News

I don’t know about you, but I’m still adjusting to the fact that we are almost through July. Where did the summer go? While we’re at it, where did the last year go? As I turned 42 last week, I took time to reflect on the past year as well as check in with myself […]

4 weeks ago one of our special mamas in ROWAN, Anne, passed away. She was a widow, mom, HIV+ community member, and hope-filled believer. She breathed her last at 39 years old as cancer took her life. 3 weeks ago one of our ROWAN staff, Jeremiah, died suddenly in a car accident. He operated our ultrasound […]

Tears can express all forms of emotion. Tonight, the ROWAN team sheds tears as one of our dearest members suddenly passed away. Anne Naroti, 35 years old, died in an emergency surgery. We met Anne 7 years ago when she was struggling with HIV/AIDs and needed support. Her husband had died from AIDS and left […]

   Do you ever wake up with your first thought being, “I didn’t get enough sleep,” or “I don’t have enough time,” or “I don’t have enough ideas,” or “I don’t have enough money”? Yeah, me too. This month I’ve been reading Brene Brown’s book Daring Greatly, and one of her main points is that […]

  I was never like the other kids growing up. In High School my friends wanted to be teachers, ranchers, dentists, counselors, and I wanted to go serve God in Africa- exciting, right? Well at that time (1994), it sounded absurd. No one, including my family, knew how to encourage that passion and perhaps concerned […]

(photo from Ionic Rare Earth, which got approved to begin plants like this across our villages) As of today, Ionic Rare Earth has received approval of the Surface Rights agreement with the Uganda Government. This agreement must be understood and signed by the land owner. This document, once signed, allows the mining company to have […]

Every Single widow and orphan we serve has a sponsor!  Its how we get kids in school and make sure they’ve had enough to eat and be able to learn.  It’s how we empower widows out of poverty, by giving them a hand up as they learn a trade or open a business with teaching, […]

A life well-lived In a country with an average life expectancy of 63-years, we are so thankful to have known and loved Ajuma all the way up to the beautiful age of 80. She passed away last month in her home town of Nakafunyu Village, located in the Bugiri District of Eastern Uganda. At the […]

The children were home the first week of June so we organized a holiday program with food, dancing, health checks, and FUN!   The boy with two plates of rice said “I can’t remember the last time I had rice.” Well, we made sure he got two helpings!      

Zaina is a 13-year-old orphan in a family of 10 being raised by a struggling mother who works their own garden before going out to find work in other gardens to provide money for the family. She gets little money for the work, so Zaina goes to school hungry, which she says leaves her stressed […]

Rahim is a 12-year-old orphan who has 7 siblings and 3 relatives making 12 in the household. All being raised by his mother who works to feed them and take care of other basic needs by working as a laborer in other’s gardens. They live in a house with a leaky roof and weak walls. […]

Hello, I am Annette Nelson and I am excited to be a part of the ROWAN family. Orphans and Widows have always been on my heart and I am glad to be able to help in my way. I have been hired to do some of the office work for Kelsey to free her up […]

This month we celebrate all the work ROWAN is doing in the Hope Clinic and Maternity Center!  In the course of the Hope Clinic’s continued services, there are a few items we would like to highlight with the use of the clinic.  Join us as we thank and Praise the Lord for all that has […]

Hello family of ROWAN! As you have stood by us during this unforeseen mining crisis in our region, I wanted to give you a real-time update on what ROWAN is doing to actively protect and fight for the rights of not only our own beneficiaries, but over 2 MILLION affected by this project. For the […]

3 prayer prompts for when you don’t know how to pray Sometimes, an obstacle looms so large in your life that it’s hard to see through it or around it. Your own personal Goliath. When that happens, it can be difficult to find the words to pray. If that sounds familiar, we invite you to […]

Adversity on the Horizon On Friday, June 24th, we invited ROWAN supporters to join us for an internal Zoom update on the mining crisis that threatens the region… After her exploratory trip to Uganda in May, ROWAN Co-founder Kelsey Hargadine returned with stories of God’s hand in this situation as well as the details we […]

KELSEY’S BIRTHDAY WISH As ROWAN Co-founder Kelsey Hargadine’s 40th birthday approaches, she’s spent some time reflecting on what she wants her birthday to be about this year. It would be her dream come true to see 40 new sponsors join the ROWAN family —  a family of people making a difference from where they’re at […]

Our region is being directly threatened by a China-based mining company looking to extract minerals from the soil under ROWAN. If you’re familiar with ROWAN, start the video at about 11 minutes 38 seconds. The first 11 minutes contain the origin story of ROWAN, while the details of the crisis start at about 13 minutes […]

Join us this March as we bless widows in Uganda Between International Women’s Day on March 8th Women’s History Month for wrapping up on March 31st, this time of year is a wonderful opportunity to learn more about our Legacy Program and to give toward female entrepreneurship through ROWAN in Uganda! ROWAN has been empowering […]

Kelsey Hargadine Calls You to DREAM on the Isn’t It Lovely Podcast ROWAN’s co-founder recently joined podcast hosts Rachel Gage and Tracy Kirby on an episode of Isn’t It Lovely entitled “Isn’t It Lovely to Protect Your ‘Yes’?” Throughout the episode, Kelsey talks dreams, callings, and risk on an episode you can’t miss! We love this quote: […]

A Day We’ll Never Forget Your impact & generosity is nothing short of a miracle to the orphans & widows we serve. We thank God for every one of you & your commitment to BE LOVE to those running short on hope! Check out this video if you’re ready to get goosebumps over what God […]

From Chaos Comes Clarity Despite several years of uncertainty, fear, and sickness, ROWAN supporters showed up in a big way for the widows and orphans we serve in rural Uganda. This report says it all. 2021 Annual Report Highlights We are humbled by the generosity of so many donors… and in awe of what God […]

On Wednesday, we shared stories of what life has been like over the last year for Namulawa, Beatrice, and Florence – members of our Ugandan ROWAN community.  Today, we want to share some year-end thoughts from Robina and Anet. Robina shared that 2021 was a ‘unique experience in my life, the family, and the community […]

As 2021 draws to a close, members of our ROWAN community in Uganda have been reflecting on what the last year has looked and felt like to them.  This week, I wanted to share some of their stories with you.   Namulawa K. shared that one of the hardest things about this past year was her […]

“If you can’t feed 100 people, then just feed one.” – Mother Teresa The need for food is something all of us share. For some, however, this basic need is often in short supply. This is why, for our Christmas campaign this year, ROWAN has selected Blessing Baskets as our focus.     Each Blessing Basket […]

“Education is a powerful driver of development and one of the strongest instruments for reducing poverty and improving health, gender equality, peace, and stability. “- Worldbank   The benefits of education on individuals and society as a whole are well-documented and many.  According to the University of the People, some of the benefits of an […]

The end of October saw Kampala, the capital city of Uganda, under attack.  On the evening of October 23rd, people in Kampala were out enjoying an evening meal when an explosion rocked the city center.   Then less than 48 hours later, another explosion targeted a bus traveling from the capital to western Uganda.  Investigators believe […]

We are nearing the end of October and, here in the US, that means one thing – the holiday season is fast approaching.  We at ROWAN have been busy putting things together for this year’s Christmas campaign, and we can’t wait to share it with you over the week of Thanksgiving! Your generous donations during […]

In Wednesday’s blog post, we featured two caregivers (Katherine Nabirye and Badiri Mukose) in need of sponsorship.  Today we are turning the spotlight on two of ROWAN’s sweet primary children who are waiting for their sponsors.   Elisa Mugoya is a little boy with a big heart.  He is one of 8 siblings! Elisa dreams of […]

This week we will be spotlighting a few of our ROWAN members in need of sponsorship.  Today we are shining the light on Katherine Nabirye and Badiri Mukose – two of ROWAN’s incredible caregivers.  The caregivers that ROWAN serves genuinely understand the scriptural passage found in Matthew 25:40, which teaches, “And the King shall answer […]

“And all at once, summer collapsed into fall.” – Oscar Wilde Happy first day of  Autumn!  Crisp mornings, colorful leaves, and pumpkins on porches – all sure signs that Fall has arrived.  What better way to celebrate the arrival of a new season than by making a purchase that helps lift someone else?  The new […]

“Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, and lean not unto thine own understanding.  In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths.” – Proverbs 3: 5-6 Recently pastor Paul said, “The world is in total confusion, but Uganda is confused more.”  Like so many places in the world right now, […]

“Every great movement of God can be traced to a kneeling figure.” – D.L. Moody With the COVID-19 pandemic continuing to spread, people worldwide facing floods, famines, and political unrest, the world can feel very heavy.  But we at ROWAN think there is also a tremendous amount of good in the world, and we are […]

Do you remember Ibrahim from the post we did last April? He is one of 16 siblings who were taken in by their grandparents after their father’s passing. Before his passing, Ibrahim’s father had started work on a home for the family, and it was Ibrahim’s dream to be able to finish what his father […]

Last Thursday, August 19th, the 2021 Uganda Unite Summit was hosted via Zoom by Kelsey Hargadine and ROWAN.  We had representatives from 12 different organizations and over 40 participants in attendance.  It was an incredible summit filled with inspiration, messages of hope, and information sharing between organizations.   We were fortunate to have Bob Goff as […]

Conflict, climate catastrophes, and the COVID-19 pandemic have pushed people in East Africa to a crisis-level food shortage.  According to a report by World Vision, over 7.8 million people in the region are facing starvation, and an additional 26 million people in the region are living on the brink.  The United Nations reports that over […]

