

I hope you enjoyed this post! A little about me: I’m the founder of Bold & Fearless and a Transformational Brand Strategist. My gifting is in helping purpose-driven women transform and build million-dollar brands. I’m also an author, transformational speaker and multi-passionate entrepreneur. In 2014, I published my first highly-acclaimed book co-authored with my sister: Whose Shoes Are You Wearing? 12 Steps to Uncovering the Woman You Really Want to Be available on Barnes & Noble and Amazon. To learn more about how you can connect or work with me, visit www.julianbkiganda.com.




Comments

  1. […] legend, Coretta Scott King in 2014’s Academy Award nominated Selma. Featuring a stellar cast with David Oyelewo (a 2013 #BFNA30 lister), Oprah Winfrey, Tim Roth, and savvy director, Ava Duvernay, Selma tells the […]

  2. […] Coretta Scott King in 2014’s Academy Award nominated Selma. Featuring a stellar cast with David Oyelewo (a 2013 #BFNA30 lister), Oprah Winfrey, Tim Roth, and savvy director, Ava Duvernay, Selma tells the […]

  3. […] the same time helping to change the perception of Africa. I have written about organizations like Shea Yeleen and Bambi Uganda Orphans before, as they are both organizations that not only work to provide a […]

  4. […] Technology. In my series on the 30 Most Notable Africans from earlier this year (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3), I highlight people like Kelvin Doe from Sierra Leone who at 13 built his own radio station using […]

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