Blog – Page 3 – eChange Endeavors

Christmas Dinners

Would you consider donating $25 to cover the cost of Christmas dinner for one family in Uganda?

Gerald Ogenrwot, Grandmother, Brother & Family

We had such a positive response to our Christmas dinner initiative last year by both the giving and receiving families, we have decided to do it again this year!

Life continues to be hard in Uganda. Schools were shut down again in June and still not yet been allowed to open again. This has left many at home with not enough to do. Teenage pregnancies have soared in the country. The weather went from too much rain in 2020 to too little rain in 2021 further destroying crops. The President and administration continue to shutdown markets and business activities, despite minimal cases and few deaths from COVID. Economic problems abound causing a ripple effect of despair and discouragement. In this season of hope, you can spread God’s love and mercy with a small gift of $25 for one family.

We want 50 families to experience the unexpected joy of Christmas this year. Families with special needs children, as well as teachers, students, widows, orphans, and individuals with disabilities.

To have a good Christmas in Uganda is to attend Church followed by a dinner feast together that includes meat. Children look forward to this day all year long. Without our support this year shall be just another meal of beans and portio (corn meal).

Just $25 will buy 1 chicken (or equivalent beef/goat), plus rice, additional sides, sodas to share, and Christmas cake for a family of five to eight.

Will you help us bless 50 families with a Christmas Dinner gift?

We have already received contributions for 10 Christmas Dinners!

May God bless you and your family this Christmas season for unto us the Christ child is born ever new in our hearts!

“O give thanks to the Lord for he is good; for his love endures for ever.”
Psalm 107:1

Mobility, What a Gift!

Have you ever lost your mobility, even for a short while? I have twice in my life and it sure has made me appreciate gaining it back, pain free! Gloria lost her ability to run, jump, ride a bicycle and squat easily when she was 11 years old due to a moped accident. Gloria was living with her Grandmother and three brothers at the time of the accident. Her father had died when she was 7 years old, after which she was pulled from school to help her mother at home. So she never had the opportunity to learn how to read and write. And a few later she lost her mother when the mud hut they called home collapsed on her. Following the accident there were no resources available to take Gloria to a hospital. She was left to simply “heal” on a mat at home. Her right hip became infected and what the accident didn’t destroy the infection ate away. Ever since that time her left hip has supported her ability to move around.

The lack of a good right hip and an over dependence her left hip caused it to deteriorate. In 2011, after years of pain, she had her first left hip replacement surgery. She became pain free for five years and it was glorious! In 2016, the pain came back requiring her to have a second surgery because the components and cement were not strong enough given her active labor intensive life. Once again life was good.

In 2017, she moved to Gulu, Uganda and began working in the new Jesuit Residency cooking meals and cleaning. Unfortunately, last year, 2019, the pain came back with a vengeance and has not subsided. At first, they were not able to do the needed follow-on surgery in Uganda. We have been seeking opportunities outside of the country without success. This year however, the hospital has acquired the necessary surgery equipment and will soon be receiving a visiting doctor that has the speciality expertise for her third surgery. Consequently, we are seeking $3000 to facilitate this additional hip surgery to get Gloria pain free again. Could you contribute this Lent to help Gloria regain her mobility pain free? Donate here! Thank you!!

Interview with Gloria before her second surgery.

For A Few, A Hopeful New Year Begins

As a new year begins, bringing new opportunities, it also brings responsibilities as parents seek to find quality educational opportunities for their children. The students are full of hope for what the future may bring, should they get the chance to attend high school. While primary education is covered for all in Uganda, secondary school is not. Once the P7 national exam scores are released the scramble for placements is on.

For the fortunate few this is an exciting time. For those whose scores are low or the parents finances limited it is a sorrowful time. At Ocer Campion Jesuit College one third of the students are on scholarship (200+) because without it they would sitting at home learning nothing. Eastside High School lead by the Franciscan Sisters has an even a higher rate closer to 75% of students who attend on scholarship. Without the generous support of donors like you in the US these youth would not have the opportunity to study at all let alone at a Catholic high school.

