What is GUSCO in full?

GUSCO is an acronym for Gulu Support the Children Organization

When was GUSCO founded?

GUSCO was founded in 1994. From that time (1994) it operated as a lose arrangement where the founders took care of children within the confines of their homes. Sometimes they (founder members) were called upon by the army to provide help from the army barrack. It was until 1997 that a fully functional reception centre was opened

How many children have passed through GUSCO reception centre since inception?

It is difficult to give the exact number of children who have passed through GUSCO. This is because the organization lost some of the early data on children given the nature of operation at the initial stages. A systematic record on children and young people only started in 2001 and according to the database we have a figure of 3254 as by end of 2009. According to a study conducted to establish the number, given the lost data, it was estimated in a study that the organization had received over 7500 by 2007. That means as at end of 2009 according to the estimate, the organization had received 7636.

We shall be updating biannually according to Database and according to estimate

Database figure – 3254

Estimated figure – 7636

Does GUSCO only care for children?

Initially the organization was establish to care for formerly abducted children, however at a later stage of the northern Uganda conflict, the girls who were abducted at young ages started coming back with young babies. Therefore the reception centre started receiving the babies and of course their mothers. 

How long do children take at children take at GUSCO reception centre?

It is in the interest of the organization to reunite children as soon as possible. However due to different circumstances, children are treated differently. Some have two days, while others have taken more than a year.

Can I do an internship with GUSCO?

Yes, you can do an internship with GUSCO and it is a worthwhile undertaking. In another link we shall put up the names of individuals who have done their internship and where thy are right now.

The internship starts in June for international students and stops in October every year. For students within Uganda, it starts in July and stops in October.

What does it take to do an internship with GUSCO?

Submit an application and CV through the organizations website by end of March. In one months time you will be informed on whether you have been accepted or not. At the moment no one pays for an internship. All you are required to do and as a condition is that you to accept planting of 20 trees. This is part of GUSCO’s campaign to combat global warming