Current Needs – Uganda
Word In Deed Ministries is proactive in various projects, providing financial support, administrative guidance, mentoring, spiritual growth through church-planting, physical needs through medical clinics, and educational support through funding and building schools.
Below is a list of various ongoing projects that we are currently working on and need financial assistance in bringing these projects to fruition. God is always our glorious provider, and we are confident that in HIS perfect timing, we will accomplish the goals he places on our hearts.
BUNAKIJJA CHURCH PLANT – Mukono District
UPDATE: November 2021 – The construction team is currently working on roof trusses and metal sheets for the covering of the roof. The engineers original budget amount we come to find out was not accurate because of the size of the church. Also, given the rise in material costs, our budget is currently short about $5,000 to complete the roof. Once the roof is finished, it will be time to put in windows and doors and finish the walls with plaster and paint. It’s progress since last year and we pray that in February 2021 when we visit Uganda for our Medical Mission Trip, we can be dancing in the church, whether it is finished or not! Please keep this project in your prayers.
August 2020 – As Word inDeed continues to raise funds for church planting, we are able to pass on support for construction of Bunakijja Presbyterian Church. The latest photo’s show the progress as the walls are being built. The foundation is complete and once the support beams are in place, the roof can commence. As of today, the church needs an additional $17,000 to complete the project.
Nov. 2019 – The church has officially received documents which provides them with an access easement to their property. In the past they had to walk across a neighbors land in order to reach their church property. For the past two years they have been making bricks in preparation of building a formal structure. This past September and October, donated funds provided for the commencement of foundation construction. The formal budget of $25,000 to complete the church is still needed.
NTENJERU CLINIC, MUKONO – The clinic is operating and open but requires financial assistance for the salary of a licensed nurse ($100 a month). The local support staff is presently working with a Ugandan doctor to obtain the various certifications and requirements to obtain legal affirmation from the government the the clinic is ‘accredited’ and licensed. If you are inspired to help with the nurse’s salary and/or the equipping of supplies, medications, etc., at the clinic, this is an ongoing need.
RESOURCE CENTER – NTENJERU, MUKONO – Word In Deed Ministries purchased a 5-acre track of land within walking distance to the Ntenjeru Presbyterian Church, School and Clinic. Our God-sized goal is to have a Community Resource Center that can be a multi-use facility for the surrounding villages.
We foresee it as a place for community outreach and expansion where there can be group gatherings and educational seminars for locals and for visiting educators and pastors. The ultimate goal is to offer training classes (i.e., secretarial, sewing, God’s Way of Farming, carpentry, business management, computer training, adult education in reading and writing) to local villagers seeking to learn skills allowing them to earn incomes to support their families, (as the Bible says, ‘teaching them to fish, not just giving them a fish to eat’). We also intend to have residential facilities for missionaries to live, both short-term and long term. This is a long term project and requires dedicated focus and commitment.
With the initial assistance of 100 Fold Studios (http://www.100foldstudio.org) they generated a basic rendering back in 2012. During 2016 “fundraising outreach” to put this vision into a reality we had small gifts made toward this project. The anticipated cost for this project, which would be more modern and Western in design (i.e., running water, showers, toilets, solar electric, cooking facilities), is approximately $300,000 – $350,000. This amount is largely due to the infrastructure which needs to be put in place – roads, electric, water. We hope to have the water drilling completed by 2015 and commence construction in 2017. eMI (Engineering Ministries International – www.emi.org) has partnered with us in the architectural design and site plan development.
Phase One of this project is anticipated to start in July 2017, which consists of a Property Managers House. WID is working with local Ugandan architect, Alex Bakyayita of 11’14 Studio Ltd, and Ssimbulira-Ddimu Construction Company Limited in a joint effort to have the first phase of this project completed by September 2017. WID is giving God all the glory for this project.
UPDATE: November, 2019 – The Resource Center project is still slowly and steadily moving toward small goals. We have so many other projects that take priority (church planting, school sponsorship) but we have not lost hope that this project will be realized. The property currently has the completed managers house.
Part of the land is being used to grow fruits and vegetables for the neighboring school, Ntenjeru Covenant Junior School, which is a private school WID built back in 2011. There is a full field of cabbage which is going to help supplement the food the children receive when they are in session, as they have many boarding school students.
Our next major project on the property is WATER! The fruits and vegetable need water to grow to produce, especially during dry season when water is non-existent. The neighboring community needs access to clean water also. We have a capped well on our land that requires a solar pump house and large holding tank, with piping to bring the water to the tank. This project is budgeted at $8,000. We are actively seeking donations toward this project which will truly transform a community. Please consider making a donation toward this project. If you have any questions, please contact WIDministries@gmail.com.
