The Plight of Children with Albinism

Albinism: a congenital disorder characterized by the complete or partial absence of pigment in the skin, hair and eyes.... (see Wikipedia article on Albinism).

Without going into great detail about albinism (you can learn more by clicking on the link above), I think it is important for you to know that of the thousands of children affected by this condition in Uganda, almost all of them struggle to survive and thrive, facing significant, even life-threatening discrimination at times.  Aside from serious medical issues, albino body parts can sell in nearby Tanzania for thousands of dollars (a "complete set" can sell for $75,000!).  One women in our project had to flee with her albino children to another city because her husband had hatched a plan to sell the children to a witchdoctor in Kenya for the purpose of harvesting their body parts.  It's hard to imagine, isn't it?  But these things can and do happen to these children.

Though ECM includes children with albinism in many of our projects, we have started a project in the eastern part of Uganda (Tororo) that works almost exclusively with these especially vulnerable children.  A local school has invited us to use some of their classroom space each Saturday, a generous gift considering many Ugandans still consider albinism a curse, and many fathers will leave their wife and children because of it.  (Ironically, albinism is hereditary, so dad might just have something to do with it!)  The community is shocked that anyone is doing anything for these kids, and the albino families can't quite believe that someone has actually come to provide assistance for them.

But we can't do it alone!  Won't you consider joining with us to sponsor at least one child with albinism?  The family will be so grateful!  I spoke with all the kids in this project yesterday, and was so impressed as they sang and danced and showed off their artwork.  The oldest, John, explained that he wants to be a doctor and an artist.  And why not?  He already has Christ, who gives him strength.  Now all he needs is a little help from his friends!

Click here to read more about albinism and what ECM is doing to help those affected by the condition.
Click here to be a friend to one of our children with albinism (or any needy child)! It's a step you won't ever regret!

We pray for more fathers like this one, who continues to love and care for his child with albinism.

John wants to be a doctor and an artist!  He's off to a good start!

The children in our Tororo project holding their artwork.  People are affected to varying degrees by albinism, which is why some of the children have darker skin.

Teaching Teachers

St. Paul Primary School students gather to welcome the ECM Team to their school.

In all my years of teaching, I have never run across a group of students more eager to learn than the teachers of St. Paul Primary School in Naigobya, Uganda. My experience proved true once again as a group of teachers from the US shared new methods and resources with the teachers in this Christian school far from what we would label "civilization."  They eagerly soaked up every word and every new idea during Monday's seminar.  Throughout the rest of this week and into next week, the team of US teachers will work alongside their Ugandan counterparts, demonstrating, mentoring, and building lifetime relationships.

ECM is always looking for teachers who want to share their experience and knowledge with those who have not had the same opportunities in education.  Let us know if you would like to be part of a future short-term team, or if you would even consider long term service in an educational setting in Africa.  We'd love to have you on our team!

Here are some photos that will show you what the team has been up to!

Students listen intently as the US team is introduced

US Teacher Natalie demonstrates a method for teaching math

US Teacher Sarah explains a science concept

US Teacher and team leader Lyla shares with the group

US Teacher Theresa explains phonics principles

Theresa's husband David installed a solar panel and light so that Headmaster Michael
could have a light in his office

While the teachers were in training, someone had to look after the kids!!  ECM Missionary and Afayo team leader Bruce Coker took care of that, along with new Afayo team members Shelley and Matt Actis (below).  

Christmas in June: The Container Arrives!

In mid-March a group of ECM volunteers worked long hours to pack a 40 foot container with boxes and furniture, destined for Uganda and ECM's many projects there.  I took some pictures and video as the container left ECM's driveway, and quite honestly, hoped I would never see that container again!  Little did I know that I would be taking more pictures as the container was unloaded Thursday evening near ECM's office outside of Kampala!

Yes, after nearly three months of uncertainty, and many long days for ECM worker Sophie Akella, the container we so carefully packed in our parking lot was quickly unloaded in the dark using car headlights by a group of teens from the Kamwokya Project.  Many items were distributed to Afayo team members Bruce Coker and Simon Mugulusi for the long trip to Naigobya, while other items made the short trip to the ECM office, where they were somewhat haphazardly tossed in piles, partly a result of the lateness of the day, and partly of the teenagers doing the work!  At the office, the boxes will soon be sorted for the various ECM projects in Kampala and around the country.

The bottom line is, despite all the uncertainty, the container has arrived and been unloaded!  Praise the Lord!  There are many wonderful items donated by so many of you that have finally reached (or nearly reached) their destination.  But there is one thing that I am pretty certain of this time: I don't think I will ever see that container again! And that's OK with me!

ECM missionary Bruce Coker directs traffic as the container is
unloaded Thursday evening in Kampala

Yes, there were a lot of boxes in that container!

A small sample of the boxes piled up in the ECM office.

