Rukiga: Ickenham Link Newsletter

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Welcome to the latest installment of the CLICKRukiga Newsletter. In this month's issue we have news from our wonderful friends from: 

St James Church, Buhangizi

Kamwezi Parent’s School

Kabale Women In Development

As you read, please think of / pray for our Ugandan friends, as they pray for us!

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 DIOCESE OF KIGEZI GOLDEN JUBILEE CELEBRATIONS 

We celebrated golden jubilee 17th – 20th August. The occasion took place at Rugarama Hill of Kabale district. A number of activities were done that included Music, Dance and Drama, food security and Health competitions. A number of visitors and delegates attended the occasion from several parts of the world. Mostly, the word of God was preached basing on the theme Deut. 11:16 “do not let your selves be led away from the LORD to worship and serve other gods” 

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 END OF SCHOOL SECOND TERM 

School second term for the year 2017 ended on 25th August 2017 as we had our school report forms. Third term will begin on 18th September 2017. Our Remedial teachers and Director whom we meet every Wednesdays and Saturday at the centre advise us to put much effort in education “Education is the Key to success”. Long live our sponsors. 

Written by; Musasizi Owen 

 

PLANTING SEASON 

After a long dry period that left all vegetation dry all over our area of Rukiga and other parts of the country, we of recent received some rains and we are hopeful that we are going to receive plenty of it. Everybody with a piece of land is of now days busy digging and preparing the land to get ready for sowing seeds. Major crops grown this season are beans, maize, ground nuts and millet. Millet growers tend to do the sowing first and around this time almost all those with plans to grow it have already sown the seeds. It has been challenging for those doing animal husbandry with scarcity of pastures and water but fortunately they have put a smile these days with plenty of such. 

 

Written by: Hillary Turyakira 

  

 APPRECIATION 

To CLICKRukiga, one fails to get words which can explain the heartfelt expression of how I pray to God to bless every sponsor richly for some of us have reached the stage of needing your support the more. 

Most of us are in school because you are and our hope is that since you are therefore we are. While every child have his/her ambition, I myself would like to become a doctor and my hope is that this is possible with God’s will and help through CLICKRukiga. I think and pray; through this career , I could give back to God buy serving his people who would be in need for their lives; Mostly needy people who may not have money to pay for their medical jurisprudence, For through this gift, I think my speech and my service would be executed for God’s glorification for everything would be done for the service of others and for God’s Glory 1 Peter 4 ;10,11 is my favorable verse I pray that I become obedient to the royal laws of Christ LOVE your God and Love your neighbor. How I long to be a steward of Christ in my daily work out of that law in my life now and future. 

As a daughter of CLICKRukiga I want to live witnessing, praying and worshiping with others as I practice hospitality where God wills for me whatever little. My goal in studying is that as CLICKRukiga has done for me, my future becomes a giving time effort and money and perhaps other things like food to those who would need my help. 

 

Written by: Atukunda Patience- Senior three. 

 

RUKIGA DISTRICT 

We of recent got offered a new district in the names of Rukiga District with its offices located in Mparo Sub County of Rukiga. New developments have been going on such as appointing the new district leaders, voting representatives of the district to parliament such as the Woman member of parliament, Local council Chairman for the district commonly termed as (LC5) among others. Here, aspiring candidates come representing political parties such as the ruling party National Resistance Movement (NRM), Forum Democratic Party (FDC) which is the strongest opposition party in our country, Uganda People’s congress, Democratic Party among others including Independent candidates who stand on their own. 

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Written by: sponsored child Amos Tayebwa 

 

THE CHURCH: GODS ORDINANCE FOR HIS WONDERS 

Some people keep questioning how God could have sent His only son to die on the cross; while many people may not have answers to such questions. Perhaps they should first know that a creature cannot understand what the creator did, what He does and what He will do. How can clay ask a molder do what he wants to mould? Likewise while I was still in my young age about ten years old; I could see myself seated besides my mother with my two young sisters who seemed my age. My mother was always murmuring to herself, and for us the three helpless sisters lived in fear and traumatized. Luckily enough our mother lived a life of prayer. Sometimes she could pray quietly and we could only gaze at her mouth moving with no sound but at other times she could pray with audible voice and we could say the doxology together “AMEN”.

