Our History

Give Us Wings was founded in 1999 by a small group of people in St. Paul, MN after they learned of the thousands of families living in extreme poverty in eastern Uganda. As a grassroots organization, Give Us Wings was built with support from thousands of donors and volunteers. The organization is community-based and responsive to the needs of our Ugandan partners as they describe them. From the beginning Give Us Wings has sought to help our partners build their capacity, create opportunities to become self-sufficient, and embrace gender equity and social unity.

Give Us Wings works to improve access to quality health care, education and economic opportunities. Over the years we have helped our partners obtain training in a variety of business skills, as well as on topics such as leadership, conflict resolution, financial management, and cooperative organization. In the rural village of Kayoro, we constructed and are supporting the operation of a clinic that sees over 20,000 patients each year. Our Family to Family program provides support and educational opportunities for over 90 families.