Uganda (MNN) – Today, MNN writer/producer, along with her team from the USA, trekked several hours into
the bush to visit the Baale project. She reports: "The project location is only 48 km west of Kampala, but the roads are
unpaved, muddy and filled with car-sized craters.
"Most of the people in Baale are peasant farmers. As we drove into the area, we noticed that
the children are fairly healthy, unlike some of the slum children in the urban
areas. When we asked the Compassion
specialist about this, she noted that
the children often ate banana, pineapple, guava, nuts, avocado and other fruits
that grow in the area.
"However, poverty is rampant. The average household income for this area is roungly $10-14
annually. Families make their money
selling surplus agricultural produce and related food stuffs. Due to the poverty and the lack of education (which we'll explore in tomorrow's report), many of the young people find
themselves married off as young as 12-years-old in exchange for dowery.
"Pastor Kigozi Francis has been working for seven years to
see a church plant grow into a healthy body of Christ. As that has come to pass, he decided it was
time to branch out in ministry; he is now the project overseer for Compassion
International.
"UG-553 is a new project for Compassion International, and
sister station WCSG from Grand Rapids, Michigan is helping to launch it by
helping get sponsors for the 221 children.
"The kids lined up as we came in and welcomed us to their
village with song and chanted, 'African Church, African church, we are
no longer fatherless. We are no longer motherless. Now, we'll live with
Compassion International. We are no
longer helpless. We are now recognized. Praise God, praise God! African
Church, African church, your future is bright and shining. Your bellies are
filled with solids and liquids. So, so,
Compassion International is in this place. You are free from child labor and
torture. Praise God, Praise God!'
"The anticipation of change is like the scent of ripe fruit
in the air. Parents in this area know
that Compassion's Child Development Center will nurture the children into
spiritually committed Christians. It
will also enable them to develop into economically self-sustaining adults by
providing a school in the immediate village, promoting the social and emotional
development of the children and helping them maintain good health with medicine
and vaccinations.
For these children, there is hope for a bright future. A sponsor can make all the difference in the
world. Click here for more information.
