Mbuyu Foundation

Hey everyone!

The last few days I have had God powerfully putting on my heart a ministry I worked with and I wanted to reach out and encourage you to get involved. For my last two weeks in Uganda I had the privilege of working with the Mbuyu Foundation (https://www.thembuyufoundation.org/) in the slums of Kampala. This foundation was started and is currently run by Dr. Roberts and Leah Makanda. These are two people with a desire to pursue justice for all people and with huge hearts to see men, women, and children empowered. These two are extremely selfless and generous in everything that they do. They have such a love and passion for this community and trust God to provide in everything, even paying for kids who do not have sponsors yet. During my time helping with Mbuyu, I got to witness firsthand the transformation this foundation is bringing to that community. Through the power of Christ, they are bringing hope, joy, restoration, freedom, empowerment, and just overall growth in the midst of a dark community. They accomplish this not only by running a sponsorship program but also through adult literacy and life skill classes for the parents. 

Each day of my last two weeks in Uganda we would enter the slums. There we would walk across paths made up of layers of trash, passing children who wear the same torn up clothes every day and play games with balls of garbage. We saw houses the size of a small bedroom typically with anywhere from four to ten people living in them, containing just one room to cook, sleep, and live in. 

When you look beyond the garbage covered paths and the smell, you will see some of the most hopeful, joyful, loving, and strong people that I personally have ever met. You can walk into a house and they will welcome you with open arms, and if you take the time to listen, people will pour out their hearts and tell you their stories. Each one, no matter how dark, ended with them remaining hopeful. Many of these people are trusting in God in the darkness and waiting for their miracle. Even in the waiting though they take nothing for granted. In everything, they are grateful.

I was lucky enough to get to be a part of this ministry for two weeks and each of the kids and families I met still hold a piece of my heart. The kids there are so amazing. They are loving, generous, joyful, and just a ton of fun to be around. I got especially close to the teens in our class and those kids are seriously the strongest people I have met. Most of them spend their days taking care of their siblings, cooking, doing laundry, and many more tasks. These kids have to grow up so fast and learn how to practically be a parent by the time they are ten. This foundation gives them the space to get to be kids again and to get to grow themselves. No words will ever truly express the hardship these kids go through or the amount of love I feel for them. They live with nothing, yet pour out everything for others. They face trials daily, yet pursue God relentlessly. They are attacked with continual hardship, yet have hope and joy in knowing who their God is. I have never met such a joyful group of people as I did in that slum.

This is a foundation that is raising up a generation of world changers, of kids who will break the lie that if you are born in a slum you will die in one. This slum is a testimony to God’s love and desire to use the ones the world looks down on to do incredible things for Him. With the demand of a ministry such as this, there is of course a cost. They are in desperate need of more child sponsors for the kids in the slums, they are also looking for funds to buy new equipment for the skill classes, as well as to run their programs. You could be the one to allow these kids to go to school, you could be the one to help one of these woman learn to sew and be able to make a living.

If you got to the end of this, thank you so much for reading and if you have any questions or are interested in sponsoring a kid or getting involved please reach out to me, either through the comments, facebook, Instagram, or email:)

FAQ

How much does it cost to sponsor a child?

The cost of sponsoring a child is split into monthly payments $50 AUD which is roughly $33 USD.

How long does the sponsorship last?

Sponsorships typically last till the child graduates secondary school (high school) this may or may not be when the child turns eighteen depending on circumstances/what age they started school. You may also choose to continue sponsoring them through university up until they are 25.

What is including the monthly payment?

This amount covers school fees, school uniforms, most school requirements, and basic medical care for the child. Each sponsor child also receives mentoring from one of the foundation’s social workers. You can also pay an extra $30 AUD (about $20 USD) a year to have your child receive a birthday and Christmas present.

Will the children also be learning about God?

These kids will not only receive an academic education they will also be given a Bible once sponsored and attend events where they study the bible together, learn scripture verses, hear preaching, mentoring etc etc. 

  

Will I be able to contact the child/will I hear from my sponsored child?

Yes, and yes. Quarterly updates will be sent out which include photos, videos, and a letter from your child. You will also receive a receipt for their schooling and a report card. As for you contacting them, Mbuyu asks you to send a letter to your child three times a year one during each school term. The school terms are between Feb-May, June-Sept, and Oct-Dec.