Patrick Jawiambe is a native in Uganda, born in the outskirts of Nebbi, and he is the founder and chief executive officer (CEO) of EPAFU (Elders Poverty Alleviation Foundation Uganda). Patrick was born to a single mother who took him along with her to his maternal grandmother at the age of 4 (four). He never had the slightest glimpse of his father who passed on before he was born.  This was because she couldn’t provide for him where they lived. He began a life with his aged grandmother who was weary and sickly. With her was a brother to Patrick’s mother as a dependent.

For survival Patrick started burning charcoal and selling it to be able to support his ailing grandmother and maternal uncle. He had to travel barefooted in rugged clothes over 30km in order to sell the charcoal because the business was the source of income. The little money that he got out of the sales was barely enough to feed him, his Grandmother and the uncle. Therefore due to financial constrains, he was unable to attain his education at that time and on top of that food was inadequate and life was really challenging. He had to do chores for the neighbors which made life so hard but through God’s grace, Patrick’s rescue came with the arrival of World Vision at the age of 7years. These provided education to him up to when he was 12 years old. Unfortunately at the age of 9 years, his grandmother (mother)  passed on leaving him with his uncle.