After receiving a significant amount of interest, we are re-sharing our music video “Nakusinzanga Mukama”.
We hope you find it of some encouragement. The words translate as follows:
“I’ll always praise you Lord my God,
I’ll always praise you Lord my God,
for you’re so gracious to me,
for your abundant love for me,
for your mighty works, I choose to worship you and to glorify your name.”
There is such truth and strength in these simple words, especially for so many walking through difficult and at times heart-breaking situations each day.

The second song in the video is called “Atalemwa Yesu”, which translates as “He never fails, Jesus”. We regularly sing this song in worship as part of our morning devotionals. If you would like to see more of what we do in the slums around Kampala, follow the link below.

more about kampala

Enid (Mama Steven to her neighbours) lives in Kasubi and is married to Charles, with a five-year-old son called Steven. Her house is next door to where the Kasubi Life Group holds its meetings each week and she, with several of her neighbours, are regular attendees. We first met Enid just over a year ago. She had been struggling for a long time with illness and depression and went out of her house as little as possible.

“I felt isolated, hopeless and alone, afraid to speak to others and constantly worried about what they might think of me.”

Coming from a village where many people practiced witchcraft she felt oppressed by what she had seen and what had been said over her there. She seemed unable to escape the feeling of darkness and despair that weighed her down. This slowly created a sense of division between Enid and her husband, which only served to increase her loneliness.

The morning we met her, she had once again been sick and in pain for a number of days. She was sitting in her house that morning when she suddenly felt that she should get up and go outside. Upon looking out she saw the Kasubi Life Group meeting together and the thought popped into her head ‘why not ask them to pray for me?’ The group were more than happy to do this and as they prayed for her she was entirely healed! Mama Steven began coming to the community group and the discipleship group every week. The fear disappeared, the loneliness disappeared and the hopelessness was replaced with joy and peace. She no longer feels oppressed by anything and is now confident in speaking out in the group. God has worked within her marriage and Charles has seen such a dramatic change in her. Now they read the bible together, pray and encourage one another daily.

She has learnt so much over the last year through the Kasubi Life Group. Among other things; how to stay healthy, avoiding diseases like pneumonia and dysentery, the importance of clean water and how to access it freely through SODIS and making cheap, efficient charcoal briquettes for cooking. Enid is already eagerly sharing her knowledge with her neighbours in the community and supporting others who are also in tough situations. She has also learnt how to save effectively through the savings group, which has given her the desire and opportunity to start her own business.

“I have grown so much, in so many ways. I never thought I would be able to save so much. I am so encouraged, now I want to start my own canteen cooking food everyday for working people. Through this group and God’s healing, I have experienced Jesus real, practical love for me and I am so grateful for his faithfulness through the hard times in my life.”

Your ongoing support of these groups is bringing bright hope to the lives of many people like Enid. Thank you

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Kinawataka, Uganda

“My name is Achipa Katie. My husband, Okyo Sam and I have three children, Monica is nine, Pakada is seven and Rachel is two. We moved to Kinawataka Slum from Mbuya seven years ago when Sam had a house built here. When I lived in Mbuya I didn’t have any friends and wasn’t known in the community. When we came here, I immediately felt more welcomed and life has been better.

I met Every Life over three years ago, when I joined a discipleship group. Then I heard about the Community Champion programme at the K1 Life Group where they gave the example of Nalongo, a lady who was already a Village Health Team member in our community. I was really inspired by her work and wanted to make a difference like she was.

I didn’t receive any education growing up and so I was excited to learn! Through the Champion training I learned so much, which has already helped my own family a great deal. I didn’t know how to wash my hands to kill germs effectively and didn’t know why it was bad to cook inside my home. Even these simple skills have helped me to see an improvement in my family’s health. Before I became a Health Champion, when my children were sick I would have to go and find help, spend money and ask others what to do. Now I can assess children and make an educated decision on what to do. I don’t worry anymore because I am confident in my knowledge.

As a Health Champion I really enjoy encouraging other people and moving around my community to check on those who are sick. People respect me, listen to me and take my advice seriously. I feel able to make a difference with the new skills that I have, I can train other people now and have a voice in my community. I now no longer think badly about myself as I used to because of not going to school, but am confident in what I know.

I want to have a real impact on my community and help people not to fall sick. I want to see better hygiene, more development and to see good relationships grow.”

Kinawataka, Uganda

Aisha died when she was just 18 months old, her little body unable to cope with severe malnutrition. She was Olivia’s daughter. With an absent husband Olivia could barely afford the tiny mud shack they rented in Kampala’s Kinawataka slum. Grieving for Aisha, surviving on popcorn, she worried about feeding her other baby, Nasul, just days old. Sick, alone and despairing, Olivia considered killing herself… We visited Olivia every day. Every day we prayed with her and encouraged her, and in the weeks and months that followed Olivia led her husband to Jesus as He gently healed her family… We’ve now known Olivia for many years and have supported her as her other children also battled hunger and sickness. We’ve been there to help as the family grew up and found

their feet. We’ve witnessed Olivia gain strength from the weekly community Life Group meetings we run for mothers in the slum; and we’ve been there as she’s worked hard with her husband to find jobs and the income to build their own home.

Today, life remains hard, but it’s hopeful. Olivia is saving for her children to go to school. She speaks of her joy as she watches them grow in health and energy, running around and playing. She’s told us how much she saw and felt the love of Jesus for her when things were really bad… and how now, with Him, she has high hopes for their future.

