Sponsoring children works!

I just read an article in Christianity today (Feb.2012) entitled, "Cost Effective Compassion".  The authors looked at the economic impact of popular strategies for helping the poor. 
1.    Get clean water to rural villages
2.    Fund De-worming treatments for children
3.   Provide mosquito nets
4.   SPONSOR A CHILD
         "Of all the long-term development interventions, child sponsorship received the highest rating."
        It was heartening to see this confirmation of what we are doing in Uganda.  Today, I found out that six of our sponsored children have started university.  These poor children now have a future and hopefully can help pull their families out of poverty.   Thank God for the connection he made between our two churches!
   Right now we are planning a trip in September to visit the children and work with our Ugandan partners to keep the program going.

How it all started

I thought you might like to know how this whole program got started.  Actually, the story goes all the way back to 1997 when I went to Uganda for the first time.  I met a young man, Tumisiime Tom.  He asked for help in completing school and subsequently, Calvin church helped him complete High School.  While in Kampala, he started attending a church, Streams of Life Church.  The pastor, Gerald Mwebe, contacted me when he was in the US trying to raise money for the church.  At first, when he called I was very skeptical not knowing anything about him.  I asked him to send me a description of the work he was doing in Kampala and agreed to let the church know about the need.  At the end of the conversation he asked to pray with me.  During that prayer, the Spirit of God completely changed my attitude, showing me that this was His work.  More later.......

Kids go to school for another year

By the time we finished collecting this year, there were 100 kids in the program! 
Sadly, we still have 10 who do not have sponsors.  One of these days, I would
like to get all of them in school. 

One of the students, Rebecca, has been sponsored since the beginning in 2003.  She finished elementary and high school and is now about to graduate from Makerere University in Kampala, Uganda. A very bright and articulate young woman, she plans to go into broadcasting and is also working at Streams of Life Church.  She and her sponsor have developed a close relationship through exchange of letters.  She is a bright star among the children in our program.  I pray that more will finish school and take their place in the community.

Kids go to school for another year!

We have just finished collecting school fees for the coming year.  There are now 96 children in the program.  Think of that!  This access to education will give hope and opportunity to these youngsters.  Four of them are finishing college this year.  One of them has been in the program since the beginning in 2003.  It seems like a miracle that we could have an impact on a bunch of children so far away.

A little history

Since 2003, my church in the US , in partnership with Streams of Life Church in Kampala, Uganda, has helped over 100 children with school fees.  Many of the families were unable to pay fees and children had been excluded from school.  Here is one child's story:

"I was born in Uganda at a time of war caused by the Lord's Resistance Army.  I was living in a refugee camp, and life was hard. We had no money for school and I ate only once a day.  I was always fearful for my life because of attacks on the camp. My mother was killed by the rebels.  In 2010 I was rescued and brought to Kampala and now have a sponsors who pays my school fees.

For helpful background on the country of Uganda, click here.