Over the course of the first week, we held a leadership day where various leaders
from the prison, children and health ministries shared their experiences. We also
held our second Village Health Workers graduation ceremony were 49 Village Health
Workers qualified in VHT and Community Based Health Care training.
LEADERSHIP TRAINING DAY
Our leadership day was very exciting to see as I asked each of the leaders to share
from the prison coordinator to the local Pastors, Children's leader, Health workers
and Hospital Visitation team. We prayed for each department and gave time for testimony.
It was enlightening as everyone could see the integration of all the projects and
sense of wholeness to the vision from meeting spiritual to practical needs. There
was no time left for me to preach!
We are now working with over 300 leaders in Gulu and Amoro district and are beginning
to see the wave spread to other parts of northern Uganda. The prison work has extended
from 8 to 15 prisons and includes the setting up of prison fellowships outside of
the 8 largest prisons. This is providing ongoing support for ex inmates and links
them to local churches.
Two months ago the first juvenile offenders unit, attached to Gulu prison, was opened
for those under 18 years. Two of the Sunday school teachers will begin to visit
the centre and spend time with the children. A children's evangelism event was held
in November and the response to the grace of God was truly encouraging.
Seven teachers in Gulu central prison who were formerly incarcerated, and who became
Christians, are now teaching inmates basic adult literacy and primary school education.
We have had approximately 85 learners and 15 have now graduated at P7 level (primary
school). I think that is what they call rehabilitation!
GOAT PROJECT
The growth of the goat project has been encouraging. We had our first set of Boer-cross
goats born in September, followed soon after by the second pair in October. We have
8 bee hives occupied but the African bees are the wildest on earth so you need to
visit them at night as they don't like being disturbed. We are expecting our next
batch of honey by February and are looking to begin to sell our produce on the local
market.
LITERACY & SEWING CLASSES
The literacy and sewing schools have made steady progress. The sewing garments,
in the opinion of a local Pastor, are of very good quality and the atmosphere of
the school is very personal and communal. All our projects including the Agape child
support programme have a beautiful sense of family and intimacy which makes them
far more than a mere programme.
The literacy class attached to a local church is the most successful of all the
classes and we will be meeting with the Pastors to look at extending this programme
to more churches as there is a need for literacy in the local churches so that people
can read their Bible and to draw the local community to the church.
HEALTH TRAINING
We also held our second certification day for the Village Health Workers and there
were 49 in total who qualified in VHT (Village Health Training) and Community Based
Health Care training. We had representation from the local authorities, health department
and even the Mayor's office. All the workers are from local churches and will be
developing health teams in the church to begin community health over the next 6
months. The local Government has been quite blown away with this because of their
difficulties in implementing this previously. They will be training another 10 or
more of our church based health workers at the end of October at their own cost!
SITE WORK
Work has now been completed on the fencing of the 5 acre plot in Layibi; the water
Borehole is a tremendous asset to the community who have been trained in water and
sanitation, the Agape family are progressing well with all the usual challenges
of growing up; the expansion of the children's ministry is also fantastic.
IN APPRECIATION
I would like to extend my appreciation to all our supporters and team members. This
work is not small and continues to grow. There is a desperate need to facilitate
all aspects of the vision; in particular the health work and ministry in 2010 as
we focus on training local people who will then be able to carry the vision.
Kerryann, a paediatric nurse, joined us for the first time. She immersed herself
in the vision and work and did a tremendous job. Brad, our project co-ordinator
continues to plough the field faithfully. It is rare to find a person so faithful
in such a difficult work and who is willing to completely relate to, and be with,
the local people. Rachel, the UK child care co-ordinator, is absolutely committed
to the children and her attention to detail exemplary.
What more could we ask for? Three of our mission partners, Phil, Annie and Jennifer,
visited 15 prisons during a two week visit in September. Matthew 25 is very clear
about God's heart to visit the prisoners. It is rough, tough trekking in difficult
conditions that few would do. They have done it with love and commitment to the
inmates. They are a gift to me personally and to the work as it is not possible
for me to visit all the prisons; I honour them for it. Duncan and Rosalind, a married
couple with a keen interest in business and skills development initiated the sewing
school at the Layibi Sanctuary in 2007. They spent time visiting the goat project,
sewing school and site in July. They are top draw people who have excelled in life.
I greatly appreciate their humility in spearheading and facilitating what they have
done in Gulu and serves as a testament to their quality.
Dr Liam Chapman