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Little Angels, a Light in the Darkness
CARITAS For Children gives hope to orphaned and disadvantaged children around the world. We’re most familiar with the work they do in Uganda and Nkokonjeru, and were personally acquainted with a number of their sponsored children.
CARITAS partners with Catholic religious communities to provide life-changing health, education and general welfare services.
For as little as $30 a month, you can provide the life-giving gift of education, as well as build a lifetime relationship with a child in need. Check them out.
Little Angels, a light in the darkness
Little Angels; a light in the darkness
It’s another muggy predawn on the equator, as children young as six trudge miles down the dusty dirt roads from their local villages and mud huts to the Central Region Ugandan municipality of Nkokonjeru.
The children make this daily trek so they can attend one of the schools in town. Even discounting the trucks and mini-buses flying by in the pitch dark, it’s still a major challenge.
In 1996 Uganda instituted Universal Primary Education (UPE), supposedly making primary school free for everyone. But even free is insurmountable for countless families, many who subsist on a dollar or less a day, as there are still pencils, exercise books, school clothing, lunch, and other expenses.
In addition, a large number of children, orphaned by HIV/AIDS, are cared for by relatives, straining family budgets past the breaking point.
Gender challenges, child labor, early marriage, an absence of motivated teachers, a lack of parental awareness, and the grinding poverty makes the education of Ugandan youth an almost overwhelming proposition. Many children are forced to drop out of school before completing primary school, to say nothing of continuing on to secondary school.
The lack of education dragging Uganda down creates a vicious cycle on a country of 41 million, the youngest on the planet with a median age of 16.
Into the void came Little Angels Catholic Primary School in Nkokonjeru, founded by Margaret Nakirijja the same year UPE was put in place. Starting with a handful of students and a few walls, with the goal of providing an “excellent Catholic and affordable primary school” education, Little Angels has been a shining light in the darkness.
Officially affiliated with the Lugazi Diocese and guided by the Department of Catholic Schools in Uganda, Little Angels has grown to 559 students, about equally divided between boys and girls, from grades P1 to P7.
Partnered with Caritas for Children, the students are thriving. Currently, 46 of the children at Little Angels have Caritas sponsors, the school is highly ranked on annual national exams and as many as 96% of the students continue on to secondary school, most to St. Peter’s Secondary School in Nkokonjeru.
According to Madam Margaret, Caritas has been an invaluable resource to Little Angels.
Through the ongoing one-on-one relationship between a sponsor and a child, the invaluable gift of education and consistent daily nutrition makes it possible for orphans and the very poor to maximize their potential.
With continuing and consistent sponsorship income, Little Angels is growing and raising the standard of living for the children, their families, and the surrounding area.
Margaret is enthused and encouraged by the long-range outlook, and is committed to building “more classrooms, a new latrine, boarding dormitories, and teachers’ quarters”.
Margaret says, “I have bought land across the road so that when I have sufficient funds we can start building and expanding” and added, “I would also like to start a partnership with a local computer lab so our students can start to learn computer skills.”
Little Angels motto of “We are the Future of Tomorrow” is being played out, each day, every day, through the joyous faces of the children, being loved and educated through a Caritas heart.
If you’d like to help make a difference, one child at a time, check it out. http://caritas.us/
Uganda again, God willing
When we left our Uganda home in April of 2016, our main reason was Bonnie’s health and the need to have treatment back in the USA.
Ten months later, after a second melanoma surgery, other tests, and regular dermatologist exams, we feel well enough to look at our options going forward.
We told those we left behind, as well as those making queries here in America, that only a miracle would get us back to Uganda.
The simple matter of living in America, even in a travel trailer, takes up much of our monthly retirement incomes. Add in medical bills not covered by insurance, and the cost for two plane tickets plus airfare for our small dogs, and you kind of catch the drift.
God works in mysterious ways, and we feel there were numerous reasons we had to return to the States when we did. A lot of situations came up over the past ten months that would have been all but impossible to deal with had we been living on the other side of the planet.
We were so blessed to be in Uganda, and learned so much from our time there.
We feel we still have much to offer, with the right opportunity, and have not given up on returning to Uganda to work in some capacity.
God willing. 🙏🏻
I yam what I yam…
Yesterday I had someone claim I wasn’t their kind of American.
I LOLed because it’s amazing to me how people who don’t know you can pigeonhole you based on something as inconsequential (in a non swing state) as your vote for President.
Nazi! Racist! Sexist! Misogynist! Etc, etc, etc.
I’m nowhere near perfect but, among other things, adopted five Native American children, was the foster Father for twenty-five children over a ten year period, fed the homeless in downtown Fort Worth for a number of years, moved to Africa to work with special needs children and adults, and continue to seek my life’s path and ways to make a small difference in the world.
I’m a Marine, a Catholic, a federal retiree, and an American. I’m a husband, a father, grandfather, uncle, brother and cousin.
I’d say I’m artistic, as photography is definitely art, and a male model when I was younger (photographic proof attached).
I’m a traveler, an observer, a full time RVer, and the world’s greatest marshmallow cooker.
I’m a bit opinionated, demonstrate some borderline Aspergers tendencies, and am dealing, though the miracles of modern medicine, with a variety of health issues.
I’m concerned about the genocide of abortion, about illegal immigration, about open borders, about a lack of decent jobs, about how entitled and whiny a good segment of society is, about the lack of respect for differences of opinion, and about the attack on religion.
I’m concerned with the rising cost of living; and how my retirement seems to not stretch far enough each month.
