Dr Herbert Dakasi Stackhouse
Founder
Read bioBridging resources, building healthier communities
About Golden Rainbow International
A humanitarian not-for-profit organisation registered in Australia, with active operations in Uganda and liaisons in the United States and Canada.
Transforming lives through practical action
Two journeys, one shared vision for dignity
Herbert Dakasi Stackhouse and Sally Smillie come from remarkably similar beginnings, each shaped by humble circumstances and a deep understanding of the transformative power of education, opportunity, and service. Though raised on opposite sides of the world — Herbert in Uganda, and Sally in Australia — both experienced firsthand the challenges of growing up in low socioeconomic environments and developed a lifelong commitment to giving back to those in need, and lacking opportunity.
Their paths eventually converged in Tasmania after Dr Stackhouse relocated there in pursuit of academic and professional excellence. In discovering one another’s work and values, they recognised a shared passion for health, education, justice, and restoring dignity for people living in low-resource settings. What began as two parallel journeys evolved into a unified vision for sustainable humanitarian impact grounded in practical service, community empowerment, and long-term systems strengthening.
This shared vision ultimately led to the restructuring and expansion of Golden Rainbow from a community-based organisation operating in Uganda into an international not-for-profit registered in Australia. By formalising and expanding the organisation’s structure and reach, they created a platform capable of broadening operations, strengthening international partnerships, and increasing long-term impact across healthcare, education, governance, and community development initiatives in underserved regions.
Practical serviceConnecting resources, skills and community needs.
Dr Herbert Dakasi Stackhouse
Dr Stackhouse brings extensive expertise across public service, international organisations, legal practice, governance, human rights, and academic research. His work has focused on constitutional and civil liberties issues within complex and politically sensitive environments, earning him recognition as one of Uganda’s Top 40 Under 40 in law and philanthropy. His professional and philanthropic work centres on improving access to justice, strengthening institutions, and advancing sustainable community outcomes through ethical leadership and advocacy.
Sally Smillie
Sally Smillie is an experienced podiatrist who has worked in a self-funded voluntary capacity throughout developing countries since 1999 during leave from her professional work in the public sector in the UK and Australia, and in private practice. Over more than two decades, she has delivered clinical education, healthcare training, and practical service development across Vietnam, Pakistan, Egypt, and Uganda, primarily within under-resourced hospital environments. A respected lecturer and conference presenter in both Australia and the United Kingdom, Sally is recognised for her practical, engaging, and skills-based approach to education and healthcare capacity building. Her contributions to humanitarian aid have previously been acknowledged by former Australian Prime Minister John Howard.
Our inspiration
Evaline Kaidu’s legacy
Dr Herbert Dakasi is the proud son of an incredible woman, and Golden Rainbow is her legacy.
Evaline Kaidu dedicated her entire life to her family, friends, her work, and to the growth of her faith in God while serving her country. She applied passion, dedication, skill, experience, knowledge, and time to every circumstance in which she was placed. Her love, commitment, resilience, and generosity toward family, social, and work life made a lasting and positive impact on countless number of people.
Her father, an outstanding teacher and headmaster, played a central role in shaping her character and educational foundation. As student, she excelled in her studies, and it was during these early years that her Christian values and strong character were formed. She worked as a nurse and midwife with a special compassion for expectant mothers and later established her own private clinic.
Beyond her professional work, she believed deeply in the power of education. She sacrificed much of what she earned to educate members of her extended family and others in need. At the time of her passing, more than 50 university graduates traced their education directly to her sacrifices. She believed that education was the greatest gift she could give, and she gave it freely, again and again.
Evaline Kaidu did not run a foundation, she did not have a large budget, a board of directors, or international donors. What she had was a heart that refused to watch a child drop out of school or a mother suffer without medical care. She believed that if God placed someone in her path, then she had a responsibility to help. She did not announce it, she did not seek recognition, and she never kept count. She simply gave—again and again—until her life itself became a testimony. Growing up Herbert saw firsthand how education could transform families and how access to basic healthcare could restore dignity and hope; also saw how one person, even with limited means, could change the future of an entire community. Golden Rainbow International was born out of that inspiration. It is not just an organisation, it is a continuation of her life’s work.
Where she paid school fees for children, we sponsor students.
Where she cared for mothers, we support community health initiatives.
Where she opened her home, we open opportunities.
Golden Rainbow exists to carry forward the values she lived by: education as a path to dignity; healthcare as a basic human right; compassion as a daily responsibility; community as family. Every child we sponsor, every borehole we drill, every medical project we support is a continuation of her legacy. In many ways, Golden Rainbow is simply her spirit at work—now on a larger scale. And if, through this organisation, we can help even a fraction of the people she helped in her lifetime, then her legacy will continue to shine like a golden rainbow across generations.
Field moments
Practical service in action
These moments reflect Golden Rainbow’s work across medical equipment re-homing, outreach, education and community partnerships.
Leadership
Board of directors
Golden Rainbow operates under strong leadership, governance and controls, with international headquarters in Australia and liaisons in Canada and the USA.
Ugandan operational team
Golden Rainbow works closely with its team on the ground in Uganda to respond to community needs efficiently and effectively.
Our partners
Partners helping us create lasting impact
Golden Rainbow International works with schools, health partners, Rotary networks and community supporters to turn practical resources into life-changing opportunities.
