A couple photos of the Lulwanda campus with houses 5 & 6 just about wrapped up.
Our plumber is making the sewage tie in’s from the houses to the new sewer header which will allow for testing of the water works in the houses.
Grace International Childrens Foundation
Restoring hope to orphaned children in East Africa
A couple photos of the Lulwanda campus with houses 5 & 6 just about wrapped up.
Our plumber is making the sewage tie in’s from the houses to the new sewer header which will allow for testing of the water works in the houses.
I bring greetings from the big family of Lulwanda and wish everyone well in all your endeavors. This month of August has been a blessing to us as we had all our Children back from boarding school and we got to interact and share stories from life at school, plus enjoy the fellowship as a family.
The health of the children has been good; we have not had any serious complications and I am happy that Ryan is back from USA to handle any emergencies. He has been briefed of all medical issues and he is now ready to make a follow up of every child. Ryan started by testing for HIV and Glory be to God that all our Children were found to be negative apart from the two known cases. We thank the Almighty God for the protection put upon our Children and Staff.
We received all the secondary school children in good health and with no report of indiscipline across all schools. The performance of the children is good for those that are focused and hardworking in school unlike a few who are reluctant and came back with low grades. We have organized counseling sessions for slow learners to improve on their performance. None of our children was sent home for unpaid school fees; all their requirements were met on time whenever we were called upon. We continue to encourage them and give them proper guidance for them to excel in their studies. Furthermore, our reintegrated children studying at Miken Vocational Institute Mbale also ended their first three month’s study program this August for a short holiday and will soon complete their certificates. They are all doing well (Mike Wangota – commercial art and computer graphics, Betty Namutosi – hair dressing, Racheal Nandudu – tailoring and Patience Komugisha – commercial art and computer design).
The Social Workers held one day training with the teachers on Alternative Care. It was a great opportunity for our primary school teachers to get knowledge and exposure on alternative care. The objectives of the training was to give the teachers an overview of working with children without parental care, Child protection policies and promoting collaboration by working together with the Government and donors in taking care of the Children. At the end of the training, all the teachers were rewarded with certificates of attendance.
Some of our Children had an opportunity to be visited at Lulwanda by their relatives from their village. They came to check on their progress and talk to them. This included Daisy Khanakwa who was visited twice by her elderly grandmother and Aunt, she was so excited to meet them.
Zacharia Leka and Rose Naula also got an opportunity to visit their homes in the village during the holiday. It was nice having such a chance to meet their relatives, interact with them and encourage the students to work hard in school.
We were blessed to have Dr. Vicent Juma talk to our Children. Dr. Vicent was once raised from a Children’s Home and has great love for Orphans. He is a young man of 25 years and working at Nairobi hospital and as well, a vice chairperson of a firm that inspires and talks to children from children’s homes. He is an inspirational speaker and above all serves the lord with all his heart. He encouraged the children in particular areas and strongly emphasized that Children should write down their vision and pray over it daily for the Lord to make it successful. He urged the Children to be respectful to adults and submit to those in authority and above all being thankful to the Lord because they are loved and chosen by God. He further encouraged them to always hear the voice of God and do according to His will. He advised Children to cultivate the culture of reading and do better in class and always embrace the spirit of excellence in what they do. He concluded by informing kids to love one another as the greatest commandment from the Lord. This was a good package for them as they prepare to go back to school. It will help them to concentrate and make better decisions for their lives
This month we were glad once again to receive Larry and his wife Dee to Uganda. They came along with Don Metz and his wife Ann for a one week visit. Dee and Ann were busy taking sponsor photos of the Children while Larry and Don went for evangelism in Merikirit village. They drilled a borehole for the community and now the community members have access to safe water. Don and his wife Ann donated Lego games to the Children in the new houses. These games were a gift from their beloved daughter who had a birthday party and was given these gifts. Since she had great love for Lulwanda Children, she decided to give everything to Lulwanda. This is amazing for such a little girl to have such great love for other Children she has never seen before. Don and Ann are back in the USA now while Larry and Mama Dee are still in Uganda for a little while to accomplish certain tasks before returning back to USA.
