Join us for summer fun! Dancing, Drinks & Donations
Happy Feast of the Ugandan Martyrs!
Greetings Friends,
On this the Feast of the Uganda Martyrs, June 3rd, I wish you a blessed day and year! Thank you for all the ways you support the Catholic Missionaries and families in Uganda. Your prayers are invaluable to me and for them. Your financial support is catalytic. You have kept people from falling into abject poverty. You have helped them realize more fully who God made them to be. You have kept hope alive! You have shared God’s love and mercy. You have helped families set a new pathway in life.
In 2022 alone, Ossana, Leah, Mary, Mark and many other students are back in high school. Gerald was able to buy a laptop and has initiated his online studies in Biology/PreMed with a university in Washington State. Joseph, Esther, Sharon and many young children have been assisted with much needed, even critical healthcare and treatments. Families have kept going because of food aid. Twenty youth learned to make beautiful sandals to wear or sell for additional income. Hearts have been uplifted through the spiritual programs offered through our partners.
You have blessed so many lives. May God also richly bless you! Laura
Back to School For Sponsorship Students
Ocer Campion Jesuit College (OCJC) and Eastside High School (Franciscan) have been paving the way for success for the children of poverty-stricken families. These schools depend on generous donations to support both student tuition and school improvements. For OCJC, over a third of its students rely on scholarships provided by sponsors. For Eastside High School, that number reaches over half of the student body.
Leah is one student at Ocer Campion JC who has been given the opportunity for success thanks to the kindness and generosity of scholarship sponsors. The second of three children, her mother was widowed after her father passed away due to Hepatitis C in 2010. The family has struggled with poverty since, and Leah’s mother, a farmer, has found it difficult to provide for her children’s basic needs, even more so for an education. Since economic crashes following COVID restrictions, the family has faced further poverty and health problems, threatening to keep them out of school. Leah and her siblings have been blessed to continue their education entirely through scholarships, an opportunity that gives them hope for a better future.
Another student at Ocer Campion JC who has received aid via the gracious giving of sponsors is John Mary, eldest of three children. John Mary’s parents have been active in youth leadership programs, youth activities at their parishes, and Church choir. The family lives in the capitol city of Uganda, Kampala, and has faced many challenges in paying for rent and food. With prices steadily on the rise, and no stable income for either of John Mary’s parents since businesses closed due to COVID, sponsorship has been a saving gift enabling John Mary to pursue his education.
Wondering how you might help poverty-stricken children in Uganda stay in school and achieve success in life? You can support the poor rural families in Gulu and Tororo, Uganda by offering prayers, joining our monthly giving program or making a one-time donation. Just click the red donate button on the right side bar.
Scholarship sponsors play a vital role in providing students at Ocer Campion JC and Eastside High School with the opportunity for an education and future success. Please consider sponsoring a student today and giving them the chance for a better life!
Thank you, we have made a fruitful impact this year!
Thank you Everyone for all that you have given this year, your words of encouragement, financial donations, and prayers have be invaluable to help people persevere in faith. We have been a light in the darkness for the missionaries and families in Uganda during a second challenging year.
With your help education for a few was continued! Schools were opened on a limited basis in March of 2021, but then tragically closed down again in June and remained so through to the end of the year. The small minority that had access to laptops or mobile phones managed to stay connected learning from home. The majority were left to the whims of the season leading to a ballooning of teenage pregnancies in the country. While all life is a gift this will bring added to challenges to the families and communities. We did manage to help two students graduate–Mercy completed her O levels and hopes to attend university and study law in the new year as funds may be raised. Her mother is a widow and the conditions of the last two years have been harsh on the family of four. Mark completed his 0-level exams and hopes to continue with A-levels for the next two years, and eventually on to university. Leah and JohnMary (S1) kept up remotely with Ocer Campion Jesuit College. A small group of students through a village school model were able to continue with Eastside High School and St Joseph College run by the Little Sister’s of Saint Francis and Young Franciscans (YOUFRA).
Specifically, thank you to all those who contributed to our health fund this year. With your help we supported Sr Margaret, George, and a few others to cover their COVID-19 treatments. We hosted a virtual baby shower to support Sharon & Walter (photos below) with their new baby, which helped cover extra medical expense when she needed to have a C-section. We stepped in for little Raphael who was born premature to Simon Peter and Josephine (photos below) spending a week in ICU. We helped Joseph out with the cost of surgery and treatments for his daughter Stella who was born with spina bifida. We have also contributed to the health needs of several other families with special needs children who are members of Children’s Community Care. We continued to support Gloria through her physical therapy and subsequent leg and hip surgeries.
New baby Raphael born premature, followed by parents and godparents at Baptism.
Help us support more families with health crises by giving today!
A big thank you to all those that supported kickstarting anew the YOUFRA Youth Center in Lira. They were able to take 32 youth through a 12-week counseling program. The Bakery wood fire oven was repaired and fired up, and product testing ensued. In early November full production and sales was begun. On the 4th Sunday of Advent they were able to have an event bringing 70+ young adults, YOUFRA members and former child soldiers together to celebrate Christmas songs, showcase the bakery items, and gather needs for 2022 programing efforts.
In Tororo, the YOUFRA Youth Center initiated an AgroProduce shop to buy from local farming families, many of which are among the YOUFRA young adults, then sell in larger bulk to the surrounding community, traders, and businesses, such as hotels. Proceeds are intended to help with the development of Eastside High School and St Joseph College. Parents can barely pay school fees sufficient to cover operating expenses thus the extra funds raised through this social enterprise help to upgrade the school facilities.
Thanks to a dear friend and veteran, we were able to help the Xaverians and Catholic Boy Scouts buy tents and some kitchen equipment for Chiro Camp. Located on beautiful Lake Victoria in Uganda Chiro Camp is a training center to offer youth a wide range of skills development from communication, team building, self discipline to first aid, tent set-up, care of the environment and more.