ROWAN has been operating in Uganda since 2007.  During that time, Kelsey Hargadine, the co-founder of ROWAN, has encountered many other organizations that work in Uganda but have a US base in Colorado.  In 2015, Kelsey came up with the idea of starting a collaborative organization called Uganda Unite.  The sole purpose of Uganda Unite […]

  While the pandemic has brought hardship and struggle to the world, some of us have fared better than others. Many of us have been able to shop online for food and other things, with front door deliveries. We have made use of curbside pickup and Instacart shoppers. And most of us have been able […]

With COVID-19 vaccines still in short supply and treatment options limited, the Ugandan Drug Authority recently approved the use of the drug Covidex for COVID-19 patient care.  According to an article written by Halima Athumani for VOA news, Covidex is an herbal treatment made from traditional herbal plants that have been used in the past […]

On Friday, June 18th, President Yoweri Museveni announced that Uganda would be going into a new 42-day full lockdown.  During this new lockdown, vehicular travel of any kind is prohibited.  Only essential workers or those in need of medical care are exempted from this travel ban.  In addition to all the closures announced in the […]

It’s been nearly two weeks since Ugandan President, Yoweri Musevini, announced that the country would be going into another lockdown.  The timeline given for this new lockdown was 42 days, but many believe that the current restrictions could last for much longer given the number of COVID-19 cases and the lack of vaccines in Uganda.   […]

At the conclusion of the Business Training Course we held in April, we had our 15 ROWAN-member participants complete surveys to help us see what sections of the course helped or stood out the most for each of them.  We recently received the results of these surveys and we wanted to share the highlights from […]

Board and staff learning together While Uganda fights Covid-19 with a second lockdown, God’s people don’t stop caring for one another.  Just two months ago in April, 2021, the ROWAN board and staff gathered for a two-day leadership workshop in Iganga Town.  Pastor Paul and others led the team in activities based on the theme, “Fulfilling our […]

Uganda is currently being hit hard by the second wave of COVID-19 infections.  In speaking with a BBC news correspondent,  Henry Mwebesa, the Director-General of Health Services at the Health Ministry, said that it took less than 10 days for the second wave of infections to reach levels seen in a full-scale pandemic.  The steep rise […]

Our ROWAN farm is continuing to grow.  Our farmland is now up to 15 acres and our little goat herd is not so little anymore – we now have 150 goats!  One of our goals with the farm has been to create a strong and profitable business that will help provide working income for the […]

Like so many others throughout the world, the closure of the schools in Uganda has been detrimental to the education and lives of our ROWAN children.  In February, we let you know about the plan we were putting into place to help bridge the educational gap for our children and families in Uganda.  Today, we […]

  There’s no better way to honor the moms in your life than to bless a mom in need. This Mother’s Day, we want to bridge the gap between the moms in your life and the mothers (who are widows) in ROWAN who are in real need of a sponsor more than ever before. This […]

  We recently partnered with Neema Development, a biblical-based business training company, to get our ROWAN Ugandan staff trained on a new business program module.  Once all of our ROWAN staff is fully trained, they will be able to incorporate the training they received from Neema into our Widow’s Legacy Program.  We also plan on […]

This is Ibrahim, he has been the recipient of help and support through ROWAN.  He is one of 13 children whose grandparents took them in after their father died.  Five of his siblings are now grown but eight of them still live with their grandparents.    Ibrahim’s grandfather with some of his grandchildren behind torn […]

“I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples.” – Mother Teresa This is Josan Mpina.  As a child, he was orphaned and faced an uncertain future until help came in the form of sponsorship through ROWAN from the Beason family.  The Beason’s helped fund […]

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to affect people across the globe and Uganda is not exempt from its reach.  According to the JHV CSSE COVID-19 Data, to date, Uganda has a total of 40,719 COVID-19 cases and has had 334 deaths from COVID-19.  While the number of cases in Uganda has, thankfully, remained relatively low, COVID-19 […]

It’s time for you to buy a new shirt for yourself, a family member, a favorite teacher, a new neighbor, or an old friend! These whimsical shirts are a breath of fresh air for Spring 2021. The best news is that the sale of these shirts will directly benefit ROWAN Widows in the new Legacy […]

Little Man Ice Cream, in Denver, Colorado, is a company that acts on its belief that businesses should make a difference for good in their community and in the world at large.  They are true to their commitment to, “make a difference both at the local and global levels,” and they lead the way in […]

  In May 2019, a summer ROWAN team visited many homes for the first time and met families common to East Uganda; families where children have lost parents and are being raised by grandparents, aunts and uncles, or older siblings. The team held and loved on these precious children. The team met Uncle Yazidi, who […]

I have a daughter who is my “why” and my reason for trying each day to be, and do, better.  She is my greatest joy and my surprise miracle.  Becoming a mother opened my heart in ways I never knew possible and I know I am not alone in feeling this way.  Bringing a child […]

Part II Children in Uganda, like many others across the globe, have not had access to in-person learning since March of 2020. The effects of this lack of access to education are beginning to show; we have seen some children losing interest in school, older girls are getting married or have become pregnant, and older […]

“Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.” Isaiah 43:19 A new program called The Legacy Program is beginning for widows and adult members of ROWAN! An enormous amount of prayer and […]

2020: The Year of God’s Faithfulness In spite of (and in light of) the unpredictable, tumultuous year we all had, God proved faithful time and time again! Thank you for partnering with us in serving hundreds of orphans and widows in rural Uganda. We invite you to celebrate with us as we see all of […]

An Update on the ROWAN Learning Center, Part 1 Just as it is in other countries around the world, the COVID-19 pandemic continues to affect families in Uganda. The Ugandan government announced last week that schools for older children may begin opening in March. While this is good news for older children, younger children in […]

“Why am I not receiving ROWAN newsletters and email updates?”   We know you love seeing good news and exciting updates from ROWAN. If you’ve experienced problems receiving our email newsletters, it’s probably that they’re being mistakenly filtered out of your inbox.   The good news? It’s not your fault, and it’s easy to solve!   […]

COVID-19 Africa numbers* 54 countries in Africa affected 99,433 cumulative cases in Africa 3,078 reported deaths 39,103 reported recoveries South Africa most affected with 19,137 cases *Data from World Health Organization, 5/20/22   Uganda numbers** 260 reported cases (up from 126 on 5/13/20) 0 deaths **Data from World Health Organization, 5/19/20 While the number of Covid-19 cases in Uganda remain low, […]

As of today, May 14th, 2020 at 8 pm EST, 160 Ugandans have tested positive for the coronavirus, of which none has died and 63 have recovered.  Although the virus infects a mere fraction of Uganda’s 43M citizens, the pandemic’s impact on the economy and government resonates nationally. Measures to slow the spread often clash […]

Greetings from a quarantined world! Due to the Coronavirus, Uganda has been under one of the strictest lockdowns on the continent of Africa. On May 5, 2020*, according to Reuters, Uganda began to loosen their restrictions. Reuters continued to report: The country of 42 million reported 97 confirmed cases* and no deaths in 45 days […]

Swarms of locusts have entered Uganda  by way of Kenya. This very serious desert locust invasion threatens East Africa, the United Nations has warned. Locusts threaten the food security of millions of people.  Swarms of this magnitude have not been seen in decades. In Kenya and Somalia, many crops have already been devastated. The Eagle Online Uganda […]

In just 3 months, COVID-19 has spread to 74 countries. Almost instantaneously, its scare has gone global.  As of today, cases of the coronavirus have emerged in 7 African countries, including Algeria, Egypt, Tunisia, Senegal, Nigeria, Morocco, and most recently, South Africa. Uganda remains unaffected, but its Ministry of Health has taken measures to thwart the […]

From the fruit stand in the neighborhood market to the vast empire of Microsoft or Disney, we all interact with businesses large and small.  Peter Drucker, father of the practical foundations and philosophies of modern business, said this:   “Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right things.”   The ROWAN staff, without possibly realizing it, […]

As ROWAN is in Uganda, we thought it would be helpful for our readers if we shared a bit more about this amazing country. This is an amazingly diverse land with a huge variety of animal & plant life to learn about. Perhaps Uganda’s most famous resident is the critically endangered mountain gorilla.

As ROWAN is located in Uganda, we enjoy sharing interesting things about the country with our readers. This is an incredibly diverse equatorial land with a huge variety of flora & fauna. Uganda is also home to the tallest mountain range in Africa, the Rwenzori Mountains, or the legendary Mountains of the Moon.

In Uganda, the District Agricultural officer is a government position. The officer who works in the ROWAN area is named Peter.  His job in the district is to empower people with modern productive methods in agriculture and appropriate technologies. Peter is a young man who fell in love with ROWAN this past year. You can see […]

As ROWAN is in Uganda, we thought it would be interesting to share some of the local Ugandan customs with our readers. This is an amazingly diverse country, from tribes to wildlife it has a great deal to offer those lucky enough to visit.

It’s simple. If the birth of a new human being is a miracle, and a midwife oversees the birth, then midwives should not merely be called “midwives,” but rather “Miracle Overseers.” Considering the diligent and self-sacrificial care of Brenda Musubika, ROWAN’s newest midwife, even this enhanced title of “Miracle Overseer” may not do justice! Brenda, who is now 25-years […]

As ROWAN is in Uganda, we have begun to share more about the country with our readers. This is an amazingly diverse land with a huge variety of animal & plant life to learn about. But today we will be talking about something a little different, a favored snack food during the rainy season, nsenene.

