About CRU

Christian Relief Uganda (CRU) is a UK registered Charity (No. 1055166) which was established in 1996 to raise funds for and support the work of Maria Maw MBE. Maria, who previously attended a church in Macclesfield, was working with destitute children in a small underprivileged community in the Kamuli District of Busoga, Uganda, and had established a Ugandan Non-Government Organisation (NGO) called Maria’s Care.

The current trustees of CRU are:

  • Julie Parker – Chairman
  • Paul Roebuck – Treasurer
  • Lyn Holmes  –  Secretary
  • Rhona Marshall
  • Miriat Naiga
  • Anne Doggart
  • Kim Harwood
  • Helen Whitehead

The current UK Trustees, our Annual Reports and Accounts, are all to be found on the Charity Commission’s Register of Charities.

We are motivated by Jesus’ declaration of compassion in the Gospels:

“Anything you did for even the least of my people here, you also did for me” Matthew 25:40

We now work with vulnerable children and their families in Kamuli District, still one of the poorest regions of Uganda. Our aim is to enable them to transform their own lives through education and community based programmes. We work predominantly through Maria’s Care, which has developed and expanded since its inception.

There are three elements to the work:

Education

  • Pre-school and Primary education for up to 450 pupils through Maria Care’s Primary School.
  • Integrated, special needs education for over 70 deaf and hearing impaired pupils.
  • Sponsorship to support pupils and students through primary and secondary education.
  • Opportunities for individuals in the UK to support selected children through further education, perhaps even to the completion of a degree at University.

Kamuli Community Work

  • Providing relief where appropriate to destitute, elderly people in the locality.

Visits to Uganda and Maria’s Care

We arrange ‘Discover Uganda, Awareness Raising Visits’ from time to time for supporters of CRU to experience first-hand the impact of their support.

The Trustees of CRU also regularly visit Maria’s Care, and are in frequent contact with the local managers of Maria’s Care as it develops and progresses. We know first-hand what a difference support is making to this area of Uganda and how grateful the people are. Please click here to see how you can get involved in a visit to Uganda.