If I’m not your kind of American, I guess I don’t know what kind of American you think I am…or should be? Perhaps it’s you who should look in the mirror?
2016, what a year!
We’re all had “those” kind of years; ones where we’ve had abundant significant events that, in retrospect, are astonishing in their scope and variety. Sad as well as gloriously cheerful events. Years that, when you look back, you can only shake your head and say “WTF?!”.
2016, for us, was that kind of year.
We gave away everything and moved halfway around the world, to Uganda. We experienced a tumultuous national election, complete with tear gas, rubber bullets, a social media blackout, and veiled threats to our lives.
We moved back to America and dealt with the scare of Melanoma, as well as the fear of stomach/colon cancer.
We survived a near death experience when our first travel trailer was crushed in a storm.
We traveled over 5,000 miles of America, up the Mississippi River to its source, eventually working our way back to Texas, dodging floods, tornados , and other travel-related matters.
We lived through the most remarkable national Presidential campaign in history (as did everyone else), and a miraculous outcome.
We connected/reconnected with many, many people during the year and were blessed with two new grandchildren, dealt with death and disappointment, lived and loved, fought and made up, and definitely became closer with God and each other.
God had definitely blessed us this year, and always.
#americanbedouins #yearinreview#2016 #uganda #greatriverroad #lifesmiracles #marriedonmission #homeiswhereyouparkit minimalist #traveltrailerlife #matthew25 #youdiditforme #melanomascare #takeachance #lifelessons #godsblessings
Update on our work in Uganda
The theme for today’s Mass, the readings and the gospel, is “when God calls”.
That’s certainly something Bonnie and I talk about, pretty much every day, in regards to our leaving Uganda earlier than anticipated.
Many, many Priests, Sisters, and friends have told us to let go of the guilt. We went and that is enough. Some have even gone so far as to compare our trip to that of Abraham, who was a told to sacrifice his only son, only to be stopped at the last second by God, who said he was testing Abraham’s faith.
Uganda was one of the hardest, hottest, and most miserable things we’ve ever done. It was also the most spiritual, wonderful, and blessed time of our lives.
Every day we pray to God to help us, guide us, and direct us.
Over the almost seven years of our marriage we’ve had some pretty difficult times, wondering where the money or assistance would come from, as we dealt with a whole host of issues external to our marriage.
And, without fail, God has provided, money as well as the grace to do His will. Nothing extra (LOL), but always just enough.
Sometime shortly after we arrived back in Texas, Sr. Angeline asked me when we’d be returning. I had to tell her we really did not know. Between Bonnie’s health (and mine it seems), the high cost of flying to Africa, finding and paying for a place to stay in America (especially after giving away everything before we left in January), and the medical cost, even with a top of the line health plan, and our return to Africa is more than a bit problematic.
Under optimal conditions, it took us seven months, after our June 2015 discernment trip, to save enough to move there in the first place. I told Sister I felt it would take, at a minimum, a year for us to even think about returning.
I know many Little Sisters of East Africa are praying for our return. They’re not alone, and we have not given up hope that we’ll, somehow, be able to return to our home in Uganda, God willing.
Please pray for us.
Today’s reflection: Jesus explains the cost of following as his disciple
When the Lord calls us to follow him he gives us the grace to put aside everything that might keep us from doing his will.
Loyalty to Jesus requires sacrifice, letting go of my will for God’s will.
A would-be disciple responded by saying, I must first go and bury my father, that is, go back home and take care of him until he died.
Jesus certainly did not mean that we should refuse to care for others, especially our parents in their old age. His startling statement, however, made clear that God must always be first in our lives. If we love him above all, then everything else will fall into its proper place and time.
Jesus surprised his disciples by telling that they must not look back but keep their focus on the goal set for their lives – full happiness and union with God.
A plowman who looked back caused his furrow to be crooked. Likewise, if we keep looking back to what we left behind, our path in following God will likely go off course and we’ll miss what God has for us. When the going is rough or the way ahead looks uncertain, we are tempted to look back to the “good old days” or to look for “greener turf”. Are you resolved to keep your eyes fixed on Jesus and to “stay the course” in following him to the end?
And, from Bonnie…
Initial results from my nuclear stress test came back normal.
Dr to see me Monday for detail discussion.
After a second surgery I’m also, presently, melanoma free.
Wayne is back on track with his sugar issues. He is finally checking his sugar each morning and Blue Cross sent us an $80 blood pressure cuff for free.
We will return to Weatherford every three months for dermatologist, cardiologist and family doctor check ups.
Just part of life over 65 in America!
Now, our spiritual life and the Africa question…
We continue to pray.
We discuss it every day, returning I mean, and all the pros and cons and different scenarios.
It weighs on our hearts and minds.
Every moment of every day.
Hungering for attention and an education
We’ve got a drum (hey, it’s Africa!) and one of the boys found a handmade ukulele sort of instrument, so I was plucking away while “singing” My Darling Clementine and other hits I sang to my kids while they were growing up.
Bonnie is shown, rubbing Florence’s back. Florence has an ouchie on her thumb and Bonnie has been treating it with Neosporin. We took Florence to the hospital next door and it ended up being a fungal infection, which we’re treating.
We turned the Technic set over to the older boys and told them to go at it. The set has been sitting in the same place for more than nine months, and it was time it got some use.
Less of an issue than originally thought
I’ll be visiting with Sr. Cleophus, the Administrator of the Mother House compound, to try to formulate some type of action plan.
The future of the Church
Help Mary get her legs
1/16/16: One night, in 2007, Mary’s life was changed forever.
Which Way? Our Way! 