Newsletter Quarter 2 - CA

JUNE -2016 NEWSLETTER BORN TO LEAD Julius is a 24-year-old pursuing a bachelor’s degree in development studies at Uganda Christian University.

At the end of the course he hopes to be a development practitioner majoring in urban planning.

“I believe that the biggest hindrance to development is poor monitoring and evaluation of projects in Uganda.

With the integrity and morals that have been instilled in me, I know that I will be able to make the necessary reports and thus ensure that work is done correctly and at the right time, ” says Julius.

Besides wanting to make the city and nation better, Julius has always had a passion for sports, often officiating soccer matches on the Watoto villages. His love for sports has seen him acquire several certificates in sports courses in pursuit of becoming a professional soccer coach and referee.

“I have always admired Howard Webb and want to do as good as he did when he was a referee and coach at Manchester United. I believe that with great training I will be able to acquire the necessary skill and knowledge to become better. After University I dream of going for a professional course in soccer management,” he says. Julius

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Continued from page 1 has seen the reward for his passion, at the university; he has been appointed the Minister for Games and Sports.

“This came as a surprise for me. I did not think that the Guild President knew I loved sports. I would officiate games at the university. Little did I know that people had noticed and would actually trust me with such a big office,” he said.

Before being appointed Minister of Games and Sports, Julius was President of all the university class representatives and had also been contacted about becoming the university Electoral Commission Chairperson.

“I was appointed the Electoral Commission (EC) Chairperson but I turned it down because I knew I would not be effective. Shortly, I was contacted by the Guild President and appointed Minister of Games and Sports. I immediately knew that my turning down of the EC position was God’s plan and not my own wisdom.

God knew that I would be more effective in the sports department and gave it to me,” he gleefully adds.

Julius joined Watoto in 2003 after the loss of his father in 2001. He left Rwanda for Uganda and stayed with his paternal grandmother in Masaka. Julius still vividly remembers the day he left for Watoto.

“It was on the 14th of April 2003. I remember this day so well because it was birthday. I remember my grandmother telling me that I was leaving home and going to a better place. We were 5 children, we left home with our belongings and were picked up from a church,” he recalls.

“It wasn’t easy for me to adjust into Watoto. I came to a place where people spoke a language I did not understand. I was not good at English and only spoke Rwandese and French. I also hated school but later adjusted and started making friends.” He said.

However, adjusting to his Watoto house was made easier because the lady Julius came to Watoto with turned out to be the housemother he would have in the village!

Watoto is geared towards raising credible future leaders who will change their nation and the world at large. With the help of sponsors, this goal is being realized through children like Julius and many more.

A VISIT WATOTO JOURNEY “My name is Dawn Davis. For the past 4 years the Watoto Children’s Choir has been performing at my home church in Carleton Place, Ontario. In 2013 during one of their visits I had the chance to talk with one of the choir’s uncles and the topic of volunteering in Uganda came up in conversation. I immediately took the time to pray and found myself filling in all the paperwork to become a volunteer during the Christmas holidays.

I arrived in Uganda in January 2015 with a 4 month commitment at Baby Watoto and immediately fell in love. It’s rather easy to fall in love with so many adorable babies. But it was not just those sweet little ones; what really makes Watoto and Uganda so unique are the people. I’ve traveled to several countries over the years and never have I experienced such a sense of love and family as I do here! This place, Suubi Village in particular, is not just a place where there are houses, nannies, mothers, children and a church. This place is a home; it’s my family.

After my 4 months serving with Baby Watoto I extended my stay and transitioned to the Pastoral and Discipleship (P & D) team in Suubi Village. My life since being with the P & D team has changed so much. Not only do I get to pour into the lives of the children and teens in the village but they also have poured so much into my own life. This is an exciting turn of events and I am so excited for what God has in store for me here this year!

Coming to Watoto has been a life changing experience. Most often we come to volunteer to bless

others but when you get here, how quickly you realize that you are also being blessed. This country, these people, have taught me so much. They have changed me. When you allow yourself to also be moved you will be amazed at how much you will grow as an individual and in your walk with God. The love I have for this place is something I wish everyone could experience. Take the time to consider volunteering at Watoto and see for yourself just how much your life is transformed by pouring into the lives of others!”

