Praise God...

Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!  We hope that this finds all of you doing well.  Here at Raising Up Hope, we have been experiencing the goodness and blessing of our great God.  I’ve highlighted some of our recent joys and concerns in the update below:
Above all we would like to thank God for our friends Caleb and Sonja who came to visit us before the school term begun, as you know this wonderful couple is standing in the gap of paying the tuition for all children living in the orphanage and it was good seeing them walk them to school the first week. Guys THANK YOU!!

Our taxi operation is now up and running!  The taxi had an issue with the gearbox which cost $800 to fix.  Fortunately, we received this money from a friend in Canada and now the taxi is running well.  This past week it ran well and provided us with some income.  Please pray that the taxi continues to run well so that it continues to be a blessing.

Our chicken operation is also currently underway.  The chicken coup construction is finished and 250 chicks now live there.  A woman from the village who has experience with chickens has offered to help us by guiding us in our care of these chicks.  Pray that 4-6 months from now, the chicks will be healthy enough to produce many eggs. However, the all fee to make these chickens are not all done and chickens are likely to go hungry if we do not get the remaining funds. please if your would like to give toward this project email us raisinguphope@gmail.com

A new school term has just begun, and for the fourth term in a row our children are going to school!  Many thanks to Sonja and Caleb and the sponsors that they have found. We are making sure that the kids have all the supplies they need and are well equipped for school.  In the same vein, the orphanage has also been given 9 solar lights to use for studying and reading.  These lights are completely solar and will save us money on electricity, candles, paraffin. 

Another blessing has been the construction project that CRANE is undertaking for us.  CRANE is a child protection agency that we are partners with.  They are providing child abuse prevention training and they are also currently helping us upgrade two of our rooms.  They have re-cemented the floors and are also painting the rooms. 

One concern we want to share with you is an injury that a boy named Brian received.  We know of him through our street ministry.  His leg was severely broken when he was hit crossing the road by a boda-boda.  He was taken to the hospital and is receiving treatment.  Pray that he heals well and that the boda-boda man is found to help pay the hospital bills.


We are so thankful to God and to a small group who has given us a financial blessing that will provide for us into the month of September.  Their gift will ensure good food supply, will pay off a medical debt we have from illnesses, and will pay our electric bill.  God has provided for this next season of life, and we are trusting that he will provide when we have need again. 

Thank God with us for all he is doing, and pray with us that he will continue to meet the needs of his people!

Patrick and William

Hi everyone again,

Here is the last late update of July and all the next that are coming will  be very for this month.

Safe House

As many of you may know, all kind of abuse that street children pass through wile they are still sleeping on streets allover the world, the cause as to why the children live street is on the bbc news please take a look as the Journalist tells the story of the young child please know that many of the children are in the same situation or having the same story.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-14194185 .

Unfortunately we found out that recently the police rounded up and imprisoned many children living on the streets of Kampala. 150 of these children formed part of Raising Up Hope for Uganda’s (RUHU) outreach project and we knew many personally.

The authorities claim the round up was done to help the children return to their families. However, the effects of detaining children indefinitely in holding centres across the country are disastrous. In addition to ruining the future of those that were taken criminalising these children also hurt those that are still on the streets by driving them further underground. This makes it so much harder to help and care for them.

Kajsa and K who are 2 previous volunteers from 2010 have very generously decided to help Patrick and RUHU by funding the first 12 months rent of a safe house for 70-100 children. The main priority at this stage is to create a safe environment where the children feel safe and are shielded from the daily beatings and harassment of the police so they are able to fully participate in RUHU’S outreach and rehabilitation projects.

K and Kajsa

After three attempts the safe house was finally secured on 5^th July. The building has an office, a living room, two bedrooms (one for the boys and one for the girls to ensure privacy and safety), a toilet and even a shower.

As soon as the deposit was down some of the boys moved in, cared for by the older boys and Patrick. It was a joy visiting the safe house and witnessing the boys cooking, cleaning and helping each other.

Today the house is home to 30 children and the number is still growing.

Nonetheless, many hurdles remain as the running of the house, the provision of food, first aid resources and educational material requires consistent funding.

Now the children have got somewhere, were they can call a home and where they can put a chest to rest whether its day or night they can feel safe that’s why we are calling it SAFE HOUSE!

