I first met
Reverend Andrew Mbabazi, a warm and enthusiastic man, on the top of a craggy
cliff surrounded by volcanic mountains in Kisoro, southern Uganda in October
2016.
I was visiting
the Batwa tribespeople as part of an adventurous cultural experience while
on safari with Absolute Africa. Aching and sore from trekking
the mountain gorillas in the famous Bwindi/Mgahinga National Park the day
before, this profound experience with the Batwa took me completely by surprise.
I discovered that
the Reverend has been ministering to this marginalised, impoverished community
for years and championing their rights to the basic human needs of housing,
food, water, sanitation and the opportunities to education and work.
Rev Andrew is
especially passionate about education for disadvantaged children and has dedicated
his life to giving them opportunities to break free from poverty.
To achieve this,
he has established the Light for the Needy and Vulnerable in Uganda, Africa
(LNVUA), which operates a Pre & Primary School of 200 pupils, including
orphans, Batwa children, refugees from the DRC Congo and children from poor
families.
God’s Miracle
The God Bless
Miracle Primary School is located in verdant countryside between Mountain
Muhabura-Mgahinga Forest National Park and the Crater Lake Mutanda.
With a dedicated
staff of nine teachers, the pupils are making excellent academic progress,
learning singing and dancing and drama and sports. The children are given a
daily lunch and the boarder also have supper.
On a return
visit to support the Batwa community, I was invited by Executive Director,
Rev Andrew and the LNVUA Board to be special guest at the graduation ceremony of
the Pre-School children on Saturday, October 28, 2017.
And I was honoured
and delighted to share in the joyful celebrations. After Rev Andrew gave a
bible reading and Holy Communion, the children performed songs, dances and
drama that they have been rehearsing for many weeks.
They were absolutely spectacular in their vibrant uniforms of orange and pink with yellow cardigans and red socks!
The little children graduating from
Pre-School to Primary school, filed out in their resplendent robes and
mortarboards, making their parents very proud.
But all of a sudden the tropical rain
started pouring down which sent the children running for cover. The marquee
roof filled with water and the field was flooded!
We all waited patiently for the rain
to subside - which it did eventually - and we resumed the ceremony under the marquee with
speeches and cake to celebrate the graduation!
Later I joined the Board and
officials and other guests, Joseph and Dianah, for lunch of delicious Ugandan
dishes.
It was a wonderful occasion that I
will always remember!
Hope for the Future
Rev Andrew and the
LNVUA want to break the cycle of poverty by giving children from poor
backgrounds the empowering opportunity of education.
The LNVUA aims to
educate poor and needy children and orphans up to university level or
vocational institutions so the next generation can flourish.
Plans include the
construction of permanent classrooms, dormitories, and a medical clinic to
provide health services for the children and surrounding community.
The LNVUA also
plan to construct houses for the poor families and the Batwa tribespeople,
living in abject deprivation.
The UNVUA is
seeking international partners to share the vision and help the dream become a
reality. And with God’s blessings, miracles will happen for the beautiful
children and families of southern Uganda.