This week, on February 21, it is INTERNATIONAL MOTHER LANGUAGE DAY. This day was approved by the UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) General Conference and has been celebrated GLOBALLY since 2000, for twenty “Understanding why and how languages differ tells about the range of what is human,” said Dan Jurafsky, the Jackson Eli Reynolds […]

As ROWAN is in Uganda, we thought it would be fun for our readers if we shared more about the country. This is an amazingly diverse country with a huge variety of animal & plant life worth learning about.

When we say rolex, most of the world thinks of an expensive timepiece. In Uganda, however, it makes people’s mouth water & has absolutely nothing to do with time (unless, of course you have to wait for them to cook). In Uganda a rolex is a savory snack which consists of an omelette with onion […]

“I’m so excited and I just can’t hide it.” – The Pointer Sisters (2008) Fewer lyrics could better describe Ivan Kirunze, ROWAN’s faithful literacy teacher, and his radiant bride on their Big Day. In Ugandan culture, men do not typically smile during their weddings, but clearly, nothing could wipe the smile from this man’s face!    Despite […]

His friends and family call him Wafu and he just turned 50 years old (young)! David Wafula has been with ROWAN since the beginning. He is a full-time staff member and board member.  Here are his thoughts on turning 50: “I can’t believe I am making 50 years of age… my evening is approaching. Making […]

As ROWAN is in Uganda, we thought it would be fun to share more about the country with our readers. This is a beautiful country with diverse animal & plant life, plus many other mysteries to unravel.

Home from school for the holiday recess, our children convene at the Hall of Hope for the Holiday Program, where they build community across all class years. Older students, such as Jonathan Wagaba, a current medical student, and Ronald Dyole, an aspiring teacher, take the opportunity to mentor secondary school students on career choices. They […]

Soon, new posts will be rolling your way, written by a name that you may not recognize. That’s me! Chanel Varney – and I’d love to give a proper introduction to you, my cherished ROWAN friends.  I originally hail from Southern California, but for the past three and a half years, I’ve been in Cambridge, […]

Uganda’s equatorial location & abundance of fresh water provides it a sheer density of wildlife that can make your head spin. There are (well) over 1000 bird species confirmed in the country alone. And what birds! Some of them look like actual runway models. We have already met the Collard, Malachite & Palestine sunbirds, today […]

Together we raised over $38,000 to buy a bus for ROWAN. For ROWAN members, the new bus means everything: – no more time wasted walking countless hours to get to the Hall of Hope – time + energy reinvested in education + business – fewer safety threats along the way + more accessible healthcare – field […]

…it wants you to give the gift of IMPACT. If you’re like most of us, each year while shopping for Christmas gifts you might catch yourself thinking, “This is great. But it’s all just… stuff.” Relatable? Well, you don’t have to feel that way today.  Reports divulge that on Cyber Monday in 2018, Americans spent […]

We just received heartbreaking news that Tikabula Kafuko passed away yesterday at 86-and-a-half years old.      She will be remembered as a world-changer who had twice as much spunk and life in her than most people have at 25. Tikabula dearly loved to dance, was known to speak boldly, and (as Pastor Paul says) you […]

The International Day of the Girl was last week, but we still want you to meet some of our neat young ladies! Meet Mariam:   She recently finished higher education. With a heart for her nation and especially the women there, she determined to study mass communication and journalism. Her dream is to speak up […]

When our son, Jake, was at Dartmouth College, he spent part of a summer working with ROWAN in Uganda. Read more about that here!  As a result, we began our first sponsor relationship with a young man named Mugabi Cyrus. Jake met Cyrus in the village and said Cyrus was a strong and eager participant in […]

ROWAN would like to share with you some breaking news from Uganda.  The Ugandan government is tightening up their demands and requirements on NGO’s (non-governmental organizations that are nonprofit). There have been too many briefcase NGO’s (fraudulent nonprofit organizations set up only to obtain money from donors but having no programs on the ground) in the […]

It doesn’t matter if you are from the west and have never been to Africa. It doesn’t matter if you are from Africa and have never been to a western country. Our circumstances may be vastly different but our capacity to grieve and care for one another are human capacities. Will you let me introduce you […]

That’s right, we are putting all our eggs into the goat basket.  Ingredients for our current goat farm: * 200-250 goats (3-5 male goats, rest female) * 17 acres * goat house * Managers House with full time manager * office and part time room * grass and water * fencing * laptop for financial […]

Obviously the big day is long gone for this year. However, we hope you will all agree that these photos are too cute not to keep to ourselves. As part of our flashback theme, lets go back to 2011 & see images of some of the happiest little faces (& some big) on Day of […]

Obviously the big day is long past this year. But we hope you will all agree that these shots are cute enough to appreciate every day. As part of our fab flashback theme, lets go back to 2011 & see images of some of the happiest little faces (& some big) on Day of the […]

Our summer team had the privilege of visiting many homes this last May and got to hug, hold and love on many different children and families.  Many families in Eastern Uganda have taken in other children because of loved ones who have passed away.  A home might contain grandparents who have become parents to their […]

Obviously the big day is long gone for this year. However, maybe we can all agree that these photos are cute enough to appreciate any day of the year. As part of our fab flashback theme, lets go back to 2011 & see images of some of the happiest little (& some big) faces on […]

While the big day is long gone this year, maybe we can agree that these photos are cute enough to appreciate every day of the year. As part of our fun flashback theme, lets again go back to 2011 & see images of some of the happiest little (& some big) faces on Day of […]

While the big day is long past this year, we think these photos are cute enough to appreciate any day of the year. As part of our flashback theme, lets go all the way back to 2011 & see images of some of the happiest little faces on Day of the African Child 2011.

Meet Chanel! She is finishing her final year at Harvard and had the opportunity to join the team visiting Mawanga this past May.  She had the chance to experience the wonderful widows and orphans involved in ROWAN.  She shared her thoughts from her visit and how God spoke to her during her time in Mawanga. […]

Welcome to another flashback Friday, taking looking all the way back to 2011 (& another Florence). As usual we will continue to feature wayback portraits of the amazing people here at ROWAN. Each one of the people pictured is absolutely dear to our hearts & we think the photography of them is simply sublime. Some […]

Welcome to another wayback Wednesday, taking looking all the way back to 2011. As always we will continue to feature portraits of the amazing people here at ROWAN. Each one of the people pictured is absolutely dear to our hearts & we think the photography of them is simply sublime. Some of those featured have […]

Given Uganda’s equatorial location & sheer abundance of water, the density of wildlife in this country can get your head spinning. There are (way) over 1000 bird species confirmed in the country alone. And what birds! Some of them look like actual runway models. We have already looked at some superb starlings, stunning sunbirds & […]

Welcome to another fun flashback Friday, now looking back at 2011. As always we will continue to feature portraits of the amazing people here at ROWAN. Each one of the people pictured is absolutely dear to our hearts & we think the photography of them is simply sublime. Some of those featured have encountered struggles, […]

Welcome to another fun wayback Wednesday, where we have finished our look back at 2009 & move on to 2011. As always we will continue to feature portraits of the amazing people here at ROWAN. Each one of the people pictured is absolutely dear to our hearts & we think the photography of them is […]

Given Uganda’s equatorial location & sheer abundance of water, the density of wildlife in this country can get your head spinning. There are (way) over 1000 bird species confirmed in the country alone. And what birds! Some of them look like actual runway models. We have already looked at some superb starlings, stunning sunbirds & […]

Welcome to another fun flashback Friday, as usual featuring amazing portraits of the cute children of ROWAN. We have been really enjoying the process of looking back over the years to see just how far we’ve come. Some of those featured have encountered struggles, but that simply makes their smiles all the more divine.

Welcome to another fun wayback Wednesday, featuring beautiful portraits of the amazing people here at ROWAN. Each one of the people in these portraits is absolutely dear to our hearts & we think the photography of them is simply sublime. Some of those featured have encountered struggles, but that makes their smiles all the more […]

If you’re anything like me, you occasionally or more than occasionally like to research things based on online reviews. I’ve made a lot of decisions based on said reviews: what books to read, what movies to watch, which restaurants to try and which vacuum to purchase! Practically every public figure and organization receives reviews. At ROWAN, […]

Given it’s equatorial location & abundance of water, the sheer density of wildlife in Uganda can get your head spinning. There are (well) over 1000 bird species confirmed in the country alone. And what birds! Some of them look like actual runway models. We have already met the gorgeous Greater Flamingo & today we meet […]

Welcome to another flashback Friday, featuring beautiful portraits of the amazing people here at ROWAN. Each one of the people in these portraits is absolutely dear to our hearts & we think the photography of them is simply sublime. Some of those featured have encountered struggles, but that makes their smiles all the more divine.

Christian radio in Uganda is #1 Tool In most sectors of the world, God’s word is as close as the nearest hand held device.  It is completely different in Uganda; where Christian resources are hard to come by.  A recent study published by AMG (Advancing the Ministries of the Gospel), reports approximately 85% of pastors […]

Welcome to another wayback Wednesday, as usual featuring portraits of the amazing people here at ROWAN. Each one of the people in these portraits is absolutely dear to our hearts & we think the photography of them is simply sublime. Some of those featured have encountered struggles, but that makes their smiles all the more […]

Given Uganda’s equatorial location & abundance of fresh water, the density of wildlife in this country can make your head spin. There are (way) over 1000 confirmed bird species in the country alone. And what birds! Some of them look like actual runway models. We have already looked at some superb starlings & stunning sunbirds, […]

Welcome to another flashback Friday, as usual featuring amazing portraits of the cute children of ROWAN. We have been really appreciating the process of looking back over the years to see just how far we’ve come. Some of those featured have encountered struggles, but that simply makes their smiles all the more divine.