Happy being home

Buganga Garden

As many of you already know, we’ve got a garden in Buganga. We went there last month and got some maize which we took home and the children ate and enjoyed very much. We were able to get the maize because of the fact that it was the season for maize harvesting our garden produced very well what we had planted in there. This season we had planted Maize and beans basically but there was other as well.

A team of 5 people, William, Clara, Susan, Jonathan and I went to the village to visit the garden and as well as the community it was such a joy to reach our garden with a lot of maize and beans, with this I would like to thank all people Buganga who have worked so hard everyday to see that the garden can produce this food and also as many know month of July was the starvation month at our home (orphanage) the children had to eat the maize fried not has we had planned to grain it to have cone flavor- due to the fact that maize wasn’t dried enough to grain it.

So the garden saved us some days and it was good and we appreciate people who donated to us to have the garden you have done a great work to us.

William holding Maize

Maize

Sharing some beans with the people that work in our farm

After getting our maize and bean we had to get our boda boda to the main road to get our taxi to Mitala Maria, it was such again a blessing to see our sponsored children there and all the widows we work with there again to see what they are making to earn money for their poorest families and living. Here I call anyone who can support these widows please come and help they are making baskets, mats etc, you can email or write to me if you would like one. The baskets are made by Grass and palm leaves are common materials used in mats and baskets. Hand bags and decorative wall hangings are also hand woven. Many of these pieces have intricate designs and patterns showing their fine craftsmanship. Specially dyed fibers are used to brighten up the artwork.

Seeing children there is the most interesting and enjoyable thing there, the children are so gorgeous and beautiful. 

Water problem

When we went there the most thing that we show of there was water, there is no cleaning water out there children and other innocent people are drinking bad water to live! It was awful how the children could describe how they use water in the way the cow uses it!  Please I could to call on some people to help and we build a well there for this  community. Believe me this community have got a painful story of what they go through to find just a drink during dry season. These stories include Children walking 5 Miles to the nearest source, sharing water with animals and spending days without a bathe. We believe God has called us to be his co workers in answering the needs of the poor and the needy of our Generation Isa 41:17-18 When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue is parched with thirst, I the LORD will answer them; I the God of Israel will not forsake them. I will open rivers on the bare heights, and fountains in the midst of the valleys. I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water.
In answering these applications our strategy have been to mobilize those communities to pray and seek God who is the giver of all good things.
We however want to see more action and thats why am writing this email requesting you to become our partner in our village outreach . Help provide clean and safe drinking water for 500 homes with just $1500. Several communities now hold weekly prayer meeting seeking water, you can help answer their prayers By
1. Donating generously and Mobilize others to donate
2. Praying and mobilizing others to pray for these
3. You can host  fundraising event  in your church, communities, groups  or do fundraising on our behalf
Through providing these communities with clean and safe drinking water We are opening their eyes to Jesus Christ who is the source of Living water. Prayerfully consider joining our team and let me know how the lord directs your heart

this is where the community get their water from.

Some community children with and I trying to get water

We also continue to thank our friends who participating in supporting us in anyway you can and we continue to pray for you that may the good LORD reward you and continue to bless.

Thank you very much for reading and will update you soon

Blessing
Patrick
Ps would like to invite you to join my blog as well-

Updates

My poor, poor blog has been so neglected for the past month, maybe over a month:-(  Life has been busy as usual.

We have been super busy for the past month as we have been with our friends Yabo who came to teach the children about the environmental conservation in conjection with that we had a very big event at Uwec, this event its aim was to teach the children and all people of Uganda how they can conserve their environment by not cutting down trees, not killing animals etc further more it was advertized on TVs and Newspapers as well. the scientist are saying if Uganda dont stop deforestation in 15 years to come Uganda will be desert!:(. I would like to thank all the people who were involved and who came to this event most especially Yabo team, our children from community, orphanage and street children for the greatest message and performance you gave to the people on the big show.
 People i will be posting a video soon for this show.
 but i would like to give a hit of how the song goes...

Uganda is the pearl of Africa,
We need to stand up high and protect all natural land to make it better and better we need to rise up and co-operate with our leaders in order not to destroy the goodness of the world.... and so more will come in video.
 those are the things that had kept me busy these days.

Hi Everyone,
Thank you so much to all RUHU supporters, your financial contribution , encouragement and prayers has done amazing things here in Uganda. we have come long way in such time we have accomplished so many things.
we have truly been able do in incredible things thanks to all of TRUAC and others you who are generously offering your money, time and wisdom.
the little that you have all given has created many smiling faces. We pray that God contributes to enable us and you to keep changing lives of vulnerable children, orphans and street children in slums and Kampala at large.
thank you and May God bless you all.