However a question remained in my heart; can a good God surely allow death to deprive us of our father. My hope was that since my mother talked to God, may be our father was going to come back. I knew about him very little mainly his love for me but my little sisters did not know anything about him. After sometime I came to understand that my father will never come back but that his time on earth was accomplished. Through our mothers prayers, guidance and comfort (because she is a born again) we discovered the answer to my question that God is wonderful. So wonderful that he has a plan for everything. As for human beings; he has plans for the widows and orphans, plans for disabled and the able. He makes one to be deaf and dumb and to others gives speech. All these He does because He has plans for them because He is a wonderful God, therefore, planned for our salvation by giving us His only son. Through his experience I came to know that God acts according to His plan for good; and that the Church became His means to make His plans known. 

 

Every believer should put his/her trust in him. Having put my trust in Him, I have started to recognize him doing wonders to me through His Church. When I think of CLICKRukiga; Then how the Link was started, the person through whom the vision was manifested, the people who first pronounced it. The Church councils at St. Giles and their counterpart St. James Buhangizi, then the visits, the selection of needy children, the plan for Family Emergency problems. God has a plan. Through His plan I can write this article in St. James news letter, where would a desperate orphan get opportunity to write an article telling my experience so far. Really God is wonderful. During my primary education though still desperate God helped me to perform very well in academics and besides that, I was active in Music Dance and Drama; because God had given me that talent. When I joined secondary school, two things happened, first, the school helped me to develop my talent of music, second, in 2016 last year God gave me a sponsor and I was enrolled among CLICKRukiga sponsored children. This gave me confidence to excel both academically and in co curricular activities.

Therefore last year I took part in competitions; and was through to national competitions. There I gave a speech and defeated my competitors. Even this year, God has helped me in “A” level; we had competitions at different levels starting at District then at National level and I passed through to East African community where I competed with those of five countries which make East African Community. The competitions were staged in Kenya and my performance was appreciated. This has given me chance to interact with many people and became exposed to different environments but also helping me to trust God the more. This combination of skills, Academic and trust in God has given me an ambition to become a Lawyer in future; remembering what Jesus is doing for us in heaven. With such career I think I can give counsel where necessary and speak for the voiceless where need be. But all depends on the will of God who loves me and empathy of CLICKRukiga. Let everyone who sponsors CLICKRukiga/ STJAMES BUHANGIZI be assured that God who started His work in you will fulfill it. 

May God bless all of us abundantly Long live St. Giles Church, Long live Reformed United Church, Long live our sponsors, Long live our link. 

 

Written by: Ainembabazi Gift Catherin (17 Years Senior 5 ‘A’ level )

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November 2014

St James Church, Buhangizi, news from Hillary Turyakira

St James Buhangizi, Church of Uganda is in Kabale. It is one of the 15 Archdeaconries that make up Kigezi Diocese. In 2012 Rev Canon Esau Turyakira was brought to minister it for the second time. St James herself has a population of about 1697. However the average attendance for every Sunday is about 400 adults while the average for the children’s church is about 100. We conduct only one service on Sunday which start at 10:00 am and finish at 12:00noon.

We also have an average of about 50 people who come and spend the whole day fasting every Wednesday. We also have an average of about 60 people who come for overnight prayers every Friday. Sometimes people come to be prayed for, and many are delivered from evil spirits. We have introduced ALPHA course in St James and participants meet every Friday at 4:00pm to 5:00pm, sometimes they meet in homes.

We have also started Church Community Mobilization Process (CCMP) aiming at holistic development. We hope it will help us to always meet, discuss, implement and evaluate our strengths, weakness, opportunities and threats. CCMP has helped us to study the bible together and has increased the appetite for the word of God; in it we also discuss things in our community that can be utilized to develop us physically, politically, economically and socially.

We also have brethren fellowships which are held every Tuesdays and Thursdays at 4:00 PM to 5PM. These fellowships are for the Born Again Christians. Christians come to confess and rededicate their lives to Christ, they also put things right with their friends which they call “putting things into light with brethren.” Here the attendance is about 100 average, we pray for each other, and also for those absent because of sickness e.t.c.

Patience Atukunda, a 12 year old in primary seven student and her sister Esther Ayebare a Click Rikuga sponsored child, have written the following poem together: 

'I was happy to attend the service at St James Buhangizi C.O.U when visitors from Ickenham visited us last February. I kept watching and hearing; I found out that God made:

Some people white and others black.

