Amazima Ministries

I have no news on the adoption front so I thought I would post about Amazima Ministries. The girl who runs this ministry, Katie (good name), is an extraordinary example of what it truly means to be a hero. This 20-year-old might not look like a hero to the world, but filled with the love of Christ, she transforms the lives of children in Uganda every day- that makes her a superhero in my book! Below is an excerpt from her website that describes how the ministry started. Also be sure to visit her blog that details her life in Uganda...you will be challenged and your faith will be strengthened http://amazima.org/blog.html.

In December of 2006, Katie Davis traveled to Uganda for the first time. She was immediately captivated and fell in love with the people and the culture. While in Uganda, Katie met Pastor Isaac Wagaba who implored her to come teach Kindergarten at his orphanage in Buziika, Uganda, called Canaan Children's Transit Center.

In the summer of 2007, Katie returned to Uganda to teach Kindergarten at Canaan. As she walked the children home from class each day, she was shocked to see the sheer number of school-aged children sitting idly on the side of the road or working in the fields. It was then that it came to Katie's attention that there were very few government-run public schools in Uganda, and none in the area where she was working. Most schools in Uganda are privately run and therefore require school fees for attendance. Due to the extreme poverty in this region of Uganda, many children are unable to afford schooling.

God laid it on Katie's heart to start a child sponsorship program, matching orphaned children who are unable to afford schooling with sponsors in the US. Sponsors pay $300.00 per year to send these children to school and provide school supplies, 2 hot meals each day, and all needed minor medical care. Originally planning to have 40 children in the program, Katie had signed up 150 by January 2008. By the grace of God, in December 2008 the sponsorship program had successfully sent all 150 children to school for a full year and provided them will all life's essentials.

Every Saturday morning the children in the program, as well as others from the village, arrive at Katie's home for fellowship, a hot lunch, baths, and Bible study led by an Ugandan employee. The children sing praises to the Lord until late in the afternoon. Before returning home, they are each given a bag of food for their family.

Amazima also strives to provide the children with spiritual growth. While the children are in school, two Ugandan Amazima employees spend time in the six villages where the children in the program live, holding Bible studies and spiritual growth activities with the families and guardians of the children to ensure they are coming home to a safe spiritual environment. Each child in the program is also visited by a social worker once every two weeks for a home visit to ensure that they are getting proper care and thriving in their home environment.