Uganda Project 2010

A team from Kilkeel Presbyterian Church travelled to Kampala, Uganda, at the end of June 2010 to carry out two refurbishment projects,one at Dwelling Places and the other at Wakisa Ministries. The work team is comprised of 19 volunteers includes fourteen men and four young women as well as a GP, Doctor Poots, who set up a mobile clinic and provide basic medical care for these underprivileged children and young people.

DWELLING PLACES

Everywhere in Kampala street children can be seen –youngsters who, abandoned by their families, have to survive by any means necessary. The Aids crisis has exacerbated the problem, forcing many orphans towork on the streets. Children raiding bins for food, boys sniffing aviation fuel, girls as young as 13 turning to prostitution and babies abandoned in the streets are all, unfortunately, everyday sights. For some years, God had beenplacing the desperate needs of these children on the heart of Rita Nkemba, a Ugandan Christian and a Social Sciences graduate. The project, Dwelling Places, founded in 2002, is her response.

The organisation provides ex-street children, abandoned babies, and high-risk slum families with holistic care services, including rehabilitation, education, family reconciliation and fostering. The project's aim is to prevent the recurrence of street migration among children in Kampala and throughout Uganda.

The work at Dwelling Places includes:-

1. Building a toilet and bathroom for the staff at the farm caretakers place at Buloba.

2. Water harvesting project at Kabugo.

3. Electrical repair work.

4. Painting of buildings.


Street Children Begging in Kampala

 


Street Children Given a New Life

WAKISA MINISTRIES

Wakisa Ministries was born out of Mrs. Vivian Kityo's vision and passion for young women with unwanted pregnancies in Uganda, through her work with Youth for Christ. It grew to embrace other young people traumatized by war and civil strife throughout the Great Lakes Region.

The primary focus of Wakisa Ministries is the physical, emotional, social and spiritual health of the girls, young mothers and their babies. One of the strategies to deliver care was the establishment of a crisis pregnancy centre within the suburbs of  Kampala that would provide support services to girls with unplanned pregnancies and equip them with life skills.

The work at Wakisa Ministries includes:-

1. Putting in new kitchen and renovating House mothers bedroom.

2. Convert the current outside 'kitchen' into a bathroom.

3. Finish work around the shower/toilet area of the new dorm.

4. Installing wash tubs and building shelter over laundry.

5. Painting of perimeter.

 

We thank the congregation and local community for their generous support in all the fund raising activities.  The last two events, the Belfast City Marathon and the golf tournament raised over £5,000. There was also a very encouraging response from the church members, who donated the items requested by Wakisa Ministries and Dwelling Places for the welfare of their children and young mothers. Several organisations in the church have also donated money which has been used to buy pencils, rubbers, rulers as well as materials for different craft activities including jewellery making, candle-making, crochet and rug-making. We are grateful to the individuals who donated money and other practical items including mosquito nets, medical supplies, cloth nappies, baby clothes and toys.

Please continue to pray for us.