Some tall others short

Some wise others dull

I thought some were educated others not

Some were rich and others poor

Some like me are orphans others have parents

But what surprised me is when I saw the visitors and other people in congregation were all happy, all were lovely and were laughing happily the same.

All were singing to the lord

All were listening to the gospel

All humbled themselves to pray

And I thought that may be all will be in heaven together some day; if all have the fruits of the spirit God wrote to us through St Paul in Galatians 5:22-23.’ 

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Esther and Patience

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 Kamwezi Parents Secondary School Newsletter

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APPRECIATION

Peter Byaruhanga, Director

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On my behalf and on behalf of Kamwezi parents sec school community I want to convey my sincere appreciation to CLICKRukiga, Vyners School and the entire community of Ickenham for the support you have given to the school. The support does not only end in Kamwezi parents school, it goes beyond the entire community of Kamwezi and Rukiga as well. This is because the students we teach are from the entire community. I can only say ”Mwebare munonga kandi Mukama abarinde" - Thank you so much and may God protect you.    

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LOCATION OF KAMWEZI

Kamwezi is located in south west Uganda – Kabale district – Rukiga county. Its on Uganda-Ruanda border. It had a population of about 23,193 people in 2002. Kamwezi has 16 primary schools and 4 secondary schools. Most people stay in semi permanent houses made of tree poles and mud and the wall and floor smeared with cow dung mixed with soil.

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Tumwekwase Barnabus, Form 5. From a family of 8 members.

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HOMES AND FAMILIES

Most of our families are big ranging between 5-20 and above members. Most of our parents never went to school because of its of recenr yeasr that people have started embracing education especially in rural areas.

 

Ahereza Simpson, Form 5

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CROPS GROWN IN KAMWEZI

Some of the crops grown include; beans, matooke, maize, cassava, sweet potatoes, millet, peas, pineapples, pumpkins, sorghum, irish potatoes carrots etc all these are grown on a subsistence basis.

 

Tumusimire Jescah, Form 1

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RELIGIOUS ASPECT

The main church for the school is St James Church where we go for Sunday services. We also have morning prayers every Monday in the Schol Main hall before classes from 8.00am – 9.ooam. The school has students from different Churches like Anglican, Pentecostal amd Moslaems. At school we are all united in the same prayers.

 

Levi Form 5, aged 20, from a family of 18.

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SCHOOL CHALLENGES

DEVELOPMENT PLAN

Water got from a long distance

Construction of a science laboratory

High drop outs

Construction of a literacy centre

Inadequate scholastic materials

Construction of water tanks

Small science lab

Construction of Girls dormitory

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KABALE WOMEN IN DEVELOPMENT (KWID)

Many of you responded to an appeal we made for gifts to take on our trip in February. Amongst the items we gave KWID were solar powered lamps, dynamo powered torches and ponchos.  The team from KWID have reported back as follows. 

“The gifts were very instrumental in propelling our activities because the Executive Committee decided to use them to reward extra performers and exceptional OVC care-givers. This has heated the bellies of the members and for sure KWID activities are now implemented with zest. Thank you very much. Reading glasses were distributed to the members who had sight issues and one of them thanked God and vowed to read the Bible first as an appreciation to God for the awesome friends from Click Rukiga.”  

“The gifts were very instrumental in propelling our activities because the Executive Committee decided to use them to reward extra performers and exceptional OVC care-givers. This has heated the bellies of the members and for sure KWID activities are now implemented with zest. Thank you very much. Reading glasses were distributed to the members who had sight issues and one of them thanked God and vowed to read the Bible first as an appreciation to God for the awesome friends from Click Rukiga.”

“Many members have joined the Savings and Credit Scheme. This has enabled them to cater for households, pay school fees and testimonies of economic deliverance are numbered oodles. 

One member has started up a chicken rearing project that has brought income into their home. She even managed to start a piggery project from the loan given. LIVES ARE CHANGING, KWID IS GROWING.” 

Kwid has established and operate a savings and credit scheme to enable vulnerable person’s access credit and basic needs. In the next five years, KWID will work to empower its members and beneficiaries and improve the quality of its services it renders (through organizational and institutional development,) through its prioritized strategies of training, material support, net-working, research and advocacy. 

KWID is facing challenges of expansion situation, rural settings, being seen as a women organization, being viewed as a mere CBO restricted space for women due to patriarchy which is the root cause of gender inequality.

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Florence Tumuheirwe. KWID Executive Director