‘I used to see no hope, I didn’t think I could do anything for myself, but now I know there is always a way forward with Jesus and I am thankful’

Olivia is so grateful for all that she has learned through Every Life and loves to share her knowledge and experiences in order to benefit others. She is now fully trained as one of our ‘Community Health Champions’ and is currently staying with her family at the Family Centre. There, she and her husband are receiving further training in a variety of skills that will enable them to care for their family in the long-term and impact the wider community.

Meanwhile Olivia’s Life Group has gone from strength to strength. It’s largely through this group that Olivia has learnt how to earn a living and build a better life for herself. It’s taught her how to provide her family with a healthy nutritious diet on a small income and how to help prevent disease such as typhoid, pneumonia and dysentery. It’s been a life-saver and will continue to be for many more people like Olivia.

You can join us in raising up change makers like Olivia and running Life Groups to transform communities…

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Sometimes the situations that we deal with in the slum communities are not as straightforward as they first appear. Often people’s mindsets have to change before there can be any physical difference in their life.

Take for example the case of Patience. We noticed her as we were walking though Katogo 2 one day, she was displaying signs of severe malnourishment, including a loss of hair colour and limbs swollen with oedema. We knew she needed to be taken to hospital soon before it was too late for her to recover. So we talked to Mama Patience about her daughter’s illness and suggested that she take her to the hospital. At this point, however, Mama told us flatly that Patience’ sickness was due to witchcraft and only a witch doctor could help her! In fact the witch doctor had already told her that if she took Patience to the hospital and she had any kind of injection then she would die. She refused to take her daughter to the hospital and told us to leave her alone.

As the days passed, Patience continued to worsen, despite all the advice of the witch doctor. Eventually, after many visits and discussions with the social team, and finally a visit from the Probation and Welfare officer, Mama agreed to take Patience to the hospital. Unfortunately, before Patience could be admitted Mama decided to take her daughter and leave. Things were now critical for Patience, with her health declining each day. This same scenario happened again a few days later with the same result and it was only the third time of persuading her to go to the hospital that she finally decided to stay and Patience was admitted. This was a real answer to prayer, as we had been holding up mama and daughter for some time to God.

A few days later Patience had shown enough progress to be discharged from the hospital. During their stay, Mama had learnt from the programme there how to provide the right diet for her child and had seen that her’s was not the only child in that situation. Upon their return home and much to our delight, Mama agreed to put Patience on our Nutrition Programme.

Over a long, complicated and sometimes stressful process we have seen a great change in both mother and daughter. Patience gained nearly half a kilo in two weeks and has now regained her natural hair colour. She plays and runs around where before she was lethargic and uninterested in anything. Mama’s perspective has undergone a similarly dramatic change. Where before she was negative, filled with anger and frustration at her daughter’s sickness, to the point of not wanting to talk to us or even see us. Now she is open, welcoming, always pleased to see us and so grateful for Patience’ growing good health. She eagerly enquires when the next Nutrition Mini-group is being held, tells us about other neighbours who are sick nearby and even advises them to go to hospital.

Praise the Lord for such a dramatic transformation that can see people’s lives change for the better!

We have known Mama Bruno for many years. We first met her when she was living with her children in Kinawataka slum in a small one room house made of mud. Her husband and the father of her children was absent and uncommitted. She had become used to a life of extreme poverty where each day was simply a fight for survival. When I met Mama she was consumed with sadness and hopelessness. She asked for prayer that she might become a better mother and that God would provide food for her children that day. I travelled home with a heavy heart, not even knowing how to start praying for her or believing for change in her family.

Five years later and the transformation is astonishing. Mama is now full of hope and joy which she passes on to anyone who meets her. Tata is committed to his family and is united with his wife. Together they are beginning to dream for their future and they are starting to see these dreams become a reality!

In September of this year Mama and Tata moved together with their children to our Family Centre to start a journey of restoration and transformation through a five-month programme of training in farming and business, teaching on social issues and personal mentoring and counselling. In the few months since they arrived they have been a constant source of encouragement for us and the other families. Mama and Tata have started making decisions together, they are really supporting each other well and Tata is now comfortable showing love to his children or helping Mama in the daily chores. This is an extraordinary transformation as we so rarely see such a united marriage in the slums. Mama’s house in Kinawatuka used to be extremely dirty and cluttered, she didn’t have the energy or motivation to do anything more than the basic necessities each day. Now Mama is up early every morning cleaning her house! She takes pride in her home and has gained the ability to see beyond her difficulties and is able to move forward.

Both Mama and Tata have a newfound passion for seeing growth, change and love in their family and are working hard to see these things become a reality. They have found a place of peace where they have the freedom to really dream! Since arriving at the Family Centre, both have realised that they have a love for farming. They recently told us that their dream for the future is to run their own farm and make a business through selling crops and produce. When they leave the Family Centre they do not want to go back to the slum but instead want to build their own house on a plot of land and begin the ‘farm dream’.

At the centre we are helping them and other families take the first steps through teaching the skills needed to successfully run a farm and giving them the space to deal with the everyday issues that are so all consuming in slum life.

We are so encouraged by this family. They are a model for so many and we are excited for all that God has planned for them in the future!

To help realise the dreams of more families like Mama and Tata Bruno and train more people at The Family Centre, support us in our work today! Donate by clicking below…