If you are interested in learning more about the many different opportunities to volunteer at Watoto as an individual or group, or to join a Watoto Global Team, please contact our office by phone at (toll free) 1.888.9WATOTO or email at visitwatoto@watoto.ca.

treating because we now have proper records about their health.” Said Norah Kwagala, one of the nurses working with the team.

Having promptly divided the village into 5 sections, with daily goals, the team was able to meet their daily goals and have everyone tested. Among the last people to show up for the exercise was Mama Nsubuga house 198, along with her family.

“We were happy to come so that we can know how our lives are faring. If anything is wrong we can have it treated before it gets even worse. Thankfully the process hasn’t been long as everyone is active at their role.” She said.

The different families were assigned to different doctors by the Doctor in charge, Dr. Job Masaba. Despite being in the middle of that, and making sure everything was running smoothly, he was happy to share how proud of his team he was.

“I think we have done well. 82% (1183 of 1435) of the Suubi village population has been covered and yet we are still working on the last section. This is also a very good statistic because some of the children are not at the village right now. Some are out for basketball and soccer games and will be tested as soon as they are back,” Dr. Job explained.

Thank you medical team and thank you also to our devoted sponsors for the life-changing support you give towards the children and mothers at Watoto.

VILLAGE WIDE BLOOD SCREENING The month of May was a rather busy but no doubt a satisfying one for the medical team at the Watoto Suubi and Bbira villages, as they carried out the much neededvillage wide blood screening for all the children and adults.

The teams tested the village population for diseases including HIV, Hepatitis B and Syphilis along with other essentials like blood pressure, weight and height.

At Suubi village alone, it took a devoted team of 10 doctors, 4 nurses, 9 clinic staff, 6 runners and 5 volunteers from Michigan University to cover the entire population.

“I can’t emphasize how good this is. I am so thankful that we have been able to carry out such an activity. It will make our work much easier as we will know the people we are

A CALL FOR CORPORATE PARTNERSHIP Do you own a business or hold a leadership position in a company? If so, you know that there are many different

charities you can partner with to make a positive impact in the world. We would like to invite you to partner with Watoto to change lives! Your partnership will directly impact the lives of vulnerable women and children in Uganda. We could not do what we do without our faithful corporate and individual partners, donors, and sponsors.

Our desire is to increase our impact even further by developing new partnerships!

There are a variety of ways to become a corporate partner of Watoto. Some companies choose to make a general monthly or annual donation or to donate towards a specific project or need. Other companies choose to offer employees the opportunity to donate to Watoto through payroll deductions and to match donation funds, thereby doubling the monthly amount that Watoto receives.

Sponsoring Baby Watoto or a child on behalf of employees or clients is also a great option. Another opportunity is for companies to raise funds and travel to Uganda to use their skills and abilities to build a structure, such as a home, assist in maintence projects, volunteer at Baby Watoto or volunteer in another capacity. The opportunities are endless! We are blessed by our current corporate partners and are excited about new partnership opportunities and the sizeable impact this growing support will make in Uganda!

To discuss corporate partnership opportunities with Watoto, please contact our office at (toll free) 1.888.9.WATOTO or by email at canada@watoto.ca.

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BABY WATOTO TRIP TO THE ZOO Going to the zoo is a fun time for all ages, but especially children. On 14 June, 24 toddlers took a trip to the Entebbe zoo. Their eyes opened in amazement as/when saw crocodiles, snakes, monkeys and many other animals that they had only seen in their storybooks. A one baby Eliot kept on calling out “crococodile” on seeing the crocodile.

“Going to the zoo is a learning experience. Coming face to face with these incredible creatures is something they will talk about for a long time. It is/was good to see the excitement in their faces on recognising some of the animals they had only seen in books,” said nanny Christine.

Little by little they made their baby steps around the Zoo. They were reminded of their animal songs they had been taught back at their Baby Watoto. They sang along, calling out on given animals they set their eyes upon. The zoo trip was also an opportunity for the children to have a fun time and an educational opportunity outside the usual at the Baby Watoto facility.

