Contributor

Okello Kelo Sam

Actor, musician, dancer, believer, (big) dreamer, war survivor, comedian (better to laugh than cry), educator, HOPE addict. Founder of Hope North. www.hopenorth.org

Okello Kelo Sam is a former child soldier of Uganda’s civil war, abducted by rebels at age 16 while walking to school. He eventually escaped and earned a college degree in performing arts before founding Hope North – www.hopenorth.org. The accredited vocational and college-prep secondary school is located on a 40-acre rural campus in northern Uganda accepting students based on need: former child soldiers, war orphans, children suffering from multi-generational poverty. With an enrollment of 328 students, Hope North recently celebrated its 16th anniversary. Also and actor, dancer and musician, Okello appeared in the "Last King of Scotland" (2006). At Hope North, he has established a strong performing arts program as a vital source of emotional healing for the students.

Submit a tip

Do you have info to share with HuffPost reporters? Here’s how.