It’s time for another flashback Friday, as always featuring portraits of the amazing people of ROWAN. We are truly enjoying this look back over the years, especially when we see just how far we’ve come! Some of those featured have encountered difficulties, but that makes their smiles all the more divine.

Do you ever wonder if you’re making a tangible difference in the world? I know I do. Due to the nature of a 24/7 news cycle, social media, and a constant state of being “plugged in”, we are faced with information about a groaning world seeking help.  We are presented with daily multiple needs and requests.  It […]

June 16th is Day of the African Child, founded by the Organization of the African Unity in 1991 to honor of those who were involved in the Soweto Uprising on that day in 1976.

Meet Rose… Rose Namufuta is a mother of eight.  Her husband died in August of 2016 and she was left to care for her children. Rose works hard to support her children by digging in neighbouring gardens.  She brings her children along with her while she works and will earn about $0.20 a day. She […]

Welcome to a new flashback Friday featuring more amazing portraits of the cutest children of ROWAN. We have been truly enjoying the process of looking back through the years to see just how far we’ve come. Some of those featured have encountered struggles, but that simply makes their smiles all the more divine.

Sunday, May 26th was a day to celebrate… …and if you know anything about the people of Mawanga, they know how to party. For those of you who don’t know what a party in Mawanga looks like, here’s what you would have seen if you were there. There were 2000 community members, ROWAN members, spiritual […]

Welcome to a new wayback Wednesday featuring more portraits of the amazing children of ROWAN. We have truly been enjoying the process of looking back over the years to see just how far we’ve come. Some of those featured have encountered struggles, but that simply makes their smiles all the more divine.

Given it’s equatorial location & abundance of fresh water, the sheer density of wildlife in Uganda is enough to make your head spin. There are (way) over 1000 bird species confirmed in the country alone. And what birds! Some of them look like actual runway models. We have already met the Collard & Malachite sunbirds, […]

Welcome to a brand new flashback Friday featuring portraits of the amazing people here at ROWAN. Each one of the people in these portraits is absolutely dear to our hearts & we think the photography of them is simply sublime. Some of those featured have encountered struggles, but that makes their smiles all the more […]

Welcome to a brand new wayback Wednesday featuring portraits of the amazing people here at ROWAN. Each one of the people in these portraits is absolutely dear to our hearts & we think the photography of them is sublime. Some of those featured have encountered struggles, but that simply makes their smiles all the more […]

With it’s equatorial location & sheer abundance of fresh water, the density of wildlife in Uganda can make your head spin. There are (well) over 1000 confirmed bird species in the country alone. And what birds! Some of them look like actual runway models. We have already looked at some stunning starlings & met the […]

It’s time for another flashback Friday, as always featuring portraits of the amazing people of ROWAN. We are truly enjoying this look back over the years, especially when we see just how far we’ve come! Some of those featured have encountered difficulties, but that makes their smiles all the more divine.

Welcome to another wayback Wednesday featuring more portraits of the amazing people of ROWAN. We have really been enjoying the process of looking back through the years to see just how far we’ve come. Some of those featured have encountered struggles, but that simply makes their smiles all the more divine.

Given it’s equatorial location & abundance of fresh water, the sheer density of wildlife in Uganda can get your head spinning. There are (well) over 1000 bird species confirmed in the country alone. And what birds! Some of them look like actual runway models. We have already looked at some absolutely beautiful starling types but […]

Welcome to another amazing flashback Friday featuring portraits of the amazing people here at ROWAN. Each one of the people in these portraits is absolutely dear to our hearts & we think the photography of them is sublime. Some of those featured have encountered struggles, but that simply makes their smiles all the more divine.

Welcome to wayback Wednesday featuring even more amazing portraits of the cutest children. We really enjoy the process of looking back over the years to see just how far we’ve made it! Some of those featured have encountered struggles, but that simply makes their smiles all the more divine.

My husband stays quite connected to his friends, family and people from Uganda.  He has lived in Canada now for almost 11 years, but Facebook, Whats app, Instagram and other social media has given him the chance to stay way more connected that he was able to in the past.  Not only are there more […]

Given it’s equatorial location & abundance of fresh water, the sheer density of wildlife in Uganda might make your head spin. There are (way) over 1000 bird species confirmed in the country alone. And what birds! Some of them look like actual runway models. We have already looked at the Violet-back, Red-wing, Wattled & Superb […]

Welcome to flashback Friday, as always featuring beautiful portraits of the cutest children. We truly enjoy the process of looking back through the years & seeing just how far we’ve made it! Some of those featured have encountered struggles, but that simply makes their smiles all the more divine.

Stanbic Bank Uganda Limited is a large commercial bank headquartered in Kampala, licensed by the Bank of Uganda; the national banking regulator.   Stanbic Bank is a strong advocate of education in the country and produces a National Schools Championship annually. Stanbic Bank recently financed a comprehensive research on primary education in Uganda.  The findings were […]

As someone who loves to read and write, I love words. A perfectly-turned phrase can make my heart go zing. String those phrases and sentences together and we can read or listen to something that makes us laugh, cry, fume, gasp, and absorb. In 2019, there are A LOT of words out there. Because they […]

I was sitting in church this Sunday listening to our pastor talk about how we are to love each other because we are loved by God.  He challenged us as a church to make sure we get the “horizontal” right before we know that we have the “vertical” with God.  What he meant by that […]

Given it’s equatorial location & abundant fresh water, the sheer density of wildlife in Uganda can make your head spin. There are (way) over 1000 confirmed bird species found in the country alone. And what birds, some of them look like runway models! We have already looked at the Violet-backs, Red-wings & Wattled Starlings, so […]

May 12th is Mothers Day in Uganda, a day for being thankful & showing appreciation to an important person in everyone’s life, their mother. We’d like to take this opportunity to say happy mothers day to all the mothers of Uganda (& beyond).

Welcome to flashback Friday, one of our favorite days of the week, as we feature portraits of the amazing people of ROWAN. Each one of the people in these portraits is absolutely dear to our hearts & we think the photography is sublime. Some of those featured have encountered struggles, but that simply makes their […]

Welcome to another wayback Wednesday, today featuring some beautiful portraits of the cutest child. We are really enjoying the process of looking back over the years & seeing just how far we’ve come! Some of those featured have encountered struggles, but that makes their smiles all the more divine.

If you ever have the pleasure of going to Uganda and you have a day or two with no plans, I would suggest going a little farther east, past ROWAN to Kapchorwa. While there, you will have the opportunity to meet some very friendly people, maybe purchase some local coffee beans and hike to three […]

Mostly due to it’s equatorial location & abundant fresh water, the sheer density of wildlife in Uganda can make your head spin. There are (well) over 1000 confirmed bird species found in the country alone. And what birds, some of them look like runway models! We have already looked at the Violet-backs & Red-wings, so […]

Another amazing flashback Friday featuring portraits of the amazing men, women & children of ROWAN. Each one of the people in these portraits is absolutely dear to our hearts & the photography is sublime. Some of those featured have encountered struggle, but that simply makes their smiles all the more divine.

It’s time for another fun flashback Wednesday, today featuring portraits of the amazing youth of ROWAN. We are truly enjoying this look back over the years, especially when we see how far we’ve come! Some of those featured have encountered difficulties, but that makes their smiles all the more divine.

I was having coffee with a friend last week and we started talking about how the world we live in is full of pain and suffering.  People around us getting sick, being hurt and diagnosed with terminal cancer.  The news is filled with horrific stories and brutal attacks to innocent people. Sometimes it’s so hard […]

Due to it’s equatorial location & abundant fresh water, the sheer density of wildlife in Uganda can make your head spin. There are (well) over 1000 confirmed bird species found in the country alone. And what birds, some of them look like runway models! We are so excited about this fun series on birds. Last […]

Welcome to another flashback Friday, featuring beautiful portraits of the amazing people of ROWAN. We are truly enjoying the process of looking back through photographs & seeing just how far we’ve come! Some of those featured have encountered serious struggles, but that makes their smiles all the more divine.

Welcome to another flashback Wednesday, featuring beautiful portraits of the amazing women & children of ROWAN. We are really enjoying the process of going back through photos & seeing just how far we’ve come! Some of those featured have encountered serious struggles, but that makes their smiles all the more divine.

I really didn’t believe my friend when she told me that the best chicken in the world can be bought on the side of the highway between Kampala and Jinja.  She claimed that it not only tasted the best, but it was a fun experience as well.  If you have ever travelled the highway I […]

Not only have we been sharing more about Uganda with you, lately we have been sharing more about what we do. ROWAN has a lot of amazing programs, allowing almost anyone to get involved to help those in need! We thought we share a little more about how those interested can get involved.