Will join join our circle of giving with a one-time contribution for the year or as a monthly giver? It only takes $50 a month or $600 for the year to give a student a chance at a high school education in Uganda. Give today!

Franciscan Sister Relaunching Eastside High School

Sr. Margaret Mary Awor is working diligently to relaunch Eastside High School for students from poor rural families in Tororo district of Uganda. Due to the long conflict in the country and now the repeated drought years these students and their families have suffered greatly. Sr. Margaret is a Little Sister of St. Francis and the National Director of the Young Franciscans (YouFra) of Uganda. She and the team are helping youth gain back their sense of human dignity and fulfill their potential. Eastside is a private Catholic high school with boarding offering a Franciscan charisma and spirituality to the youth attending.

Despite this being the first full year the school is open in a good while the student body is 286 strong of which two-thirds are on scholarship. To be financially viable long term they are seeking to attract 600 students. To attract paying students the school is in need of many new things such as a new water tank, more textbooks, improved science equipment, better windows, solar power, and most especially computers for both teachers and students. Thus we are seeking to raise $10,000 to bring new life back to the school. This is equivalent to only $35 per student to bring new life to the campus and educational experience of the students.

You can make a one-time gift for school improvements or sponsor a student for just $50 monthly. Join our circle of giving today and help make the high school experience for these needy students even better! Your contribution will help shift the trajectory of their lives, families, and country forever.

Resurrection

Ocer means to rise in the local Acholi language in Uganda. This Easter season, which last from now until Pentecost, we rejoice in the light of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Won’t you help families in need this Easter season to be truly resurrected from the darkness and struggles that envelope their lives due to health care issues and poverty? A little goes a long way as a leaven in their lives!

Small Grants, Big Impact!

Through our small grant program we bridge gaps in resources to enable local communities to grow and serve one another. Through our program widows, orphans, disabled adults and children and the poor have access to education, health services, work opportunities, spiritual formation and Love! We ensure projects are completed and former investments are not lost. Your contribution of $50 or $100 goes a long way in Africa and Asia. Make a donation today to encourage and inspire the next generation of youth to serve their communities.

Be Merciful, Give Today!

Will you help Lazarus in our midst?

Bishop Barron notes from the gospel the Luke 16:19-31, “the rich man ‘dressed in purple garments and fine linen and dined sumptuously each day,’ while lying at his door was a poor man named Lazarus, ‘who would gladly have eaten his fill of the scraps that fell from the rich man’s table.’ God is not pleased with this kind of economic inequality, and he burns with a passion to set things right.

This theme came roaring up out of the Bible and into the Christian tradition, and it echoes up and down the centuries. St Thomas Aquinas says that we must distinguish between ownership and use of private property. We have a right to ownership through our hard work, through our inheritance. Fair enough. But with regard to the use of those things–how we use them, why we use them, then, says Thomas, we must always be concerned first for the common good and not our own. This especially includes Lazarus at our gate: those who are suffering and most in need.”

In Uganda, unemployment is over 40% with 80% of the population trying to eek out a living from farming or micro businesses. Many families struggle to cover basic needs–food, health care, housing and school fees. And the effects of changing weather, coupled with a lack of access to insurance options, leaves families even more exposed and vulnerable. This Lent support our small grant programs that provides infusions of capital to income generating projects to ensure health care workers are paid for their free services rendered to the community; to provide leadership, scouting and shoe making training programs for youth; to support a rabbit farm for mothers and families with special needs children, and income generating opportunities for disabled men and woman.

We support amazing Catholic religious and lay leaders working to transform their communities through health care, work opportunitities, education, spiritual formation, and love. Will you help the Lazarus in our midst, the marginalized families, youth and disabled in Uganda? Join our Endeavors Giving Circle this Lent!

Following Your Dream – Solomon’s Story

Parents around the world struggle greatly to provide educational opportunities for their children, and instill the values of learning and academic growth in them. Unfortunately for many in Uganda, quality education and monetary opportunity to enroll in schools remain unattainable following the conflict in the north. With the help of generous sponsors, such as yourself, and passionate educators like Fr. Tony, SJ and the staff at Ocer Campion Jesuit College (OCJC), students who would not otherwise have the opportunity to study are able to join classrooms and fulfill their dreams and the hope of their parents.