We started physical exercises for staff members every Monday morning. The purpose of this activity is to keep our bodies healthy, strong and fit. It’s also intended to unite the staff members as we continue caring for the Children that God has entrusted us to keep. All the staff members and Children have loved the activity and it’s always fun whenever we have it. Through the physical exercise, we decided on playing football and formed two wonderful football teams, one for women and one for men. We had a great time hosting the staff of Covenant Bible Institute of Theology (CBIT) for friendly soccer games. It was smiles all around as our Lulwanda Ladies Soccer Team ended up 1:0 winners in the game they played, and our men’s team came away with a 3:1 win.
We continue to extend our gratitude to you all for working tirelessly to support us, in order to brighten the future of these lovely children of God. May the Almighty God bless you.
Thank you very much
In Him,
Paul Isabirye
Administrator
Once again, l bring greetings from our big Lulwanda family. It’s yet another beautiful month that we got to experience the hand of God, despite our concerns in the previous month. We are continuing to grow stronger as we continue to see His wonderful mighty hand full of love and mercies upon our children and even more new developments at the home. Who can say no when the Lord says yes! Allow me take you through the activities of the month.
All our children are doing well despite an increased rate of malaria cases among the children in Uganda right now. As usual cases of malaria have been tested and treated very well by the house mothers.
During the previous health inspection of June by the government officials, the health inspector identified the breeding areas for mosquitos which bring malaria. The team recommended indoor fumigation (which was done immediately) and our septic tank (which was the main source of breeding mosquitos) was fumigated and covered well. Next month the team will be visiting to examine the food handlers.
The social workers also administered a general pregnancy test for our Tendo girls under the support of medical personnel from Joy Hospice, one of our partner health facilities. Thank God all results for our girls turned out negative. This helps in planning as they will be soon join the University.
We were blessed with a team of missionaries from Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church, of 36 people (mostly youth plus several adults) who had a great time with the children and staff at Lulwanda. The team carried out activities in and around Lulwanda community. They helped with packaging scholastic materials for the Good Neighbor Program. The team spent a lovely moment with the good neighbor children who were hosted at Lulwanda for a full day full of fun. The good neighbor children were so excited to receive the gifts from the team as this will in turn enable them to participate fully in school. The team visited Busiu Secondary School and shared the word of God with the children and staff members. They also carried out hut-to-hut evangelism in the neighboring communities of Lulwanda. They played games, danced and focused on VBS with the children. The last day of departure the Lulwanda children entertained the team as a way of thanking them. It was an emotional day when the team was leaving because the children still wanted their presence.
July 6th was a day for school visitation for our secondary school children. This time round it was the visitation for 3 secondary schools attended by our children. At the same time it was the day for the traditional wedding Introduction Ceremony (similar to an engagement ceremony) for the Lulwanda Accountant Rachael Nambuya. It was a busy day as we had to divide ourselves among the three schools (Rainbow High School, Tororo Girls and St. Peter’s College Tororo). At the time we came back from the school visitation, it was too late to catch up with Rachael’s introduction fully. Never the less we rushed and watched the last bits of the event. We thank the Lord that we were able to visit our children and encourage them to work hard for better grades but also be able to witness Rachael’s introduction ceremony.
S/N | NAME | SCHOOL | COURSE | DURATION |
1 | Anthony Wojjambuka | Arapai Agricultural college | Certificate in General Agriculture | 2yrs |
2 | Ivan Musambaki | Mbale school of Nursing | Certificate in Nursing and Midwifery | 2yrs |
3 | Denis Wambele | Mbale polytechnic vocational insitute | Certificate in Electrical installation | 2yrs |
4 | Sarah Nasike | UCU-Mbale | Certificate in child Development and children Ministry | 2yrs |
5 | Mike Wangota | Miken Vocational Insitute | Commercial Art and Design | 1yrs |
6 | Racheal Nandudu | Miken Vocational Insitute | Tailoring | 1yrs |
7 | Patience Komugisha | Miken Vocational Insitute | Commercial Art and Design | 1yrs |
8 | Betty Namutosi | Miken Vocational Insitute | Hair dressing | 1/2yrs |
We wish to recognize the following Lulwanda children for working hard and showing excellent school results.