As we have mentioned before, there is an absolutely enormous amount of diversity of life in Uganda. It’s equatorial location paired with plentiful natural waterways & lakes (even the Nile is born in Uganda) makes it the ideal place for a variety of wildlife so dense it almost makes your head spin. There are (well) […]

New HIV vaccine could expose latent virus and kill it! Antiretroviral therapy may soon be obsolete, as scientists have successfully used immune cells to kick the dormant form of HIV out of its hiding place and destroy it. The findings may soon lead to an HIV vaccine.  Antiretroviral therapy can keep HIV in check so […]

In doing the type of work we do, ROWAN is always looking for extra hands on the ground. We write a lot about Uganda because it’s an absolutely spectacular place! The sheer diversity in plants, animals & people boggles the mind. Some of our campaigns revolve around helping willing volunteers make their way here, where […]

This week the world watched as the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, France, caught fire. Part of her centuries-old structure was destroyed, and her grand spire burned away.  Historian Yvonne Seale writes at vox.com: Notre Dame de Paris was never the preferred cathedral of kings. Notre Dame was instead the cathedral of ordinary Parisians. Since […]

An American tourist and her unarmed tour guide were kidnapped on April 2, 2019 inside one of Uganda’s national game-parks.  Both were freed unharmed just inside the Congo border after five days of captivity; according to the Uganda Police Force and the Uganda Wildlife Authority.  Both agencies report this to be an isolated incident, where […]

Not only is the flora & fauna of Uganda diverse, the people are as well! There are over 50 different tribes that call modern Uganda home & we want you to meet them all. Today we introduce the Acholi (or Acoli) tribe, found in the districts of Agago, Amuru, Gulu, Kitgum, Nwoya, Lamwo & Pader […]

We truly enjoy writing about life in Uganda & offering as many details as we can about the people ROWAN helps. We try not to plug our own services very often, but maybe we should. Although we are happy to simply have you as a reader, we would also love for you to get involved […]

Another fun Friday portrait post featuring the amazing men, women & children of ROWAN. Every one of the people in these portraits is very dear to our hearts. Some of them have encountered struggles, but that makes their smiles all the more divine.

We have a great time sharing about life in Uganda & providing as many details as we can about the people of ROWAN. We try not to plug our own services very often, but maybe we should. Of course we are content to simply have you as a reader, but we would also love for […]

Welcome to another flashback Wednesday, featuring portraits of the amazing men, women & children of ROWAN. We are having a blast going through photos & seeing just how far we’ve come. Some of those featured have encountered struggles, but that makes their smiles all the more divine.

People are often motivated by good intentions. Christians can be doubly-motivated by good intentions and a nudge or call from God. Wonderful things can happen when intentions are good.   “There is nothing so useless as doing efficiently that which should not be done at all.”—Peter Drucker, world-renowned author, educator and management consult who was […]

Okay, it’s time to share a little more of my story.  I met my husband in Namuwongo Market in Kampala.  We became friends and I taught him to play the guitar in exchange for him to teach me some Luganda. Over my next visit or two to Uganda, our relationship progressed to the point that […]

April 7th is World Health Day, a yearly opportunity for drawing worldwide attention to the extreme importance of global health.

First & foremost we must say an enormous THANK YOU to everyone who has donated to this important campaign. Your donations have made a huge difference in the lives of so many people. Along with education, water & basic electricity, a clean place to live should be a human right. We are very close to […]

Happy Friday! Welcome to another post featuring portraits of the amazing men, women & children of ROWAN. Each of the people appearing in these portraits is near & dear to our hearts. Some of them have encountered struggles, but that makes their smiles all the more divine.

While we write a lot about life in Uganda & provide as many details as we can about the people we help. We don’t often plug our own services, but maybe we should. Although we are happy to just have you as a reader, we would also love for you to get involved with what […]

It’s time for flashback Wednesday, featuring portraits of the amazing men, women & children of ROWAN. We are really enjoying looking back through the years to see how far we’ve come. Some of those featured have encountered difficulties, but that makes their smiles all the more divine.

ROWAN partners with over 30 villages in Uganda, with their main office at the village in Mawanga. Everyone knows the word “village”. We’ve all heard, “It takes a village to raise a child…”. Many a town in England boast a village green; a pleasant, common green space in the town center. There’s the East Village in New […]

You can’t really visit Mawanga and Pastor Paul’s home without experiencing the fruit that the village produces. Whether it is mangos, passionfruit, pineapple or watermelon, you will experience the best tasting fruit you’ve ever had.  But no other fruit takes the time and energy than that of a jackfruit or known as ffene in Uganda. A jackfruit […]

As our readers know, we rely on donations & the kindness of others to keep ROWAN providing value in Uganda. We realize that it can be difficult to decide where to donate your time or money. Obviously you want your donation to go where it can do the most good & actually benefit those who […]

The (South) Sudan Civil War has been years in the making, beginning in 2013.  Uganda is its neighbor to the south. 

Another fun Friday post featuring portraits of the amazing men, women & children of ROWAN. We are enjoying taking a look back across the years to see how far we’ve come. Some of those featured have encountered difficulties, but that makes their smiles all the more divine.

For months Rwanda President Paul Kagame has accused Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni of “supporting anti-Rwanda rebels” operating in that country; an accusation Uganda adamantly denies. 

It’s no secret that we absolutely love beading here at ROWAN. Not only does the project provide members important business skills, but also allows for individual artistic expression. The past couple of weeks we have been sharing more about the folks that make these lovely beads. Each one of them has (sometimes a sad) story […]

Welcome to flashback Wednesday, featuring portraits of the amazing men, women & children of ROWAN. We adore going through old photos to see just how incredibly far we’ve come. Some of those featured have encountered rough times, but that makes their smiles all the more divine.

When I first visited Mawanga in 2004, I discovered the importance of water and gained a huge appreciation for the luxury of the kitchen faucet that provided my family with clean drinking water whenever I need it back home in Canada.  So many families would have to walk miles to get to their well where […]

It’s no secret that we absolutely adore beads here at ROWAN. Not only does the project teach members important business skills, but also allows for individual artistic expression. The past couple of weeks we have been sharing more about the folks that make these lovely beads. Each one of them has (sometimes a sad) story […]

We are amazingly lucky to have many talented photographers visit ROWAN, so we always have a huge stock of images we want to share. However today we thought we’d do something a little different, today we want to take a look into Uganda’s past. We don’t know much about any of them, but that doesn’t […]

“History has its eyes on you”. I had the privilege of seeing the Broadway musical phenomenon, Hamilton, last year. It is a gripping story of flawed people trying to create a new home, trying to work together, and trying to be free. Alexander Hamilton was born out of wedlock, left by his father, and orphaned as […]

Ugandan government officials are investigating three deaths and over 150 cases of illness resulting from food, provided by the United Nations World Food Program (UNWFP). 

We absolutely adore beads here at ROWAN! Not only do they teach our members important business skills, but also allow for essential artistic expression. Now that we’ve shared so much about how they are made, lets meet the folks that make them. Each one of them has (sometimes a sad) story to tell. Today meet […]

It’s Friday a day of flashbacks, featuring portraits of the amazing men, women & children of ROWAN. We truly enjoy digging back through old photos to see just how far we’ve come. Some of those featured have encountered struggles, but that makes their smiles all the more divine.

We talk a lot about beads here at ROWAN & have lately been showing some pictures of the process we use for making them. Now that we know more about how they are made, lets meet some of the people that make them. Each one of them has (sometimes a sad) story to tell. Today, […]

It’s officially rainy season in the village, but smiles and homes are still brighter than ever!

Another of our flashback posts featuring portraits of the amazing men, women & children of ROWAN. We really enjoy looking back through the years & seeing just how far we’ve come. Some of those featured have encountered struggles, but that makes their smiles all the more divine.

Lately we have been talking a lot about beads & showing some pictures of the process ROWAN members use for making them. Now that we’ve learned about how they are made, lets meet some of the amazing people that make them. Each one of them has (sometimes a sad) story to tell. Today, meet Joyce, […]

You can’t travel to Uganda without noticing boda bodas.  Everywhere you look you will find them.

Believe it or not there is a serious debate raging in Uganda…over Louisiana red swamp crayfish. The beautiful Lake Bunyonyi (or ‘Place of many little birds’) in south-western Uganda was one of the African sites for an interesting experiment: introduction of the critters from Louisiana. Crayfish are not native to the African continent, nor are […]

Lately we have been talking a lot about beads & showing some pictures of the process ROWAN uses for making them. Now that we know a bit about how they are made, lets meet some of the amazing individuals that make them. Each one of them has (sometimes a sad) story to tell. Today, meet […]

Another fun portrait post featuring the amazing men, women & children of ROWAN. Every one of the people appearing in these portraits is near & dear to our hearts. Some of them have encountered struggles, but that makes their smiles all the more divine.

Last week one of our older students named Tibita needed a surgery to move his lipoma: a benign tumor over his left eye.

Lately we have been talking a lot about beads & showing a little about the process for making them used here at ROWAN. Now comes the fun part, lets get to know some of the amazing individuals that make them. Each one of them has a story to tell. Today, meet Betsy, she is from […]

Another fun flashback post featuring portraits of the amazing men, women & children of ROWAN. We admit it, we really enjoy looking back over the years to see just how far we’ve come. Some of those featured have encountered struggles, but that makes their smiles all the more divine.

Yes, we absolutely do talk about beads a lot, but they have played a large part of life here at ROWAN. Not only have they been a lesson in entrepreneurship & business practices, but they also allow members to create an incredibly beautiful product. Of course, the beads are absolutely stunning & the process for […]

I want to take a moment to introduce myself to you and share a little of my connection with ROWAN. My name is Kristen Mbabazi and I am married to my wonderful husband, Busiisi, who grew up in Kampala, Uganda.  We have four wonderful boys and we currently live in Manitoba, Canada.

Have you heard about our local goat business?! All profits will go directly to sustaining local incomes for ROWAN staff members.

Anyone who cooks knows that it’s great fun to attempt recipes from other parts of the world. Now that once-localized ingredients are widely available, why not try something new in the kitchen? We’ve already shared our recipes for the popular matooke & seasonal nsenene, today lets make some bread, Ugandan style!