Solomon, a 14 year old at Ocer Campion Jesuit College, was born to parents living the turmoil of wartime Uganda. During the time of the insurgency, people from Northern Uganda were moved into the family’s compound for safety, but left resource sparse. Following the war, Solomon’s parents had no land for tilling and little opportunity for financial recovery.

Dreams of educating their children looked bleak, but knowing its importance, they enrolled Solomon in a local primary school. During this time, they recognized a struggle in math and worked with the school librarian to obtain books to aid Solomon. Shortly after he was able to pass his Primary 7 examinations and was accepted into Ocer Campion. With the help of your donations which contribute to tuition payments, Solomon, like many other students at Ocer, has been able to attend school and thrive.

Solomon enjoys the environment that Ocer Campion Jesuit College, its staff and students provide. He is fond of the staff of the school, who continuously show kindness to the students and are invested in their success. Solomon is a member of the Ocer Science Club, enjoys fine arts classes, and participates in football during his leisure time. Following Ocer, Solomon hopes to become a mechanical engineer and give back to his community in whatever way he can.

Solomon’s educational dreams and opportunities would not have been possible without the good works of our wonderful missionaries serving in Uganda and our faithful donors. For a mere $660 per year or $55 per month, you can help support a student like Solomon for one year of education. Will you help give a student the opportunity to dream big and join a classroom today? Join our Endeavors Giving Circle Today!

Following Your Dream – Nancy’s Story

For the youth of Uganda it is time to begin a new academic year, but sadly not all students will be able to attend. Due to a lack of funds too many youth will remain sitting at home instead of studying with their peers.

Thanks to generous sponsors like you and me, one in three students at Ocer Campion Jesuit College (OCJC) are able to attend school today. Many more would like to join.

Nancy first dreamed of being able to go to high school. Now she is attending Ocer Campion Jesuit College and she dreams of becoming a judge to help make Uganda a more just country.

Nancy was born in the bush of Northern Uganda. During the war time she lost her father, leaving her mother deeply stressed regarding the safety and survival of her family. After escaping the war, Nancy’s mother with the help of her aunt enrolled her in a primary school specifically for war-affected children in Gulu. Nancy’s love of education blossomed and she performed well.

Knowing that her mother, a war widow, couldn’t afford the tuition cost of high school, Nancy still continued to study hard and placed her educational fate in God’s hands. She passed her primary leaving exams and waited at home for an opportunity to continue studying. After a year she had the chance through her Uncle to work in the fields at Ocer Campion during the holiday season when the other boarding students were away. Once she was able to meet Fr. Tony, SJ and Director of OCJC, she was able to apply for both acceptance and support. Nancy’s prayers were answered with an educational scholarship confirming for her that good does exist in the world.

Nancy, now a Senior 4 student, is active in the Ocer Campion community as a member of the Educate Club, Young Christian Society, and Debate Club. Within the Educate Club, Nancy works alongside students to make the campus and community better to study, and in the Young Christian Society, she guides and counsels youth during their difficult adolescent period. She recognizes the high-quality education Ocer Campion offers and is grateful for the ability to interact openly with her teachers. She finds the educational environment very encouraging.

Nancy dreams of continuing her education beyond Ocer Campion and one day hopes to become a lawyer. She recognizes the turmoil that surrounded the last presidential election and the corruption within the country. In becoming a lawyer, and one day a judge, she hopes to allow the people of Uganda the freedom of speech, and all freedoms. She wants to shape the world to be more just.

Nancy’s educational dreams and opportunities would not have been possible without the good works of our wonderful missionaries serving in Uganda and our faithful donors. For a mere $660 per year or $55/month you can help support a student like Nancy for a year of high school. Will you help give a student the opportunity to dream big and join a classroom today? Join our Endeavors Giving Circle!