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Life in Africa USA is a Washington based non-profit organization that supports community-based organizations, run by and for war-affected families in Uganda.

We support the belief that taking action is the best way for people to heal and become self-sufficient. This website was created to provide information on how you can take action, no matter where you live, to support the efforts of these organizations and communities in Uganda.

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history

Life in Africa was started in 1999 by an American work-at-home mom living abroad, who wanted to make a difference in her new Ugandan community. We’ve come a long way baby!

The LiA community’s evolution has been marked by very distinct phases of development that have brought us to where we are today.

  • LiA 1 (1999-2001) saw Life in Africa pioneering at the crossroads of microfinance and the Internet, with the world’s first micro-loan guarantee program driven by online contributions. LifeInAfrica.com was recognized in the 2001 UNCTAD Report on Ecommerce in Lesser Developed Countries as one of the most promising ecommerce applications developed in Africa.
  • LiA 2 (2002-2004) was a challenging period of recovery from the negative effects of 9/11 on lifeinafrica.com’s online traffic base, with a new focus on Ashoka supported user-group based research into practical ways for encouraging Ugandans to use online community technologies innovatively for local community development purposes.
  • LiA 3 (2005-2007) represented an intense period of community building at Life in Africa’s 2 WE Centers serving over 400 war-affected families. An online community presence was actively developed and a strong local community identity was created through working with community members to design and refine Life in Africa’s WE services and community programs

. And then it was time for a big CHANGE.

  • In 2008 the decision was made to move toward the ultimate goal of empowering the people in Uganda with the tools, skills and spirit to help themselves. Out of one organization, three new ones were born who are all separate, but who would work together to create the change needed for a better life in Uganda
  1. Life in Africa-USA was established as a non-profit fundraising and product marketing/distribution hub in the state of Washington
  2. Life in Africa Foundation – Uganda was formed as a registered Ugandan non-profit corporation  that  provides supportive services to other communities and organizations in Uganda
  3. LiA Kireka was formed by converting the WE Center into a semi-autonomous Community Based Organization, legally registered in Uganda,  that is run by and for the members of their organization.

And then the journey really began………………….