One of the best ways you can help a child is to send them to school.  There they not only gain an education but they also grow in confidence and self-esteem as they make friends, learn to be disciplined, work in teams, learn how to learn and discover they can do many different things.  A child who grows up without attending school will struggle in many ways right into adulthood but attending school will give a good foundation for life.  In rural Uganda children do not have books, magazines, TV and the poorest don’t even hear a radio.  So in Uganda school is a place a child learns about life and themselves.

In 2018, 42 children are being assisted in this programme.  Each child receives a full school uniform, their school fees paid, all their school costs including their books, pens and pencils are met and lastly they all receive school lunch.  School lunch is very important as it includes protein whereas their one meal a day at home usually consists of carbohydrates and green leaf vegetable. The school year runs from February to December.

Emergency medical assistance is also provided when a child is seriously ill and the guardian is not able to pay for help.  All of the guardians and homes of the children are well known to the staff even though they are scattered around and of varying backgrounds.  Once God has shown which children to help the staff feel some level of responsibility for them, a child will not be left to suffer unnecessarily;even when funds are not available a way will be found to help!  In a typical year medical assistance is given in regard to Typhoid, Malaria, Asthma, jiggers, infections, HIV testing, head trauma and broken bones.

An extension to this programme is currently being piloted which gives termly grants to families which reside further out from the centre of operation.  The local board members assist in identifying other very poor families deeper into rural communities since these members live in outlying areas.  This scheme has some challenges due to the distances involved but the benefits are that more children are attending school.  Hallelujah!

If God is asking you to sponsor a child it will cost $130/£100 per year.