ARISE AND SHINE Every twice a year the Living Hope ladies come together to worship God and be encouraged by a mentor. Here the ladies get to share their life stories and testimonies, the word of God and also have some fun together. This time, the ladies got together under the theme “Arise and Shine” to celebrate those that have just recently completed the 2 year long course and welcome the newest intake of ladies to the fold.

The sermon kicked off with testimonies from the graduating ladies who were excited for a chance to share their stories. Among these was Ritah Ganda, who joined Continued to page 5

Living Hope in 2008 and is now a teacher to the ladies.

“I was in a very poor state, living in a one room house.

One room was everything, the sitting room, bedroom, bathroom and toilet. Since I came to Christ, He has done a good work in me. I could not read the Bible or write when I first came to Living Hope but now I am a teacher.

I am also a leader of my cell (small prayer group).” She said.

A very energetic and cheerful Jane Nsangi was also happy to share her testimony of how she was almost buried alive because she was very sick and thought to be dead, only to be saved by an unknown gentleman.

“People feared and ran from me. When I came to Living Hope, I couldn’t even use my legs to push the sewing machine pedal but now I own my own machine and the lessons that I learned gave me hope and power.

The people that used to fear me now look at me in amazement!”

Christine Mugabi then shared a powerful sermon, which revolved around forgetting the past and not dwelling on present circumstances but having faith in God’s ability to turn everything around.

“You are not your situation. Widow is not your name.

Don’t look at your children as orphans, instead count yourself blessed to raise God’s children. God’s word says dare to start dreaming again. God wants to do a lot in our lives. There is no age limit for you to learn new things so dream big.” She said.

Angella Kimuli, the Production Coordinator at Living Hope also reminded the women to keep testifying wherever they go so that those around them will be encouraged. She also encouraged the new ladies to fulfill their purpose to finish the course because then they will have even stronger testimonies.

“When things get hard, turn nowhere else but to God. It’s after you remain steadfast that you can give a testimony.” She said.

The women were then able to let loose and have some fun competing in a number of activities that included quizzes, push-ups, dancing and singing competitions.

Living Hope started in 2008 with 2,100 women. In 2013 and 2014, we had additional intakes of 500 women each year. In a bid to reduce the number of vulnerable women in Uganda, we continue to bring in women. This year

500 new women have come into the program! We hope that through Living Hope, their lives and those of their children will be transformed.

CREATIVELY INSPIRED FUNDRAISING FOR WATOTO “My name is Wendi Kuarsingh and I live in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Helping people in need has always been a big priority for me. God has placed that deeply in my heart.

I even met my husband while volunteering at our inner city church helping our youth. So when I started making and selling my own line of dolls I wanted to have a good cause behind them!

When people buy a Felt Loved Felt doll (Facebook. com/feltlovedfelt), $5 from each doll sale is donated to Watoto. I find it comforting that when a doll finds a nice new home, women and children across the globe will also come one step closer to finding a community as well as a place to call home.

About the dolls, each doll is nearly two feet long, drawn out and then cut by hand making each piece one of a kind. Each doll face is drawn and painted free handed so no two faces are alike. Each doll is one of a kind and unique in its own way, just like each and every person Watoto helps.”

It is such a blessing to have people like Wendi use their skills and abilities to give towards the Watoto vision to provide quality care for vulnerable children and to restore dignity to vulnerable women in Uganda.

If you have a creative idea about how to use your skills and abilities to help further the vision of Watoto, please contact our office at (toll free) 1.888.9.WATOTO or by email at canada@watoto.ca.

WE’RE MOVING!

BOOK THE CHOIR FOR 2017

At the end of August 2016, our office in Victoria, BC, which has been the home of Watoto Canada for the past 10 years, will close its doors. Late last year the Board of Directors made the decision to relocate the office to southern Ontario. We are excited to announce that in early September our new office will open in Oakville, Ontario. Stay tuned for the exact location in a future newsletter and on our website.

We look forward to having our supporters drop by for a visit! Please keep us in your prayers as we make this transition.

The Watoto Children’s Choir has just begun preparation for their 2017 tour. You won’t want to miss our brand new production that celebrates the joy of salvation! To book a concert at your church, please contact our Tour Coordinator, Celeste, by email at choir@watoto.ca or visit our website www.watoto.com.

WATOTO CHURCH AT WORK

WWW.WATOTO.COM