John Mutsoshi is doing well at School and he is a child with clear objectives and vision. He is very interested in politics and has great concern about whatever takes place in the community. Currently he is at St. Mary’s Lugazi in senior five and working very hard to score the best grades, in order to attend university on a government scholarship. He campaigned to be a court prosecutor at school and was elected with majority votes. John’s ambition is to become a lawyer and help the less privileged people with legal advice. Remember at O level he was elected as the head class captain in the entire school. Class captains monitor the effective teaching and learning of teachers and students in class and later report to the Headteacher. We can see leadership skills being exhibited by this young man. Let us pray that all be well as he pursues his dreams.
Gift Naluboka, like Maliza Mutenyo before her, hopes to attend university on a government scholarship. She is very brilliant and outspoken girl. She is a very active member of debating club in addition to music, dance and drama. Since she joined secondary school, she has only scored Division one in all terms. Remember at one time she received the school bursary and Lulwanda rewarded her with the full scholarship for that very term. This has motivated other Lulwanda children to work hard.
Norah Masai has continued to shine at school despite the change of study environment from Tororo Girls to Rainbow High School. She has been identified by the School administration and the teachers as a brilliant girl. At Rainbow High School, she is the leader of our children and has much concern for her brothers and sisters when they are not feeling well. She is very good at debates and this has earned her a certificate of recognition by the National council of the debating club. This was the time when she was picked from the many students to represent her school at a national debate on environmental issues hosted at the parliament of Uganda.
Davis Namonye is another child who is above average with an average mark of 64% but very disciplined. He has a positive attitude in whatever he does and he loves to participate in games with the friends during leisure time. Teachers at School are very proud of Davis and he holds a lot of influence in the peer group.
We are planning to reintegrate some of our older children back with their clan or relatives by the end of this year. Social workers have visited the clan members of the children and assessed the economic, housing, health, recreation facilities and other conditions of the respective families. This helps in the planning for the child who is due for reintegration. The following are the children whose homes were assessed. Ivan Butali, Andrew Masiga, Phoebe Nambozo, Donah Nadunga, Gift Naluboka, Sandra Namakoye, Mary Namubi, Fatuma Sarah Namubya, Wycliff Seddu and Zacharia Leka and Willy Wamono. Reports are being prepared for submission to the Leadership Team and the members of the Child Panel which is to meet and make decisions by the August 2019.
I wish to thank all of you for the love, care and support that you are rendering to Lulwanda children. This makes our children to be special, blessed and chosen among the many children in the world. In our daily expression of appreciation, we are mainly left with only one word and that is thank you very much and be blessed.
In Him,
Paul Isabirye
Administrator
Lulwanda children’s Home
I greet you all in the precious name of our Lord. It’s my great honor to share this monthly report with you, as it was characterized by joy and sadness. However we are encouraged by His word that whatever happens, it’s for the good of those who believe in Him. We give Glory to the Almighty God that our children have been given a chance in life which most kids don’t receive. This is happening because they are special before the Lord and they have been chosen among the many. Thank you for being part of the vessel that the Lord is using to bring hope, love and help them reach their full potential.
As Ryan prepared to go on furlough this year, he made sure that each house mom was stocked with all the essential medical supplies. Each home received supplies for treating malaria, first aid, flu, infections, etc. Each mother was briefed on her roles in recognizing and administering medicine when needed. Mama Susan has been tasked with the follow ups on monthly visits for our two girls living with HIV. Overall, I believe we are in a good place and Ryan can go for his furlough.
