My name is Penina Nanozi, and I am 18 years old. I am in my second year (S2) at God Cares High School. I am very privileged to be in school because most of my friends in my village at home are school dropouts and others are not in school because their parents cannot afford their education. In my family, we are eight children, and I am the fourth born. I have a dad who is a drunkard, having many wives, but he does not care about his children.
My mother used to do everything to ensure that my siblings and I got all the basic needs that a child needs for living, and she saw to it that we were back to school each year. Unfortunately, she passed away on the 18th of July this year. What made me sadder was that my dad did not appear at the ceremony on the day of the burial. We soon discovered he had brought another woman, my stepmother, into the house. We knew we would all have had to get used to it because we were just children; he was our father, but more was about to happen. After the burial, we returned home, but our father didn’t want us to stay at his house anymore. He threw my siblings and me out of his house, discouraging us not to go back to school and saying that we should go marry or find work to do instead. We had nowhere to stay until my elder brother called my maternal uncle, who came to our rescue. My siblings and I had to move to our uncle’s place. After my mother passed away, I lost hope. I thought I would not be going to school anymore, despite being a Buyamba-sponsored child. I felt that since my hope, “my mother,” was no more, no one would care what and who I would become. But I thank God that despite all that was going on and being thrown out of our father’s house, Buyamba social workers kept checking on us until they ensured that we were back to school. My sister Racheal and I returned and finished the second term of school and completed our end-of-term exams. With the right people (the Buyamba family) by our side, I am confident and sure that my future is bright!
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My name is Racheal Namuddu. I am the firstborn of five children. I joined God Cares Schools in 2009. My story started when my parents constantly failed to meet all my school needs and requirements, so they decided to seek help for my education. At that time, Buyamba was running two good schools, God Cares Nursery and Primary School, and God Cares High School. The school focused mainly on children from poor family backgrounds and orphaned children who needed help to get an education. My mother was, and still is, a canteen (cafeteria) worker at God Cares Primary school. She reached out to the Buyamba offices and asked if they could offer me help and take me in so that I could have a brighter future.
I was once a hopeless child, but that is no longer my name. I am now a college graduate as of this May of 2022. I am currently serving as a teacher after following the advice given me by our social worker in Buyamba. As she had advised, I am a happy teacher during the school week and a Sunday school teacher at my church (Kabalagala Pentecostal Church). I am grateful to my parents, who constantly remind me to be thankful and serve diligently in every position the Lord entrusted me. There is no better way of expressing my gratitude to Buyamba Staff and our sponsors than to "THANK YOU, BUYAMBA, FOR BEING KIND TO US"
As most of you know, some classes at God Cares, Primary and Secondary Schools are back on campus. These are the specific classes that are there to study for the National Exams. This makes up about 300 kids in total. Many universities and trade schools have also started back up at different capacities (some being online). No matter the age, the students are grateful to be back to school and away from an exceedingly difficult season at home. One student recently wrote to his sponsor upon return to GCS. His story echoes the story of many of our students and reflects the heart of gratitude for our sponsors.
Universities and trade schools have also started up this October with some studies in person and others virtual, depending on the school. One student going back to school, virtually, is Derrick. Read his story...
Many of our students, like Derrick, are in need of laptops to assist with their virtual learning. A gift of $400 would grant us the ability to purchase a laptop. We can then empower a university student to continue their studies. However, a gift of any amount will help us in our efforts to equip these students!
On Thursday, March 19, 2020, during our school chapel, the Headmaster announced that all students were to go home the following day, per the President's directives, following the Covid-19 outbreak. It was a surprise to all students, even though we were aware of the virus's existence. It was extreme excitement to most students, but to me, it was the opposite because I knew what home was…a flooding house!
My mum and two other siblings and I resorted to moving house to house, washing people's clothes, and doing other house chores to enable us to have something to eat and meet a few of our basic needs. The search for us got harder and harder since shortly after, a total lock down was announced. Life was difficult, and the days seemed to be appearing darker and darker. Fortunately, when the lock down was lifted a bit, Buyamba reached out to us with food and supplies. To us, this was like heavenly manna! The joy we felt cannot be expressed in words. The time came when the water levels in the house were too high, we could not live in the house anymore, and we had to leave. We thank God that someone offered us a little shelter to stay in for a week. We reached out to Aunt Worship (Buyamba), and she helped us; she found us a place to stay with no floods, which is where we are currently living.
Despite all the hardships and trying dark times in this COVID 19 outbreak, Buyamba has been reaching out to us, checking on us, and providing us with food. All this has enabled us to hold on to the hope that "God indeed cares for us!" We are so thankful to our sponsors for all the love, care, and support towards us during these challenging and dark Covid-19 times. Thank you for believing in a great and brighter future for us. May God bless you all! |
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