Lives Restored

The sleepy town of Gulu, Uganda lies some 200 miles to the north of the capital city of Kampala, just 90 minutes from the South Sudanese border.  Located in Acholiland, the city and the surrounding area were devastated by war for almost 20 years.  After President Yoweri Museveni forcefully took over the country in 1986 from Tito Okello, who was Acholi, sentiment rose against Museveni in Acholiland.  The movement, familiar to most of us as the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), eventually turned on its own people in order to "purify" the Acholi and turn Uganda into a theocracy.  Atrocities such as rape, murder, and kidnapping of children for the army followed, until 2006, when Kony and the LRA were finally driven out of Uganda. (see Joseph Kony, Wikepedia).

Peace in Acholiland has brought the opportunity for restoration and new beginnings.  ECM's work is located in an area called Tegot Atoo, which was a displacement camp during the war.  The name comes from the two nearby adjoining hills ("Tegot"), and the fact that so many lives were lost in the area during the war (Atoo, roughly translated, means "place of death.").  Many of the children we work with still have memories of the war, and some lost their parents.  Those parents and caregivers still living have few if any memories before 2006 that did not include death and devastation.  Yet these very children gave many testimonies during my visit of God's goodness, and expressed thankfulness for ECM and our work in the area.  In the Tegot project, ECM helps the children attend school, provides uniforms, and works closely with the families to ensure that the children are well provided for.  By helping these children become successful in school we give them hope for today and tomorrow.  By sharing the love of Jesus with them, we give them hope for eternity.  I think that about covers it, don't you?

To read more about ECM's work in Gulu, click here.

Primary school children in ECM's Tegot Atoo project in northern Uganda. There are more than 70 children in this project, making it ECM's biggest project in Uganda.

ECM's secondary school students and Gulu staff.  As the oldest children in the project, these children still have significant memories of the war.  They are doing well in school and for the first time have a reason to be optimistic about the future!

Finding our Way Home

Entrance to The Way Home Discipleship Center in Nasuti, Uganda.

Today was a homecoming of sorts.  Not in the typical fashion of returning to my boyhood home, or a place where I had spent much of my life.  This "homecoming" involved going to a place where I had never been before, the site of ECM's widow and orphan project, "The Way Home."  To be honest, I had seen and been involved with the work of the Way Home for several years, but now the project has grown and is developing its own Discipleship and Pastoral Training Center to supplement the help already being given to widows and orphans (new homes, discipleship, and Farming God's Way training and implementation).  The new center will house pastors who come for Bible and Pastoral training, a great need in a community where most pastors have little or no training.  Pastors are already lining up to receive this valuable training, which we hope to start in August.  Please pray for ECM missionaries Russ and Marcia Baugh and the entire Way Home team as they follow God's lead in this exciting venture.  Click here to learn more about The Way Home.

Missionary Russ Baugh leads a front porch
Bible study for The Way Home staff.

On an entirely different topic, I had the opportunity to catch up today with an old friend, Immanuel.  Immanuel worked for us 15 years ago when we lived in Kampala, and turned from Islam to Christ in part through our relationship with him.  During that time he had a son, whom he named Mark.  I had the opportunity to "meet" Mark for the first time since he was a toddler, at his boarding school in Kampala. It was exciting to see them again!

Left to right: Mark, Mark, and Immanuel

Why we do what we do...

There's a funny story of a family that always cut off the ends of the pork roast before placing it in the pan for cooking. One day a visitor asked why they did that, and the truth was, no one really knew.  Mom didn't know, and grandma didn't know. They had just always done it that way.  Finally someone asked great-grandma if she knew why she always cut off the ends of the roast.  "Sure," she said.  "My roasting pan was too small."  Sometimes it pays to ask questions.

As I begin my travels in Uganda, I must ask the question, "Why do we do what we do?"  "We've always done it that way," can simply not be our final answer. Today, barely out of my cramped Boeing 747 mini-seat, I visited four of ECM's nine projects in Uganda, to begin finding out why we exist here.  I found my answer while visiting the Kamwokya project in Kampala.

Maria is in her 20's now, and has been a sponsored child in ECM for many years. She spoke with passion and tears about how ECM gave her hope when she had no reason to be hopeful.  She spoke with a heartfelt gratitude not only for her sponsor but also for ECM and the love shown to her over the years.  Patrick followed with a poem he had written, expressing his deepest thoughts about his troubled past and the hope he has now for the future because of the love of God and ECM's staff.  Steven shared from his heart a testimony of a hope that strengthens him from day to day.  And the entire group sang a song written by an ECM project volunteer, grinning as they sung the chorus "Every Child Ministries, Uganda, bringing hope and a smile to African children."

At ECM we are not primarily in the business of filling stomachs, providing clothes, and making sure kids get an education.  We are primarily in the business of bringing hope.  Some hope is for today, and comes from a good meal, a new shirt, and good grades in school.  It is a good and absolutely necessary hope.  But a better hope is for eternity, the kind that pushes us through all that we endure, no matter how painful, because we know that someday we will see Jesus face to face, and walk with him on the streets of heaven.  That is the hope I saw in the eyes of the children today, and that is the hope that we want every child to have!

The children and staff of the Kamwokya Project

The children and staff of the Kyengera Project

The children of the Gayaza Project

The children of the Karamoja Project