We further had a health inspection from the District Health Office Busiu, checking on the conditions of the home and helping us identify areas that need improvement, especially general hygiene and repairs among others. The inspector was taken around the home, inspecting every house, the compound and the school as well.
June was a very rewarding time at Lulwanda, and a team arrived from Sharon Church in McDonough, GA. This team of seven spent the week focusing on vacation Bible school for all lower primary children. Many crafts were made; tie-dye shirts were made, along with balloon animals. Each session began with the team leading praise and worship and telling a Bible story to the children. They also put a very large smile on our boys’ faces when they donated a PlayStation 4 with their favorite soccer video game FIFA 2019. This team also spent two days going into the local village and sharing the gospel and meeting the most essential needs of eight families. We praise God for the partnership and fruit that can be seen from this trip. The team plans to potentially bring two teams over the next year.
Construction of houses 5 & 6 is in progress and construction work is going on well. Both buildings are at roofing level and the construction work will be completed by the end of August. Again another set of 20 kids will be accommodated in these two new houses. We are so grateful for the financial support which has enabled the work to move on well.
I am glad to report that several of our children have been admitted to different Universities for the August 2019 intake.
S/N | NAME | UNIVERSITY | COURSE | DURATION |
1 | MALIZA MUTENYO | MAKERERE UNIVERSITY BUSINESS SCHOOL | BACHELOR OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND SMALL BUSINESS MGT | 3 YRS |
2 | DINAH NAMBOZO | UCU-MUKONO | BACHELOR OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION | 3 YRS |
3 | BRENDA NABWIRE | UCU-MUKONO | BACHELOR OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION | 3 YRS |
4 | AIDA KAKAYI | UCU-MBALE | BACHELOR OF ART IN EDUCATION | 3 YRS |
5 | BRENDA BABIRYE | UCU-MBALE | BACHELOR OF PROCUREMENT AND LOGISTICS | 3 YRS |
It was a very sad moment for the entire Lulwanda family when we learned that our own beloved staff member Florence Nekesa passed on. She had been struggling for some time complaining of several illnesses until she was diagnosed with Hypertension. She later had a stroke and died. She left behind six children and three are still school age. We appreciate the valuable time she invested in Lulwanda of 14 yrs. She was hardworking and loving to the children. Fresh memories of her are still among the staff members and the children. We shall miss her greatly. May the good Lord continue comfort the family members. May her soul rest in peace.
Thank you so much for reading this report and kindly take some few minutes to pray for Lulwanda family as the Holy Spirit shall guide you.
Thank you once again!
In Him,
Paul Isabirye
Administrator
Lulwanda Children’s Home
We are in the process of the evaluation of Hope Medical Center as a possible alternative to our current form of medical care. They have a form of health insurance they are offering at reduced rates and this might be a good alternative for our staff and or Children. Overall, I want to thank God for sustaining both our staff members and our Children with good health.
Our secondary school children have reported back to school. Prior to reporting, all the secondary children went for shopping under the supervision of the staff members. The shopping involves personal requirements necessary for the stay at School. The School requirements are purchased by the staff member, Mama Juliet. We have also paid the first installment of School fees and the remaining balance shall be cleared on the visitation day.
We have applied for the University admissions for the S.6 Children of last year. These included Aidah Kakayi, Brenda Namakoye and Brenda Babirye at Uganda Christian University (UCU) Mbale campus and Nambozo Dinah, Nabwire Brenda at UCU Mukono. We are waiting for the response at the beginning of June 2019. Meanwhile we are yet to pick up the admission letter for Maliza Mutenyo who was taken on government sponsorship.
We also secured the admission for Namutosi Betty, who successfully completed her P7 last year and passed with division 2 grades. She has showed interest in hair dressing and currently she is studying at Miken Vocational Institute, Mbale. We are still waiting for the admission letter for Anthony Wojjambuka who applied for a general certificate in Agriculture at Arapai Agricultural College. He is most likely to begin in August but right now he is helping in the farm as he gains experience and knowledge.