March 10th is National Youth HIV & AIDS Awareness Day. A day to help educate the public about the impact of HIV/ AIDS on younger people & applaud the work young people are doing across the US to fight HIV/ AIDS.

It may seem like we talk about beads a lot, but they have been a large part of life at ROWAN. Not only are they an early lesson in entrepreneurship & business practices, but they also allow for members to express their creativity. Not to mention that the beads are absolutely stunning & the process […]

Happy International Women’s Day! There are so many women who make ROWAN what it is – like our nurses, teachers, widows, students, midwives, AIDS advocates, and more… but today, we want to honor YOU.

Another post full of beautiful portraits from our collection, featuring the amazing men, women & children of ROWAN. Every one of the people appearing in these portraits is dear to our hearts. Some of them have encountered struggles, but that makes their smiles all the more divine.

A few days ago we shared a flashback post about a somber but important celebration, World AIDS day. This is a day dedicated to building awareness about this devastating plague & showing support for the millions around the world who endure it’s clutches. Although it’s of serious importance, it is also a day to celebrate. […]

Lent is traditionally a 40 day season where the Catholic Church fasts in a season of repentance before Easter. I always respected this discipline, and this year I am excited to participate as a believer, a leader, a wife, and mere child of God.

Another post in our series featuring portraits of the amazing men, women & children of ROWAN. We always enjoy a look back across the years to see how far we’ve come. Some of those featured have encountered difficulties, but that makes their smiles all the more divine.

Lately we seem to have been almost literally living in the past, but that is just to help us remember how very far ROWAN has come. Today we want to share a flashback about a day very dear to our hearts, World AIDS day. This is a day to help build awareness about this devastating […]

ROWAN is located in the equatorial country of Uganda & we enjoy sharing facts about the country with our readers. This is an immensely diverse country with plenty of irrigation water & an amazing variety of life. Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is home to a nomadic tribe of endangered mountain gorillas, kept company by an […]

A few days ago we shared images from the 2010 Christmas Party at ROWAN. Today we have more Christmas smiles to share as every one of them is simply precious to us. This year we welcomed a volunteer team from Kampala to celebrate Christmas in Mawanga with us. The actual celebration spanned several days & […]

Another 2009 flashback post featuring portraits of the amazing men, women & children of ROWAN. It is a lot of fun to look back over the years & see just how far we’ve come. Some of those featured have encountered struggles, but that makes their smiles all the more divine.

A few days ago we added a quick post showing images of planning for the 2010 Christmas party at ROWAN. We must admit, the holiday smiles are irristable & our goal was to see one from every kid present. This year, a volunteer team from Kampala joined Pastor Paul, Kelsey, Christine & the ROWAN staff […]

Hello & welcome to another post that features portraits of the amazing men, women & children of ROWAN. We hope you enjoy a look back across the years, because we appreciate how far we’ve come. Some of those featured have encountered struggles, but that makes their smiles all the more divine.

Another fun flashback post to share. We know that Christmas is well behind us, but then so is 2010. This is a quick post with some photos of everyone planning for the year’s Christmas party. As we have so many children under our care at ROWAN, this is a big, festive time of year for […]

ROWAN is located in the beautiful country of Uganda & we enjoy sharing fun facts about the country with our readers. This is an immensely diverse equatorial country with an amazing variety of flora & fauna. The location combined with the sheer volume of water available in local rivers & lakes makes it a great […]

Lately we have been doing a lot of flashback posts, but you should see the collection of amazing photos we have! Today it’s again back to 2010, December this time & everyone is getting ready for another holiday season. These pics come from a fun day for the kids of cookie decorating & dancing. It’s […]

Another great post featuring portraits of the amazing men, women & children of ROWAN. It is such fun to look back across the years & appreciate how far we’ve come. Some of those featured have encountered struggles, but that makes their smiles all the more divine.

Faith is an incredibly important element in what we do here at ROWAN & bible study is something we can all enjoy together. Today we use photographs to take us back in time to 2010 & catch bible studies in progress for all the people of ROWAN. Combining effective literary education using the most popular […]

Another post in our series featuring portraits of the amazing men, women & children of ROWAN. We are truly enjoying looking back over the years & appreciating how far we’ve come. Some of those featured have encountered troubles, but that makes their smiles all the more divine.

Recently we posted a few flashbacks featuring the art of beading (part 2) as practiced by the people of ROWAN. Today we go back to 2010 to see more about the process of hand making the beads themselves. Another big step in enabling ROWAN members to learn more about starting a business & earning something […]

Recently we posted a flashback featuring our 2010 Singapore launch event where people came together to support the ROWAN cause. Today we want to share another fun day of celebration & fundraising in Acton, California in August of 2010. The LOVE ROWAN event featured live music, food & handcrafted jewelry. Some pretty amazing patrons came […]

The latest edition of our favorite series featuring portraits of the amazing men, women & children of ROWAN. We are having a blast looking back through the years to see how far we’ve come. Some of those featured have encountered sad times, but that makes their smiles all the more divine.

Another edition of the series featuring portraits of the amazing men, women & children of ROWAN. We are definitely enjoying looking back through the years to see how far we’ve come. Some of those featured have encountered difficulties, but that makes their smiles all the more divine.

Recently we posted a flashback featuring our 2010 Singapore launch event (& part 2) where people from all walks-of-life came together to support an important cause. More than a one-time event, this night was the launch of something much larger, a symbolic door has opened for Singaporeans to begin investing in the lives of women […]

ROWAN is just finishing up painting our new lab building, and soon they are headed to pick up the supplies needed to stock the lab for the new year. Currently we have one clinical officer named Patrick that runs the lab, and soon we are training our current nurse named Rachel to do the same.

Recently we posted a flashback featuring our 2010 Singapore launch event where co-founder Kelsey shared the stories of ROWAN through video, images & jewelry made by the amazing people of ROWAN. This event brought together a huge variety of different people to create a day filled with fun, laughter & of course some amazing handmade […]

Another fun post featuring portraits of the amazing men, women & children of ROWAN. It’s such fun to look back through the years & see how far we’ve come. Some of those featured have encountered difficulties, but that makes their smiles all the more divine.

February 7th is National Black HIV/ AIDS Awareness Day, a day celebrated for raising awareness for this epidemic in black communities. Similar to World AIDS Day on Dec 1st, the 7th of Feb is meant to raise awareness, show support for those who suffer & remember the people we have lost.

The latest post in the series sharing our collection of images featuring the amazing men, women & children of ROWAN. It’s so much fun to look back over the years to see how far we’ve come. Some of those featured have encountered difficulties, but that makes their smiles all the more divine.

The 2010 Singapore launch event was buzzing with African beats & colored with inspirational celebration. Bringing people together from the healthcare sector, churches, artists, entrepreneurs, ministry partners, colleagues & friends. It was great fun & for an incredible cause, a fun day to remember in photos!

As ROWAN is in Uganda, we thought it would be useful for readers if we shared a bit more about our amazing country. This is an incredibly diverse land with a huge variety of animal & plant life to discover. One of Uganda’s favorite residents is the endangered common chimpanzee.

Recently we posted about the opening of a new well dug in 2010. A post filled with images of clean water splashing & big, happy grins all around. Today we wanted to show a little of the process behind digging that well & the people involved in the project. Another fun flashback that helps us […]

Another edition of beautiful portraits (& another Egulansi!) from our huge collection, featuring the amazing men, women & children of ROWAN. Each one of the people in these portraits is dear to our hearts. Some of them have encountered struggles, but that makes their smiles all the more divine.

Another edition of lovely portraits from our enormous collection, featuring the amazing men, women & children of ROWAN. Each one of the people in these portraits is absolutely dear to our hearts. Some of them have encountered struggles, but that makes their smiles all the more divine.

In 2010, Mawanga entered into a crisis when the one water source serving 4,000 people suddenly broke down. So on August 5th, a local crew brought their heavy machinery & dug a new well for the village, a week later they had a clean source of fresh water again. Today we go back to 2010 […]

Along with Kenya & Tanzania, Uganda is home to the largest tropical lake in Africa, Lake Victoria (also called Victoria Nyanza) & the 2nd largest freshwater lake in the world. One of the 7 natural wonders of Africa, Lake Victoria is the reservoir for the Nile river.

Lately we have been publishing a ton of fun flashback posts, including beautiful portraits & other information about life at ROWAN. Today we go back to 2010 to see some ROWAN members learning about & going into business for themselves. The business of handmade beads!

As we continue to share our enormous collection of images, we are featuring the amazing men, women & children of ROWAN. Each one of the people in these portraits is absolutely important to us. Some of those featured have encountered hard times, but that makes their smiles all the more divine.

As we work our way through an enormous collection of images to share, we are featuring the amazing men, women & children of ROWAN. Each one of the people in these portraits is important to us. Some of those featured have encountered difficulties, but that makes their sweet smiles all the more divine.

Although Uganda’s largest crops are bananas & plantain, this fertile country also grows a number of other equatorial crops. In fact, their largest exports are almost all agricultural.

The latest edition of our huge collection of images featuring the amazing men, women & children of ROWAN. It’s great fun to look back to the beginning & see how far we’ve come. Some of those featured have encountered rough times, but that makes their smiles all the more divine.

Another installment from our collection of images featuring the amazing men, women & children of ROWAN. We have so many amazing photos to share. Some of those featured have encountered hardships, but that makes even their small smiles all the more divine.

Now that we have shown everyone about the Ugandan love affair with the banana, we thought we’d share some recipes from the people who eat more of this fruit than anyone on the planet. If anyone knows how to cook bananas, they do.

