Patrick Edward Musisi
A five-man team of American Good Samaritans recently concluded a two-week round of extending humanitarian assistance to Uganda’s needy and vulnerable communities in Mukono district.
The team based in Iowa State, visited Uganda at the invitation of their Ugandan counterparts, Golden Heart Foundation, whose mission is to touch souls through what they called winning spirits for Christ through sharing God’s love.
During this period, a total of 750 bags of maize flour, 480 school uniforms and 15,000 mathematical sets were delivered to various schools, single mother homes and individuals.
The Golden Heart Foundation is a local community-based organization charged with empowering the needy and vulnerable to help themselves become better citizens through education, mentorship to create employment opportunities, raise their talents and support them set up income generating activities.
In an interview on Tuesday at Mukono, the Executive Director for Golden Hearts Foundation Margaret Nakavubu said she initiated the partnership after realizing that there are many families living below the poverty line with nobody taking steps to extend a helping hand.
Throughout the 602 villages in the district, there are children who do not attend school for lack of essentials like uniforms and scholastic materials, while some especially from widow-headed families cannot afford two meals a day, she said.
“For two years during the 2016 pre-election campaigns, I I used to donate to some of these people but I later realized that my assistance was a drop in the ocean so I lobbied for bigger assistance and God brought to me these American friends who have been very handy in the mission”, Nakavubu said.
Giving an assessment of the undertaking, she said it was a great success as many lives were touched and changed, and expressed hope that with the helpers still willing to assist, a family or so in each of the 602 villages will be reached with time.
She noted that many people down in villages are talented but are lacking support to awaken their talents to become positive contributors to development.
The American team headed by Nuper Nunnikhoven included Bryce Engbers, Katie Peterson, Bob Hiltrop zand Lisa Brandhof.
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