We held a family meeting with the children to discuss family and school issues. It was a good time to share and discuss their academic progress. Those with good grades were encouraged to work harder and those with low grades were advised to set goals and encouraged never to give up but aim higher. Children who excelled were rewarded with gifts and cash. Below are the names of Children who excelled and were rewarded.
S/N | NAME | CLASS | POSITION | REWARD |
1. | Patricia Nakhumitsa | P.2 | 1st | GIFT |
2. | Emmanuel Kintu | P.5 | 1st | GIFT |
3. | Daphine Namulondo | P.5 | 2nd | GIFT |
S/N | NAME | CLASS | AV.MARK | GRADE | REWARD |
1. | Gift Naluboka | 5.3 | 80 | DIV. 1 | 100,000= |
2. | Norah Masai | 5.3 | 80 | DIV. 1 | 100,000= |
3. | Samual Buyinza | 5.2 | 71 | DIV. 2 | 40,000= |
4. | Davis Namonye | 5.2 | 70 | DIV. 2 | 40,000= |
S/N | NAME | CLASS | POINTS/20 | REWARD |
1. | Peace Ayombe | S.5 | 18 | 100,000= |
2. | Malvin Nakayenze | S.5 | 18 | 100,000= |
3. | John Mutoshi | S.5 | 17 | 100,000= |
4. | Maliza Mutenyo | S.6 | 19 | 100,000= |
5. | Dinah Nambuzo | S.6 | 18 | 100,000= |
6. | Brenda Nabwire | S.6 | 17 | 100,000= |
S/N | NAME | CLASS | REWARD |
1. | Peace Ayombe | S.5 | 470,000= |
2. | Malvin Nakayenze | S.5 | 470,000= |
We also discussed about discipline / behavior and respect for caregivers since they are their parents at the moment. Children were encouraged not to involve themselves in activities that waste their time, and avoid bad peer influence. They were advised to have positive attitude towards counseling since it’s a healing process to personal or psychosocial problems. Personal responsibility was emphasized as assign of maturity and should learn to use the available resources very well and be content with what has been provided.
The children had a community outreach to Joy hospice and Our Lady of Fatima Dispensary as a service and way of sharing their love with those outside their environment. The children and staff did a major cleaning of the facilities, both young and older children. They scrubbed the washrooms, mopped the wards, windows, verandas, cleaned the compound (picking rubbish, slashing, digging the flower gardens) and also prayed with the patients who were admitted on ward. It’s an activity that is done every holiday in different facilities and they enjoy it.
Thrashers team visited Lulwanda and had meetings with the Social workers, house mothers and the Lulwanda management team plus some members of the local management committee. During the meeting with the social workers and house mothers, they discussed the library and its use as a way of inspiring Children to develop good reading habits. They also shared the daily schedule for Children and resolved that Children need enough time to refresh as they pursue their goals.
The team also held workshop training with the teachers. Teachers were trained on the new teaching methods and best ways to use the library for effective teaching. They were taught about the use of science practical for better understanding of science. The training lasted for three days and teachers were much blessed and promised to apply the knowledge acquired to help the students.
We finally received our exemption tax letter from the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) from the period 2017-2019. This is a big deal for Lulwanda because we shall be exempted from all the income tax which had been assessed on us without our knowledge. We are in the process of renewing the tax exemption for the next 3 years.
The Good Neighbor Program
As we normally do, we hosted the community children at Lulwanda where they were given scholastic materials, shoes and uniform. The community children together with our children received educational and spiritual guidance from the staff members. We had games and preaching of the word by Pastor David Muwoya and finally the children were served with a delicious meal before going back home.
I would like to thank the Almighty God for His faithfulness, love and grace that we were able to carry out all these activities successfully.
Thank you so much for the love towards the children and staff of Lulwanda, and for the continuous support. We are grateful for all that you do to ensure the children are well, happy and living a life towards reaching their full potential. May the lord bless you all.
In Him,
Paul Isabirye
Administrator
LCH
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