First i would like to thank War for the stove as the children are now safe and cooking goes very well for the mom of the house in her own words " I thank War staff you people  are amazing and we appreciate everything you have done to help our home with a new saving stove that has been such a blessing for our home ad may God bless you. thank you very much".

 Death of the street child.

Everyone please meet Fred who dead this at the end of  June due to the heavy rain. it is said that this child was sleeping near a stream in the slum of kisenyi but the water speed had force so he was swept away the water to the big stream. thus he dead!
Fred he was such a loving and caring child I cant for get such a beautiful smile he had when i could go to slum i could his smile and of course others, here i thank everyone who has enable me to make my trips to slums to reach out to these children  about all Fred had took Jesus Christ as his personal savior so I know he is with our Father in Heaven and he is living happier life. Here i would like to thank the youth of New Kil Patrick  church who contribute sometimes, what they have towards street project to buy food for the children in slums.

Fred and May His Soul Rest in eternal Peace

Our children had a tour with their school
Our children also this month had a educational trip with their schools not only education but also the kids enjoyed the trip plus they got to see some of the things that they have never seen before in the lives and surely everyone learned loads and loads according to what they say.
some of the place their got to visit are;

wonder world
agricultural show
Bujagali fall
kakira sugar works
vita form- they make mattresses
Nytil textile company- they make clothes

Walking through textile company

Carlos with some of his classmates

Teddy and Hassifah

Therefore, RUHU would like thank everyone who sponsored this trip for our children YOU ARE THE BEST! you have delight and put smile on these children's faces :)

With much gratitude.

More updates to come soon.


 

RUHU Children first day ministering...!!!

Dear folk,

I apologize for taking sometime without updating you, However, things hasn't  been really good over.
The organization has been in praying and fasting for the issues considering feeding the children, people to be on the board of NGO for RUHU, and some many others. this has been also interesting part as we have been trying to  make way forward for the organization as we are raising these generation.

The new board was formed

To all of your friend we would like you to meet the new members that were elected to give advise, make  some decisions at RUHU etc. We are on our way to THINK BIG and to see the organization growing and to see many children are rescued from being AT RISK to have HOPE!. please not that every child deserves a opportunity to dream Raising Up Hope for Uganda to reach to this we are seeking for support to help and light up the future generation with comprehension integrity. soon i will be telling you their titles.

from Left Patrick, Fred, Anet, Allen, William (we are also missing 2 other people Edward and Godfrey )

Our children their first day of ministering to another church
Whoever, have been supporting and praying for RUHU and Children as large has to be proud! due to our children have become. last Sunday our children were invited to Divine evangelist Church in kyanja In kampala, they supported us with transport and food.. Praise God :).

I have also captured the video for you to see but i didnt ge time to edit it hope you enjoy it.
to view that video please click on the link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pliO0XK_M6M



Among that our children also got an opportunity to visit some of the place that they have been hearing and to some thought that only rich people are the only ones allowed there. we disapproved this by making a tour in kampala and visit the following places
2 big mall thats Nakkumatt and garden city
National theater
and lastly was parliament please see the pictures below.

In Nakumat

Enjoying lift

Parliament of the Republic of Uganda

  We thank everyone who is tremendously supporting and praying for us because if it wasnt you we wouldn't be around but through Gods grace and your  generous support and prayers we can see were we are going

Patrick

school started

As many people say that education is the" BIRTH-RIGHT", this is true I never realized it in the eyes of the children till till 05/16/2011, it was Monday morning when our children wake up and thought its time for school, but their funds for school came little late we had announce before back in the week that the tuition will be late but sunday due to other things that we do we never confirmed whether the funds came or not! so Monday morning when they have put on their uniform we announced that there is no school today has your money hasnt come yet!!!... Just imagine how you could feel!. every each of our children was sad and to speak the fact that this is was the worst day for both children and administration, as the adult, father and brothers to them we encouraged and give a word of hope that soon funds are coming for you to go to school, but they couldnt believe it as this has ever happened them and they never went to school... though this happened sometime back but many were still remember what happened and we heard someone gossip to another that we are not going to school this term as it was last time!!! wow.. this was hard to hear and we had quite big time trying to explain to them but thank God they all learned and waited.
  On 05/21/2011, this was Saturday i went to bank to see whether the funds are already on the account, thank God i found the money on the account I went back home to take the GOOD NEWS!!! that we have got the school fees. Children, everyone was happy, rejoicing and some tears for joy were seen. and I would like to announce that all of our children are in school and they have started last Monday 05/23/2011.
  We would like to thank our friends Caleb and Sonja who came to volunteer with us last year and who came to realize who bad our children who they would like to go to school but they had no funds to go and sometimes they wasnt attending the school due to lack of school fees. Ever since both of them came to volunteer with us, they heart have never been the same and they have been fight tooth and nail to see that these children remain in school both being students they couldn't handle it seeing children without education. they they went out in their communities, schools, church and advocates for school fees of these children thank you very  much.
Most especially when both visited our outreach on the street of Kampala this changed them a lot and it was great experience of what the children pass through all the abuse and trauma in their lives. please the world you can meet the people.

