WWW.WATOTO.COM | SPRING 2015 | ISSUE NO.2
SERVICE ABOVE SELF Richard Manya is a Watoto graduate. “Ever since I was a child, I wanted to join the army for the love of my country. I was late for the recruitment at the time of my graduation, so I decided to still serve by joining the police force. I love what I am doing,” he says. Richard currently serves in the Uganda Police Force and just months in, he has already been
placed in charge of a police post in one of the districts. He joined the force in April 2014 after he graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Law. Richard joined Watoto in June 2000 after losing his mother to HIV/AIDs and being abandoned by his father with no one to care for him. The local community contacted the police, but they failed to find any relatives. Watoto was then contacted and
soon Richard was brought into a loving home. The group graduating from tertiary level this year was a historic one as this was the first-ever primary class to attend Watoto’s I.D Raymer Primary school. Over 25 students graduated with honors from different universities and tertiary institutions. “You are a fulfillment of a dream that God put in our hearts 20 years ago - a dream
WHAT WE DO ORPHANED CHILDREN | VULNERABLE WOMEN | COMMUNITY TRANSFORMATION
to rescue and raise vulnerable children,” said Marilyn Skinner to the graduates. None of this would have been possible without your faithful support. You can encourage others to partner with us through child sponsorship at www.watoto.com/sponsorship.
JOYS OF UNITY Watoto’s Hope Junior School 1 and I.D Raymer Primary School came together to participate in their first-ever music, dance and drama competition. The event was held at Watoto’s Suubi Village on April 10, 2015. Split between the different school colors: red, yellow, blue and green, the pupils participated in different activities such as dance, drama and singing. “It is a healthy challenge allowing students to explore and
express their gifts and talents,” said Dorcas Kibirige, Watoto Education Team Leader. The green team emerged as the overall best performers of the day, unrivaled in almost all the categories. As anticipated, they broke out in jubilation after their victory announcement. “This is the first of many music, dance and drama festivals. Do not give up and continue to work hard for next time,” encouraged Mr. Ivan Muwaya, Watoto Head Teacher.
GOD’S GREAT DANCE FLOOR The Watoto Children’s Choir had the unique opportunity to sing alongside Grammy-awardwinning artist Chris Tomlin during a stop on his Love Ran Red tour in March. Choir 68 joined Tomlin on stage to sing ‘The Table’ and were invited back on stage at the end of the night during a performance of ‘God’s Great Dance Floor.’
a favorite worship song at Watoto Church. “Our lives crossed several years ago when I saw these beautiful children singing and I was floored,” said Tomlin. “Watoto is an unbelievable ministry and it has been quite an honor to perform with the choir.”
HATCHING A FUTURE In a small room carpeted with coffee husks, Juliet Namujanga rears over 100 local chickens. She provides them with food and water and in return, they provide her with enough eggs to run a profitable business. Juliet says she loves her work because she is able to sustain her family even though she is a widow. ‘’I can now save money for my family through the bank which is something I never thought I could achieve,’’ says Juliet. As a ministry of Watoto, Living Hope helps ladies embody a core value of the church: excellence. Taking the example in Proverbs 31, the ladies learn to be diligent through the educational program, which covers discipleship,
business and practical skills training. After just a few months, the time comes for them to put these skills and knowledge to work on their own. It’s not always easy, but many women like Juliet are thriving in small business setups. In one day, Juliet is able to get four trays of eggs that she sells to shops and neighbors. Juliet says this business has taught her to work well with people. She has discovered that genuine friendship and humility is key to establishing a client base. Juliet plans to expand her business by building more rooms to house the chickens, as eggs are always in demand. Through her egg venture, Juliet has
HANDS AND FEET What does it mean to be the hands and feet of Jesus? Mark 10:45 says, “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for man.” Students at St. Andrew Baptist Church in Panama City, Fla. recently put their hands and feet to work for Watoto. “Our church was really touched by the Watoto Children’s Choir and we were extremely blessed to have hosted some of the children in our home,” said Daphne Watts, a teacher at St. Andrew Baptist Church. The choir’s stay had a special impact on a group of students who were inspired to do more. “Our students came to me wanting to help the children whom they had grown to love,” said Daphne. “We decided to get a Watoto Market kit to help raise
learned not to allow anything to discourage her. “I’m very thankful for everything I learned during my time of training at Living Hope. Now I’m able to provide for my needs. That is what I have always wanted to be - a strong, independent woman,” she says. More than 214 women from the 2014 program recently completed their discipleship and business training. In the next few months we will be empowering them with a practical skill that they can use to build their own small business. Help Living Hope empower more women, email us at livinghope@watoto.com.
HOST A WATOTO MARKET Hosting a Watoto Market at your church, company or school is a fun shopping experience and an incredible opportunity to help rescue lives. Each Watoto Market box comes with handcrafted jewelry, purses and more made by vulnerable women in Uganda. 100 percent of the proceeds go to helping Watoto rescue orphaned children and vulnerable women. For more information on hosting a Watoto Market, contact us at usa@watoto.com or call 866-492-8686.
money in our community. The students sold items made by the women of Living Hope at a school event and at church. They even hosted a car wash to raise funds and tell people about Watoto.” “I really liked getting to know the Watoto children,” said 11-yearold Chad Watts. “I could tell that they really loved Jesus and they have such a strong faith! This encouraged me and I wanted to do something to help.” “As a mom, nothing touches my heart more than seeing my children serving the Lord and wanting to be the hands and feet of Jesus to others in need,” said Daphne. For more information on how you can partner with us, please visit www.watoto.com.
WATOTO USA PO BOX 1320 LUTZ, FLORIDA 33548-1320
SPONSOR BABY WATOTO TODAY Baby Watoto exists to provide quality care, love and stimulation to the most vulnerable babies and toddlers in Africa. This foundation is a vital part of the overall mission of Watoto, to rescue the most vulnerable, raise them, and help them to become Africa’s future leaders. Partner with us by sponsoring Baby Watoto at www.watoto.com/ sponsorship.