Christmas Dinners
Would you consider donating $25 to cover the cost of Christmas dinner for one family in Uganda?
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
Fr. John Chachu’s Story
Former Head Teacher at Ocer Campion Jesuit College, Fr. John Chachu, passed away on July 22 at 59 years old. His loss was a devastating shock to the OCJC community, as he had been involved with the college for several years, and was well established in the college community. Fr. Chachu was a Jesuit priest originally ordained in Sudan in 1988, later sent to Ocer Campion Jesuit College in 2014. Under his leadership, enrollment at the college had risen from just over 600 students to over 700.
Upon the news of his death, many in the OCJC community began to raise money to bring his body back to Gulu so he could be buried there. The community truly loved him, so much so that, when news spread that only 20 people could attend his burial due to Covid restrictions, a cause went up to request that his burial be open to the entire community. Parents, students, and teachers alike wanted to be able to attend, and after some discussion, the burial ceremony was opened, and 700 people attended (double the projected 250 mourners).
Fr. Chachu came from a family of 6 children, and was one of two surviving members; he and one of his sisters. He had been raised in Sudan in a faithful family. In Gulu, he was the only Jesuit priest there that spoke the local language, a skill he was very proud of, noting that he was “very much in this place.” He embraced Gulu as his home, and felt very connected to the community. Likewise, the community loved him. Many students paid homage to Fr. Chachu at his burial, and others sent messages and stories to the school. The students at OCJC truly saw him as family. At his burial, one of his students, Susan Akera, noted “he was a father to many of us who were orphaned.” Another student expressed, “we will miss our father, our parent.”
In an unreleased interview, Fr. Chachu spoke lovingly about the community. One of his biggest concerns was that many prospective students could not afford to attend OCJC, but even some who could not pay were still welcomed into the program. Fr. Chachu cared deeply for the situation of those children in Gulu, commenting, “they literally have nothing, and as a school now, we cannot… send them away.” According to many in the community, Fr. Chahcu was a stern, disciplinary teacher at OCJC, yet even so, he was loved and widely known to have loved everyone. He kept close contact with the families, even outside of school, and was very encouraging to all of his students. His student Susan Akera described him as “the most forgiving priest I have ever come across. He would quarrel on us and within minutes he would start making jokes to us.” Another student agreed, stating, “He created a social environment that was equal for us all irrespective of who you are.”
The OCJC families and staff will sorely miss Fr. Chachu, and his contributions to the community will not soon be forgotten. Fr. Chahu was known for truly loving his students and for being a well rounded, disciplinary role model to the children at OCJC. It is with great sorrow that the OCJC families and teachers say farewell to Fr. Chachu. May his soul and all the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.
Tokyo 2020: Ugandans Win Two Olympic Gold Medals!
Uganda first participated in the Olympics in 1956 with a three-person team. Now, over sixty years later, Uganda has a team of twenty-five athletes participating in Tokyo in rowing, swimming, boxing, and athletics. This years Olympics is unconventional due to Covid, but that hasn’t stopped Uganda’s athletes from putting their best forward. At the opening of the games, Bwogi Shadiri and Namutebi Kirabo represented the country as flagbearers, and returned to carry their flag at the closing of the Olympic games on Sunday, August 8. Shadiri is a boxer in the games, having taken up the sport in 2009 with his father’s encouragement. Kirabo is participating as a swimmer for the country. She won the World Junior Championships in 2019.
This year, Uganda’s team made history winning four medals, the most ever in a single Olympics for the country. Uganda won their last medal (gold) in 2012 Olympics in London. This is the first time since the Munich games in 1972 that the country has won more than two medals in any single Olympics.
Joshua Cheptegei ran a fabulous race to win gold in the Men’s 5,000m beating out Mohamed Ahmed (Canada) and Paul Chelimo (USA). In the 10,000m Cheptegei claimed the silver medal in a close finish behind Ethiopia’s Selemon Barega. His teammate Jacob Kiplimo took the bronze medal. Joshua’s story is one of redemption. He participated in the 2017 World Cross Country Championship, which took place in Uganda, and placed a disappointing 30th. Just five months later Joshua would go on take the silver in London during the 2017 World Championships. And now he holds two Olympic medals with a bright future ahead in sport.
Jacob Kiplimo has been greatly influenced by his older brothers, who were also runners. Jacob developed a passion for the sport and aims to one day break a record for the 10000 meter. Both men are from Kapchorwa, Uganda, and were inspired by their families to pursue the sport. Today, they have become Olympians holding medals for Uganda.
Chemutai Peruth ran an incredible race taking gold in the Women’s 3000m Steeplechase final (9.01.45), beating out the veteran American runner Courtney Frerichs (silver) and Kenya’s Hyvin Kiyeng (bronze). She became the first Ugandan female to ever win a gold medal! Winnie Nanayondo participated in the Women’s 1500m placing 7th only 6 seconds from the gold medal time, which was an Olympic record. And Kathleen Grace Noble made it to the semi-finals of the women’s 5000m single scull event. All in all, it was a fantastic showing for the Ugandan team hopefully inspiring the next generation of young athletes in the country!
Wondering how you can help children in Uganda achieve their dreams? Support the poor rural children in Tororo, Uganda by offering prayers, donating today, or sharing this story with others. Perhaps you will be supporting Uganda’s next Olympian!
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!!
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.
School Gardens 
Classroom Building 
Science Laboratory 
Classroom 
Dormitory 
Sr. Margaret, Director 
Science Lab 
Teachers 
Water Tank 
Student Latrines 
Staff Quarters 
Staff Latrines 
Classroom 
School Kitchen 
Campus View