In this series of posts we are featuring the amazing men, women & children involved with ROWAN. Every one of these amazing people has a story to tell, some encountering difficulties along the way. To us that only makes their smiles all the more divine.

In this series of posts we are featuring the amazing men, women & children involved with ROWAN. Each one of these amazing people has a story to tell, some encountering difficulties along the way. To us that only makes their smiles all the more divine.

Uganda is a country filled with lakes & rivers, including the largest lake in Africa! All of that water makes great growing conditions for many crops, especially bananas.

We are having a great time sharing our collection of photos featuring the amazing men, women & children of ROWAN. That said, we’ll keep right on sharing them. Some of those featured have encountered hardships in their life, but that makes their smiles all the more divine.

Lately we have been publishing a lot of flashbacks, including beautiful portraits & other information about life at ROWAN. Today we go back to 2010 to see the early days of members learning about & going into business for themselves. The business of beads!

Throughout the years we have amassed a huge collection of photos featuring the amazing men, women & children involved with ROWAN. As promised we continue to share them with our readers every week. Some of those featured have encountered struggles, but that makes their smiles all the more divine.

Everyone at ROWAN is wishing our readers a safe & happy New Years celebration. Have fun, be safe & enjoy the rest of your holiday season.

As we share our enormous collection of images, we are featuring the amazing men, women & children of ROWAN. Each profile, each smile, each lovely pair of eyes is important to us. Some of those featured have encountered difficulties, but that makes their sweet smiles all the more divine.

Another edition in our collection of photos featuring the awesome men, women & children of ROWAN. It’s such fun to look back to the early days & see how far we’ve progressed. Some of those featured have encountered hard times in their life, but that makes their smiles all the more divine.

Just a quick note to wish all of our readers a very merry Christmas. We hope all of you had a blessed year & we look forward to another exciting year of sharing with you.

We have a enormous collection of images featuring the amazing men, women & children involved with ROWAN. It only seems right to share them with everyone. Some of those featured have encountered difficulties, but that makes their smiles all the more divine.

We have a growing collection of photos featuring the amazing men, women & children involved with ROWAN. That said, we’ll keep right on sharing them. Some of those featured have encountered struggles in their life, but that makes their smiles all the more divine.

Through the years we have collected an huge selection of photos featuring the amazing men, women & children involved with ROWAN. As promised we will keep sharing them with our readers. Some of those featured have lived through rough struggles, but that makes their smiles all the more divine.

We have a great big collection of photos featuring the amazing men, women & children involved with ROWAN. It only seems right to keep sharing them. Some of those featured have encountered struggles in their life, but that makes their smiles all the more divine.

We have such a fun collection of images featuring the amazing men, women & children involved with ROWAN. We decided it only seems right to keep sharing them. Some of those featured have known struggle in their life, but that makes their smiles all the more divine.

We have a enormous collection of images featuring the amazing men, women & children involved with ROWAN. It only seems right to share them with everyone. Some of those featured have encountered difficulties, but that makes their smiles all the more divine.

December 1st is World AIDS Day, a day for celebration here at ROWAN. It is a day to raise awareness about this affliction, show support for those who suffer from it & fondly remember the people we have lost to it.

We have a huge collection of pictures featuring the beautiful men, women & children involved with ROWAN & felt we should share them with everyone. Some of the people featured have had a difficult time, but that makes their smiles all the more divine.

At ROWAN we strive to help women & children in need. Our main objective is to keep everyone in need fed, healthy & learning new things or skills. Your donations & sponsorship help us see our vision, allowing us to focus on the important things: hugging, loving & building a future for the people who […]

We have so many pictures of the beautiful men, women & children involved with ROWAN that we felt we had to share them with everyone. Many of these people have suffered a difficult time, but that makes their smiles all the more divine.

Above all ROWAN’s work is to help women & children in need. Our main objective is to keep everyone fed, healthy & learning new things or skills. Your donations & sponsorship help us see our vision, allowing us to focus on the important things: hugging, loving & building a future for the people who need […]

As some of you remember, Christmas of 2015 was a special one: ROWAN surprised community members in Mawanga, Uganda, with 250 goats.

The health center is an important part of every ROWAN members life. From the teeth to the body, preventative care is essential. Donations are a lifeline to this rural clinic & the patients that they care for.

The ROWAN pineapple project began in 2007 & two years later they were rewarded for their work with a bountiful crop. If you haven’t already seen our first post of pineapple pictures be sure to go check it out.

In 2007 ROWAN members began their pineapple project (who knew pineapples took 2 years to grow?). Their labor of love paid off in August of 2009, when they were rewarded for their patience with a beautiful crop.

So, you’ve seen us encouraging our sponsors to write to their sponsees through our online messaging portal. You’re wondering, “Does my message make a difference?” “What’s the big deal?” We’re here to tell you yes. And we’re here to tell you why.

As the team flew back home to America last week, Pastor Paul mentioned he had a pain in his leg. By the time he reached the hospital, he could not walk. Thankfully, the doctors immediately located a large blood clot and took action quickly.

Early (eeeaaarrrrrly) this coming Sunday morning (12:01 am, to be exact), a team of college students and their leaders will begin their trek over to the ROWAN village in Uganda.

MEET CANA DITTY

In May of 2008, Pastor Paul Nyende and I registered ROWAN as a 501(c)3 with hopes and dreams to empower widows and orphans from helplessness to hope. As we look back on the last 10 years, we have accomplished exactly that. It has come with it’s ups and downs as you can imagine, but the […]

DONATE HERE The Mayo Clinic describes Hepatitis B as “a serious liver infection caused by the hepatitis B virus (HBV). For some people, hepatitis B infection becomes chronic, meaning it lasts more than six months. Having chronic hepatitis B increases your risk of developing liver failure, liver cancer or cirrhosis — a condition that permanently scars […]

Last week, we had the great privilege of meeting with one of our dedicated donors, Little Man Ice Cream. We used this time to thank them for all that they’ve done and enabled us to do – and most importantly, how they’ve impacted and empowered our orphans and widows.

Recently, the ROWAN community decided to start 2018 off right: together. The local ROWAN Staff Members work tirelessly throughout the year to help others, ensure needs are met, and to fill in any gaps when something needs to get done.

Friends of ROWAN, Can you believe we’ve already been here for TEN YEARS?! We are overflowing with thankfulness, and we certainly could not have accomplished this much without all of your help, prayers, support, and generosity. While we eagerly anticipate the finished construction of the Hall of Hope (which will open just in time for Christmas 2018!), […]

At 73 years old, Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni was only two years away from the constitutional age limit to serve as president. However, he just signed into law a new amendment, which abolishes the age limit, thereby allowing him to extend his presidency. Since the beginning of his presidency, Uganda has seen many notable improvements. […]

The turkey is gone, the shopping madness has subsided (slightly?), and today, we slow down and zoom out to refocus on giving even when it hurts, empowering others when we’re out of energy, and generating hope when all we want is to take a nap. slice of great news #1: Giving Tuesday isn’t a one […]

Revive Fit Studio approaches fitness holistically by addressing the body, mind, AND spirit of every participant. Not only do they invest deeply in those attending their classes, Revive is also very involved in expanding ROWAN’s ministry to orphans and widows in Uganda! Founder Megan Prentice visited the village—and returned home with a dream and the passion […]

How the Kenyan Re-Election Affects Our Student, Eddy Eddy (pictured above on the right) is currently finishing law school in Nairobi. During Kenya’s recent presidential re-election, which was scheduled after the annulled results from the questionable one in August, Eddy shared with us that he was feeling very nervous about the political climate and fearful about […]

Break out the party hats—we have an exciting update! Co-founders Kelsey and Pastor Paul have enjoyed 30 beautiful, busy days together in America, but it’s time for Pastor Paul to head back to Uganda with some incredible news: By God’s grace and your generosity, Phase One of the Hall of Hope is FULLY FUNDED! Phase […]

“We have started a movement: A movement with all of you people, who have different skills and ideas—all to improve the lives of widows and orphans affected by HIV and AIDS, so that they may be powerful agents of change in their communities.” — Pastor Paul   Traveling from the east coast to the west with […]

If you clutch courage tightly in one hand and compassion in the other, we want you on our team! ***The original deadline for this trip was August 31st, but we wondered if we missed a few compassionate trailblazers. If that’s you, we don’t want you to miss out on the opportunity of a lifetime! So we […]

Meet sweet little Alian Walwigi. He’s only 1,000 days into his adventure on earth, but he’s wasted no time dreaming up some big plans! About Alian: – Alian’s grandmother has taken care of him for his whole life. Despite his age, he lightens his grandmother’s load by helping with chores, whether that involves fetching water […]

psssst—if you’re a sucker for free desserts and changing the world, keep reading! What do cupcakes and ice cream have to do with helping orphans and widows in Uganda?   The Dessert Stand What’s better than art that’s made out of sugar and used to help others? Yeah, we couldn’t think of anything either, until we […]

Celebrate with us! This precious boy is the first baby to be born in ROWAN’s prenatal clinic. Amuge Hadija is a brand new mama, and babies don’t come much newer than this beautiful baby boy of hers. He may be the first one to be born here, but it doesn’t look like he’ll be the last—we are expected […]

KEEP READING FOR EVEN MORE EXCITING NEWS! Pastor Paul is traveling all the way from Uganda to the United States to meet all of you! As ecstatic as we are to have him here at last, our great news doesn’t stop there— Pastor Paul’s purpose in coming is to help raise funds for … (drum-roll please) … […]

