Hello Beloved Partner,
Glad tidings in the mighty name of Jesus; I am privileged to once again reach out and connect with you at this awesome moment when we all look into the year with anticipation eager to engage and embrace the new opportunities opening before us. I am truly excited because such opportunities have not ceased to come knocking at our doors even as I write to you now. Surely this year is proving to be unique with new ministry doors opening with each evangelistic and humanitarian step we take. We already have 10 districts lined up for us to reach and replicate our programs into from the North, South, West, East and not forgetting the central where we are rapidly replicating these programs.
I am greatly move by what God is already doing and for this reason would like to share some of these experiences/testimonies.
In January 2021, we engaged two communities through the PWD outreach program. The two communities included Luzira Prison community and Kawempe division. Our major focus during the two outreaches was awareness and Community based rehabilitation. A total of 6 families with PWD were reached during the outreach program. Of the six families visited all had cases of children born with disability. Almost all of the children carried a case of cerebral palsy with the oldest being 27 years and the youngest 1-year-old.
The PWD especially children face enormous economic, political, and social barriers that have an adverse impact on their physical, social and intellectual development and wellbeing. Many of them do not have access to the most basic needs such as health services and education; experience multiple deprivations even within their family and are invisible in the national policy agenda. This is due to the fact that some people still considers disability as inability and hence, kept away from the public. About 80% of children with disabilities in Uganda are not getting education because of their disability. For this reason, the disabled just make 0.2 % of the work force despite of the income tax makes a provision of tax incentives for employers of 5% or more people with disabilities.
PRAISE REPORT
This month through our evangelistic, humanitarian and relief outreach programs to PWD in the communities, we encountered Precious a 12-year-old cerebral palsy victim who lives with both her parents in Kampala. Besides the cerebral palsy, she also suffers from multiple disabilities including scoliosis, hip dislocation among others. Because of this, she can’t sit, walk, or do what most children of her age can do. Fortunately, she has the privilege of staying with both parents.
“The community is cruel towards people with disabilities. They have a perception that such children as precious are a result of a sacrifice. We have suffered the repercussion of having precious. Sometimes I have felt like running and leaving her but I thank God I have always endured because now I am beginning to see the goodness of God” Christine said.
Such persecutions and belief systems are wide spread across the country and not just limited to the communities but also the church and religious beliefs. At the time of our outreach, we collaborated with one of the churches in the prison community
Negative attitudes towards PWD remains a big challenge in the different communities of Uganda. This has been largely attributed to factors including ignorance, poverty, cultural beliefs and customs. For this reason, sensitization of the communities remains a great contributing factor in raising support, promoting inclusion and averting negative attitudes towards PWD.
PRAYER REQUESTS
In line with this, our prayer requests are therefore
· The upcoming outreach programs to people with disabilities related to acid burns and attacks. Also for our outreach in the eastern part of the country.
· Pray for the different stakeholders especially the community leaders and the church to embrace the program and have a positive attitude towards PWD
· Pray for all the communities and families we have reached out to.
· For the children and youth workers in the respective locations to prosper in all their ministry activities
· For more souls to be won even as we reach new communities.
We are grateful for the awesome and great things the Lord is doing in our midst and all this is possible because of your support that has enabled us to reach and touch these communities and PWD. We can’t explain how much this means to us but one thing we know for sure is that the Good Lord is surely proud of you. We pray that even as he has been good to us through you, his goodness will never cease to manifest in your life as it has been in ours.
Blessings
Robert