UPDATE: Fall, 2021 The Resource Center land is continually being utilized as a farming site for growing fruits and vegetables which are then utilized at the Ntenjeru School and Boarding House for the children. It helps underwrite the costs for feeding all the children during school days, and those who live on campus benefit from nutritious food that is grown locally. We are taking steps to teach the students the “Farming God’s Way” program also, which inspires and educates the on learning how to grow food which will feed themselves and (hopefully) one day their own families.
With God’s grace and funding, have been able to uncap the borehole on the property and a water pump and storage tank has been installed on the property. This water project allows many families in this community access to clean water for their daily living.
NTENJERU COVENANT PRIMARY SCHOOL–
The primary school needs water, and we are grateful for donations that have come in to help drill a production well for the school in 2016. Now we need the funds for finishing work for this project, i.e., a solar/electric pump and large capacity storage tank so that the pump continually fills the water tank so continual access to water is available. The dry season makes it difficult for the rain-catchment method, which is partially in place at the school/church compound. Having water all year is a luxury and we are praying that this can soon be a reality for this school and the surrounding community. The balance of $6,000 is needed to finish this project to 100% completion.
The main school building is in need of some minor ascetic finishing touches, and what remains as an essential priority are – desks, educational material, teachers training tools.
UPDATE: November 2019 – The school has received funds for the water project and it is fully functional. In 2018 we raised funds for a chicken project on the school property as a source of food for the children and also for selling eggs to help the school become self-sustainable. This campus is now a great testimony to the how God has helped improve the village church and school. We are raising funds now to bring electricity into the school so that new and modern resources can be available to the students. Most schools in these remote villages do not have access to electricity, or modern things like computers. Our hope and prayer is that we can provide the funding for the school to get electric and some computers to allow the children to learn 20th Century technology, which will improve their skills and chances of a future.
UPDATE: November 2021 – The past two years have been very challenging for people all over the world, but our friends in Ntenjeru have had some extremely difficult circumstances to navigate. Heavy rains that flooded the areas surrounding the church, clinic and staff housing for the teachers caused the pit latrine behind the church to literally “CAVE IN” and was fully destroyed. In the fall of 2020 we were able to raise the $5,000 needed to build a new pit latrine for the campus, but that too had its challenges. In the summer of 2021, thieves came during the night and broke into the pump house which facilitated the filling of the water tank on the school campus. This pumping system was totally destroyed, wires were cut, and resulted in drying up the water availability to the community. As of today, we are still waiting for parts to be available so the water can continue to flow for the families of Ntenjeru. The new latrine is close to completion but still waiting for the water to be connected so it can function fully with more modern shower facilities for those living on campus.
MPUNGE COVENANT SCHOOL – Update – Nov. 2021: This remote school campus is by and far one of the nicest school campuses in the Mpunge area. It has water and solar now, but what it really lacks is the ability to hire and keep good teachers and a licensed “Head Master” to administer all the school requirements the government places on these ‘private’ schools. Because Mpunge is such a remote location close to Lake Victoria, they have no electricity, but the solar system in place provides small lights for the students (mostly orphans) living in the boarding section. Also, because the nature of the community, parents and guardians of the youngest children do not have the financial ability to pay school fees to put their children into school. Through our Scholarship Program, we are able to provide some financial support for this school. During COVID lockdowns in Uganda, we regularly had our Ugandan team members travel to this village and give out small support packages for soap, food and learning materials for the children. It is close to two years now the children have been forbidden to attend school, so as January 2022 approaches, we pray that this community school can be a place where the children come to feel safe, have an opportunity to get an education, and at least one meal a day. If you can support the efforts of keeping this campus ‘up and running’, any donations toward this school is sincerely appreciated.
Update: Summer 2015 – We are prayerfully seeking support to fully equip the Mpunge Covenant School with solar lighting for the dormitories and for security purpose surrounding the school compound. Many young children who seek to be educated in the small, remote villages are orphaned or being raised by people other than their parents. The Mpunge school can now accommodate up to 50 children, but currently there are no lights, no electricity which prohibits them from being able to study in the evening. Typically in Uganda, a private school that offers housing for children charges a small fee. Then these children will also be cared for, a place to sleep, eat and educated. The desire is for this school to generate a small income through the boarding school fees received. This income in turn provides education, housing and meals to orphaned children who cannot pay school fees.
Word in Deed is currently seeking a $7,000 grant. The major expense is to install a full solar lighting system for the school campus. Additionally, there is a water tank that needs replacing which supplies water for the school and the surrounding villagers. Finally, we hope to provide resources like desks, chairs, books, and school supplies for the students. (PRAISING GOD-Partial Prayers Answered/December 2015 for the solar lights)
If you can help with these and would like to contribute specifically for any of the above, or have any questions, please email or call Lisa Sorensen / WIDministries@gmail.com / 561.352.6095.
Thank you.