Davina Anywarach

By : Rose Kasigwa

What started as a simple act of kindness by a four-year-old girl has grown into a community initiative seeking to transform the lives of vulnerable children in Uganda.

Davina Anywarach, the founder of ECHOES OF HOPE – “Smile With Davina,” was only four years old in 2023 when a visit to her ancestral village in Erussi Sub-county, Nebbi District, opened her eyes to the challenges facing vulnerable children in the community.

Rather than simply returning home after the school holiday, Davina was moved by what she saw and began bringing children together with the support of her parents.

She shared meals and snacks with them, created moments of entertainment and, most importantly, offered them encouragement and a sense of hope.

That childhood experience would later become the foundation of what is now ECHOES OF HOPE – “Smile With Davina,” an initiative designed to give vulnerable children opportunities to learn, develop practical skills and build confidence for the future.

Who is Davina Anywarach?

Davina Anywarach is a young child advocate whose interest in the welfare of vulnerable children began at an unusually early age.

Her connection to Erussi Sub-county, where her ancestral roots lie, gave her an opportunity to interact with children in the community and witness some of the difficulties affecting their lives.

According to the project background, her early efforts were supported by her parents, who helped her bring children together and provide them with food, entertainment and encouragement.

What began as an expression of compassion gradually developed into a broader vision of empowering children—not only by providing immediate support, but also by creating opportunities through education, agriculture, mentorship, leadership development and skills training.

Davina’s journey took another step when she participated in the Little Miss Uganda 2025 competition, where she was crowned Queen of Little Miss Uganda – West Nile Region.

The platform gave her an opportunity to advocate for children’s rights and empowerment and further strengthened her determination to establish a sustainable initiative for vulnerable children.

How Davina Birthed Echoes of Hope

The birth of ECHOES OF HOPE was not the result of a boardroom plan or a conventional development programme.

It emerged from a child’s response to what she encountered in her community.

When Davina visited her ancestral village in 2023, she noticed children whose circumstances were different from her own. Her response was to gather them, share what she had and create moments of happiness for them.

With time, the desire to help grew beyond providing meals and entertainment.

The vision evolved into creating a platform where vulnerable children could receive educational support, mentorship and practical skills that could help them become more confident and self-reliant.

This vision eventually became ECHOES OF HOPE – “Smile With Davina.”

The project now seeks to use agriculture, education, girl-child empowerment, mentorship and community development to address some of the challenges affecting vulnerable children and young people.

Turning Compassion into Sustainable Opportunities

Unlike a project focused only on short-term assistance, ECHOES OF HOPE aims to create longer-term opportunities for children and communities.

The initiative plans to establish demonstration farms in its initial areas of operation—Erussi Sub-county in Nebbi District and the Kampala Metropolitan Area—to provide practical agricultural training and life skills.

Agriculture is expected to be one of the key tools used to equip children and young people with practical knowledge while promoting sustainable livelihoods and household resilience.

The project will also promote education through mentorship and educational support programmes.

For girls, the initiative plans to provide life-skills training, leadership development and confidence-building opportunities while raising awareness about teenage pregnancy and the importance of keeping girls in school.

It will further promote child protection and reproductive health awareness while supporting children and communities to develop entrepreneurial, leadership and creative skills.

A Project Built Around a Child’s Dream

At the heart of ECHOES OF HOPE is a simple belief: every child deserves an opportunity to learn, grow and realise their potential regardless of their social or economic circumstances.

The organisers say the initiative is intended to move beyond temporary assistance by empowering children with knowledge, skills and opportunities that can contribute to their long-term development.

The project will initially focus on Erussi Sub-county and Kampala before expanding to other parts of Uganda as resources and partnerships become available.

Launch Set for August 27

The ECHOES OF HOPE – “Smile With Davina” project will be officially launched on August 27, 2026, in Erussi Sub-county, Nebbi District, West Nile Region.

The launch will run from 9:00am to 4:00pm and is expected to attract more than 1,000 participants, including government leaders, development partners, civil society organisations, educational institutions, religious and cultural leaders, the media, community members and vulnerable children.

Ahead of the launch, organisers have planned activities between August 15 and 25, including school outreach programmes, radio talk shows, community visits, girl-child empowerment sessions, campaigns against teenage pregnancy, environmental conservation activities, community mobilisation and fundraising engagements.

Who the Project Seeks to Support

The initiative targets vulnerable and disadvantaged children, including orphans and children from low-income households.

It will also focus on school-going children requiring educational support, girls at risk of dropping out of school or teenage pregnancy, young people interested in agriculture, entrepreneurship and leadership, as well as families and communities supporting vulnerable children.

A Call to Support Davina’s Vision

ECHOES OF HOPE is inviting government agencies, development organisations, educational institutions, corporate organisations, media houses, faith-based organisations, civil society groups, philanthropists and individuals to partner with the initiative.

Fauzia Jabir, the project coordinator believe that meaningful and lasting change for vulnerable children will require collaboration among communities, institutions and development partners.

For Davina, what began as a four-year-old’s desire to make other children smile has now grown into a broader vision of creating opportunities for children to learn, grow and thrive.

The August 27 launch in Erussi is therefore expected to mark not simply the beginning of a new project, but the next chapter in a journey that started with one young girl’s compassion for children in her ancestral community.

Contact: ECHOES OF HOPE – Smile With Davina
Project Coordinator: Fauzia Jabir
Telephone: +256 777 500288
Email: faucarty@gmail.com