Caring for Vulnerable Children - June 2013 Update
Dear Friends,
Praise the Lord! Having partnered with The Outreach Foundation for some time now in caring for vulnerable children in the Kamwenge community, we thought you would find some of these developments in and around the school as a testimony to the work the Lord is accomplishing through us all in this community.
Partners in Mission in Uganda is indeed grateful that The Outreach Foundation and Presbyterians in the U.S. came alongside to build our very first girls’ dormitory. We now have two girls’ dormitories, which accommodate 50 students each. Outreach’s mission of reaching out is bearing fruit through increased enrollment, minimal drop out levels, and consistency in the work of transforming the area. And of course, your involvement in helping us secure a generator that supplies light on our campus is greatly appreciated.
This year, the Kamwenge Secondary and Vocational School (KSVS) won the district soccer tournament. The KSVS team came in second in the region and even went to the national championships. This achievement was possible because the boys on the team had accommodations at the school, which allowed them time to study and also practice and prepare for the soccer matches. We are still working on finishing the boys’ dormitory.
There are 307 students currently enrolled at KSVS, which is a huge increase from the 24 we opened with six years ago. We also have a kindergarten in place, which has 150 children. We started the Good Shepherd Kindergarten to provide a solid learning foundation for the children of the Kamwenge community.
In order for morals and Christian values to be entrenched in our students, we organize two Christian conferences each year where the gospel is preached and students are taught in the way of the Lord. In addition, we have regular Bible studies and fellowship during the course of the school term which helps the students keep on track in their faith in the Lord Jesus.
We are grateful to God that in the six years of the school’s existence, it has been able to shine the light of Christ in this community. The transformation occurring in the children is quite visible. Some of our former students have enrolled in universities, and we have many more planning to enroll. For example, a former primary school teacher, Tirwakunda Emmanuel, who was a student at the Kamwenge School, is now in his second year at Mbarara University studying economics and education. We are thrilled that he is returning to Kamwenge for his practice teaching in the coming term. Having others like him from this community coming back to teach in their home area will subsequently reduce the burden of always looking for teachers from outside Kamwenge.
Other former students like Alice Mahoro, Benjamin Karugaba, and Florence Mwijuke are actually back at school on their break before they leave for college. They are helping teach kindergarten, where they are acquiring skills in leadership and education management.
These efforts will make our dream of making this school self-sustaining in about ten years a reality, even though it still requires a lot of input at this level to strengthen initiatives that will develop local capacity. We will then be able to come up with sustainable solutions to the challenges in the school and the community.
The Kamwenge School is touching the Great Lakes Region of Africa. We have students from Tanzania, Kenya, Rwanda, and South Sudan. Martin, a student from South Sudan who is in his late 30’s, is currently a student and is determined to finish his education. His steadfastness with his studies and his passion for his motherland marvels me. These and many other success stories from the vocational wing show that the school has an impact, and our labor is not in vain.
May the Lord bless you for your prayers and continued partnership with us in this work. We are grateful to The Outreach Foundation family and the churches that have continually prayed for us and upheld the work that we do in many ways.
Blessings to you all,
Rev. Canon John Mulindabigwi
Partners in Mission, Great Lakes Region
Prayer Requests
Please keep praying for these children and for God to increase and bless those who are sponsoring children at our school. Pray for those who are homeless and orphaned to know Christ cares for them. Pray for the staff to bear Christ's witness to each child under our care. Pray for funds for a library, a dining hall, and a printing machine to print exams and other school documents.
Minimum Goal for 2014
$10,000 for educational needs and school supplies for the Kamwenge children
Location
Uganda