Caleb and Sonja

 Please again allow me to appreciate some of their people who are sponsoring individually child under our program you are ROCK! to each child life and I can't explain how this child is blessed to have you as his/her sponsor.
And we thank everyone who support us in one way or another and i want to assure you that all your support 100% goes to these vulnerable children.
below are the pictures of the children going to school

Giving out the books to the students

They have got they books and all requirements

Well dressed in their school Uniform

cant handle all was given to her ready to put it in her school bag

HOLIDAY HAS ENDED AT RUHU CHILDREN'S HOME

First and foremost, I would like to take this great opportunity to thank everyone how participated in all programs to make children stay entertained and hard working children and feeding the children this holiday we had a lot of children(orphans) than ever before. To some of you, you may know how expensive are the things are now in our country (Uganda) but I want to thank God that he has been creating away to provide for His children as he says in ( Matthew 25 ) on addition to that I would like to appreciate each and everyone that has fought to see that these children cant go without food although there are some days but it wasn't that much Glory be to God!!.
 Our children has and all volunteers have been working in different projects such as sewing, sports, art etc.

• Sewing Machine: 

         The aim of getting these sewing machine was purposely for the widows project that we have in one of our programs and many widows have gained a lot in this program but this holiday we wanted our children to be part of this as much as they can for the purpose that children can get inform education. with a lot of joy our children were happy to do so and the lady that was teaching them said that she was so proud of them and their hard working with the spirit of joy that they have!

 Sports

Most especially boys have been participating in sports getting different teams from different areas of Bulenga, plus they have been practicing a lot on their talents of soccer, it has been amazing seeing how these children are gifted with playing soccer.

 Hand Made crafts.

Our children have been also working hard on the project that was introduced to them by Nicky who was a volunteer here in January to make flowers out of fabric, hand made bags, so this holiday girls have been working so hard on this project and they have made a lot more of the bags and flowers. please see the pics below.

Farming:
Our first generating come of farming we have one pig so far and she is called "Eva" is growing so fast this brings me to thank our lovely volunteers (Tina, Martin and their family), as well we would like to thank the precious children for feeding and loving Eva so much most especially Francis. with this i would love to appreciate YEBO who have took part in teaching our on how they should look for animal and conserve the environment.

 

So that has been our holiday here and children enjoyed their time here. And now they have started schooling soon i will update you on how they got smart in their uniforms for this term.

Patrick on behalf.

Psalms 126:5-6
⁵ Those who sow with tears
   will reap with songs of joy.
⁶ Those who go out weeping,
   carrying seed to sow,
will return with songs of joy,
   carrying sheaves with them.

NEW SAVING STOVE

As you may know,Cooking here is (has) been usually done in a kitchen separate from the main dwelling, on a simple wood fire on the ground, which is surrounded by three large stones to support the pot and contain the flames. A lot of the heat from the fire is wasted, so this is an inefficient use of precious fuel, and the cooking room is full of smoke. Working in these conditions over many years means that children and the mother at the children's home suffer from eye inflammation and infections and respiratory conditions. 

This condition was really hard for both children and the people that try to raise these children, here we come to thank our from from WAR for the precious gift they have donated to construct new stove at Bulenga Children's Home. besides all those problem also this stove will save a lot on the expenditure of the the fire wood because the new energy saving stove will be saving all the heat inside.
However, the construction is still going on as you can see below.

The Builder is very busy working on the stove 

the children are also looking trying to learn how they build this (Maybe someday one might build this because it makes lot of money!)

The new Stove almost at the end special thanks to everyone participated to contribute toward this project.