The following is a story from Edward Magumba, our Help One Now local leader in Jinja, Uganda:
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Kikubo village is located in eastern Uganda. It is one of the poorest villages in the country. The people of Kikubo are primarily subsistence farmers who live peasantry lives. Illiteracy levels are high and superstitious beliefs are commonplace. The area is also continually ravaged by jiggers (the chigoe flea, a parasite that attacks the feet), extreme poverty and disease.
A few years ago, the Lord led me to start a church and school for orphans and children from extremely poor families in this village — a village where very few could afford even the subsidized school fees. I believed education would help the children have a bright future, restore hope in their lives and also help them access economic opportunities.
So, I started sharing the plight of these children with people in the United States, with the hope of finding some help. This path led to the opening of His Mercy Christian School, and also to a partnership with Help One Now. Part of this partnership is a child sponsorship program that helps these vulnerable children get a good education.
Sarah Nangobi is one of the children at the school who is linked to a sponsor in the US. Before sponsorship, she simply loitered in the village aimlessly. She didn’t have hope in life and generally lived like a destitute. It was a common story of wasted potential. But now, her life has been tremendously changed — she lives a life of purpose, her self esteem has increased, she attends school and there is hope for a bright future.
A few weeks ago, she emerged as the BEST student in Mayuge District in the National Primary Leaving Examination. These exams are set and supervised by government authorities to determine whether a student leaves primary school or not. We have no doubt that the sponsorship has had a tremendous impact on her life and helped her excel in the exams with flying colors!
The power of words, the power of actions and the Love of God is tremendous, and for an impoverished child in a remote village in Uganda like Sarah, to know that someone from across the globe cares…well, that’s the difference that is releasing her from extreme poverty and changing her life for better.
Blessings, Pastor Edward
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We don’t think it can be said any better than that. Sponsor a child today and know that your actions, your words, and the Love of God WILL make a difference in the life of a child and the future of a community.