The First Lady and Education minister Janet Kataha Museveni will on 1st December preside over the premiering of the Cornerstone movie, a movie produced by Caring for the World films and directed by Debbi Lang about the American based Ugandan philanthropist, Twesigye Jackson Kaguri.
Cornerstone, an inspiring documentary about the journey of Twesigye Jackson Kaguri, a humble immigrant living the American dream that returned to Uganda and joined forces with a community in his home village to save a generation of children orphaned by HIV/AIDS, will be premiered on world AIDS day at Century Cinemax Acacia Mall and subsequently followed by a VIP cocktail at acacia rooftop. The same movie will be premiered on Tuesday, 13th December 2016 in the United Nations’ Delegates Dining in New York City.
The film by award winning film director Debbi Lang, touches on Kaguri’s moving personal story, which inspired the creation of Nyaka AIDS orphans project, a motivated, comprehensive community based organization that utilizes a unique holistic approach to not only combat hunger, illness and poverty, but also educate children, create financial independence and empower girls and women.
Mr. Kaguri was born and raised in Uganda in the small village of Nyakagyezi, Kambuga in Kanungu district. In 2001, Kaguri founded The Nyaka AIDS Orphans Project in response to the devastating effects of AIDS in his hometown. Since founding the project, Kaguri has also become an author. In “A School for My Village” he shares how he came to build the first school and the struggles he faced during the first few years. He is also the author of Sitwe goes to school, Sitwe goes to worship and Patience goes for water. Twesigye Jackson Kaguri went on to become 2012 CNN Hero of the Year, 2015 Waislitz Global Citizen Award Winner and to receive an honorary PhD from Shenandoah University.
His Nyaka AIDS Foundation is a non governmental organization whose mission is to help HIV/AIDS orphans in rural Uganda to end systematic deprivation, poverty and hunger through a holistic approach to community development, education and health care. The foundation runs two primary schools and one secondary school; Nyaka primary school in Kanungu district, Kutamba primary school in Rukungiri district and Nyaka vocational secondary school in Kanungu district. The total number of student population is currently 719 students (462 in primary and 257 secondary school/vocational students and 26 university students.) They all receive free education, food, health care and scholastic materials while attending school.
The foundation cares for over 7004 grandmothers providing them with access to credit for income generating activities such as handcrafts, farming, small businesses, etc. Nyaka grandmothers are also provided with homes, garden tools, and water harvesting tanks, mosquito nets and trainings on how to run small businesses, health nutrition, hygiene and sanitation and training on how they can take care of the orphaned children.
It also operates two public libraries (Nyaka Blue Lupin Library in Kanungu district and Kutamba Blue Lupin Library) and a clinic called Mummy Drayton school clinic in Kambuga in Kanungu district that serves the surrounding community.