Otuke East County MP Julius Achon Bua is set to travel to Portland, Oregon, in the United States from October 6 to 17 to raise funds for community initiatives under his development programmes and participate in running events.
According to a September 17, 2026 letter from the Achon Uganda Children’s Fund (AUCF), signed by its executive director Angela Fee, the visit is intended to support fundraising activities for the organisation as well as enable Achon to take part in running events.
The Achon Uganda Children’s Fund is based in Portland and was founded by Achon, a two-time Olympian, after he encountered children affected by conflict and poverty in Northern Uganda. The organisation has since supported health, education, and livelihood initiatives in the region.
Speaking to our reporter on Friday, September 25, Achon confirmed the planned trip, saying he would meet fellow supporters and participants from the United States and Australia.
He said the fundraising initiative could generate resources equivalent to the cost of about 1,000 goats, which he intends to use in his efforts to tackle hunger and poverty through his development initiatives.
Achon said the programme is being supported by the Australia-based Love Mercy Foundation, which has worked with him on initiatives, including water projects and livelihood support. Love Mercy says its work with northern Ugandan communities includes clean-water projects and locally led development programmes.
He said his “Rise Against Hunger and Poverty” initiative would continue for many years while encouraging other individuals to use their own resources to complement government efforts and contribute to development in their respective communities.
The legislator has, in recent months, increased his involvement in community development projects, particularly water access. In September, reports indicated that the number of boreholes he had facilitated in Otuke East had reached about 157 over an 11-year period.
In August, Achon also committed Shs75 million of his personal resources towards three boreholes in Otuke. The projects, each valued at Shs25 million, were planned for Barapua, Okwalonyim, and Acoke areas.
The borehole drive has extended beyond Otuke, with four boreholes commissioned in April in communities in Otuke and neighbouring Alebtong as part of a wider initiative to improve access to safe water.
Achon, who was re-elected to represent Otuke East in the 2026 elections and is serving in the 12th Parliament, has also called on political leaders to supplement government programmes with personal initiatives where possible.
The upcoming United States visit will therefore combine fundraising and athletics, two areas that have been closely associated with Achon’s public life since his days as an international athlete and his subsequent establishment of the children’s fund.
The Achon Uganda Children’s Fund says it operates with support from donors and volunteers and works through programmes covering healthcare, education, livelihoods, and youth sports in Northern Uganda.