Today, people all across the world are celebrating the significance of friendship! Instead of just talking about it, we want you to see for yourself! We hope you enjoy these snapshots of the deep joy, resilience, and hope found in friendship and in the fabric of fellowship in Uganda.        Thank you for taking a […]

What kind of market is it, you ask? Well, the “everything” sort—the thousands of vendors at the three-story, four-acre Jinja Central Market meet a vast array of the needs and desires of locals and tourists alike. In a single walk-through, a shopper can purchase anything from fruits and vegetables to clothes, shoes, and furniture; they can acquire electronics, […]

Although we would love for all of our readers, sponsors, donors, and partners to visit the people and villages they help from afar, we acknowledge that there may be many practical obstacles and challenges in getting you there. So, we figured we’d use some facts and figures to bring Uganda to YOU! Our purpose in providing […]

As of late June, Mr. Robert Kyagulanyi Sentamu was elected as the newest member of the Tenth Parliament of Uganda. He has long been known by his performing name, Bobi Wine, but before he was known as Bobi Wine, he was not well-known at all. After transitioning from his humble beginnings in the ghetto to a career as […]

 We recently partnered with two other organizations to tackle a problem plaguing thousands of rural Ugandans: the shortage of clean, sustainable water sources.   To date, ROWAN has dug six wells, but we serve over 35 villages. Some villages already have wells, but many are still getting water from stagnant ponds. We decided to do something about […]

This sounds like the beginning of an absurd joke; instead, it’s the genesis of a dream—and you’re invited to join! Activate your imagination for a moment: You are an orphan. You are infected with or affected by AIDS. You are living in rural Uganda. You know that education is the key to a better life and that it […]

The story of how a simple sponsorship blossomed into a friendship Corissa Morrison is a nurse from Southern California and has been a dear friend to ROWAN for many years. Recently, she went to the village for two weeks to assist our newly opened Hope Clinic! While there, she had the opportunity to spend time with her […]

These men have ventured lovingly into the void of Uganda’s most vulnerable people Why do they do it? They have no familial or legal obligation to serve ROWAN’s orphans and widows; they easily could have said, “Not my problem.” They didn’t. They don’t have to stay, but they do. For these men and others not pictured, being on staff […]

Education in Africa: From Horror to Hope It’s June 16th—the International Day of the African Child! Beginning in 1991, the African Union designated this day as such, setting it aside to honor the students who were massacred during the Soweto Uprising of 1976. During the uprising, South African students marched for their right to a quality […]

We asked for prenatal care support, and you gave it. As ROWAN is serving diligently in the 30 surrounding villages, the need for prenatal care was evident. And because we now have an official clinic, it was our dream to kick off our prenatal care unit as our Mother’s Day Wish. You heard our dreams, […]

Last week women around the globe celebrated International Women’s Day! According to www.internationalwomensday.com, the ten International Women’s Day values are: *Dignity *Hope *Equality *Collaboration *Tenacity *Appreciation *Respect *Empathy *Forgiveness *Justice   The women that we are privileged to work with in Mawanga and surrounding communities embody these qualities. So many of them have overcome major […]

Land is indeed the greatest investment. ROWAN bought 13 more beautiful acres close to our center! Many of us think there is plenty of land in the rural areas, but it is not so easy to find the right plot. Much of the land is owned by certain clans, which is terribly hard to buy. […]

Happy New Year from all of us at ROWAN!     We are so excited to see what God will do in and through ROWAN in 2017! We envision increasing the amount of sponsored orphans and widows, continued success through our saving’s groups, thriving businesses and the opportunity to impact so many lives in Mawanga […]

We are so thankful to God for blessing this ministry and providing for our needs. We could not have done all that we accomplished in the last year without our loyal sponsors, prayer partners and fellow non-profit organizations with which we network. Highlights of 2016 This past year has gone by so quickly and was […]

Christmas is a season centered around the person of Jesus Christ; how He came to earth as a baby and was the greatest gift to mankind. Many people around the world celebrate by giving gifts to each other and spending time together rejoicing that the Christ child was born in a manger many years ago. […]

This is a season that can get so busy amid the packed schedules, growing to-do lists and preparations for the holidays. But it is good to stop, change our perspective, and remember how we have been blessed. So much has happened in the past several months on the ground in Mawanga and surrounding communities. Our […]

“World AIDS Day is observed each year on December 1 and is an opportunity for people worldwide to unite in the fight against HIV, show their support for people living with HIV, and remember those who have died. Started in 1988, World AIDS Day was the first ever global health day.” (www.worldaidsday.org) This past July […]

Thanksgiving has come and gone; the frenetic shopping for bargains on Black Friday followed swiftly after and there is even an option for those who wish to buy things online in the comfort of their own home called Cyber Monday. Social media has turned into a platform for so many things such as human connection, […]

  Even though Thanksgiving is an American holiday, the principle of having hearts full of gratitude can be universal. At ROWAN we have so very much to be thankful for and today, in preparation for the upcoming holiday, I would like to share just a few things on our list.     1) Our Great […]

Give a sleep bundle today!   Can you imagine having never slept on a mattress before? For many that is a harsh reality…and it carries more consequences than you might consider. Although Uganda is a country with a fairly temperate climate year round, temperatures still drop in the evenings. During wet season the dirt floors […]

One of the things I love about our leaders in ROWAN is their willingness to lead by example. They never ask our members to do something they are unwilling to model first. And this is no exception. In Rural Uganda, often finding a way to create a steady income can be a struggle. But we […]

We can’t do what we do without our supporters and are truly thankful for each donor, volunteer and partner in this ministry.     God is so good to us! For another year we have been awarded as one of the top rated non-profit organizations on greatnonprofits.org Here is a sampling of the reviews we […]

Sponsor today!   October is nearly finished and Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day are right around the corner. We have specific holidays in America that the majority of the population celebrates in some way. But often, I think we are unaware of national and international holidays that have been established to bring recognition and […]

Sponsor today!   This was a gift Esther never dreamed she would own. The simple act of sending this made a lasting impact. One of our sponsors gave Esther, a widow in our ministry, a sewing machine! She started shedding tears, she could not believe someone thought to give her something so special. She can […]

Conflict in parts of South Sudan continues, and as a result, hundreds of thousands of people are being displaced to neighboring countries. Many of those refugees face food shortages, life-threatening illnesses and the fear of imminent violence. Other difficulties include an abrupt halt to education, the hyperinflation of food and necessities and inability to receive […]

Donate Toward Goat Project     We just received a large donation in honor of a little boy who loved goats, and have put those funds to good use. We have 50 more goats in the villages! Now 300 members and their families have been impacted by these unassuming farm animals. Besides being adorable to […]

As we are full swing into the political race to the white house here in the US; listening to debates and determining which candidate to vote for in the upcoming election, we should remember to be grateful for our freedom of choice. While those at the forefront of the race may seem less than desirable […]

Recipe: East African Chapati Chapati is a popular flatbread in Eastern Africa that is slightly reminiscent of the Indian flatbread by a similar name. Made with mainly flour and water, this ‘tortilla’ of sorts is grilled or cooked in oil over the stove and either eaten plain or rolled up with a filling inside (Rolex). […]

Guest post by Hannah Dorpfeld from June team 2016   Returning to ROWAN and arriving in the little village of Mawanga to see familiar faces, calling names I had not spoken in so long and embracing believers from an ocean away showed me the meaning of God’s global church. Jesus tangibly showed me what He […]

Mukama Yemubezi Saving group   Founded in the Nakafunvu village in the Naitandu zone, this savings group was established in 2013. They started with a membership of 30 participants and saving anywhere from 1,000-5,000 Uganda shillings. Since their beginning over three years ago, this savings group has gone from accumulating 4 million to doubling that […]

The 25th of every month is #orange day — promoting awareness and prevention of violence against women and girls. Action Plan for Orange Day, 25 August 2016: Safe and secure working environments for women and girls     “Break the silence. When you witness violence against women and girls, do not sit back. Act.” ~ […]

Contribute to Micro Enterprise Projects Here   Time to highlight another savings group! We are so grateful to God for the evidence of His goodness through these programs. Read about how people’s lives have been drastically impacted in a matter of a few years.   Yesu Amala Village Savings group – Bunalwenyi Zone   This […]

Follow your heart. Reach for the stars. Pursue your passions. Never give up on your dreams. Uganda in the Olympics: Rio 2016 Track & Field – Stephen Kiprotich – Solomon Mutai – Halima Nakaayi – Joshua Cheptegei – Jacob Araptany – Peruth Chemutai – Benjamin Kiplagat – Timothy Toroitich – Stella Chesang – Jackson Kiprop […]

  Youth Leading Sustainability is the theme of International Youth Day 2016! This year, ‪#‎YouthDay‬ focuses on the leading role of young people in achieving sustainable development through sustainable consumption and production. Be part of these efforts in achieving the ‪#‎GlobalGoals‬ and celebrate International Youth Day! Learn more here.   “Young people are not only […]

  Today I want to share about Revive Fit Studio — ROWAN’s newest business partner! I interviewed Megan, one of the co-founders and owners of this barre studio to get a better idea of who they are, what they stand for and how they are striving to impact lives through business.   1) What was […]

Sponsor today!   “Jesus loves the little children — ALL the children of the world.”   Sometimes this ministry of helping orphans can seem overwhelming. So many have lost one or both of their parents to disease or poverty. My heart aches for those who are hurting — specifically those who are orphaned and suffering […]

The word Mawanga means “a coming together of tribes & nations.” For anyone who has ever been to Mawanga, this is a known fact and we forever have family in a small village in rural Eastern Uganda. Pastor Paul has welcomed people from many different countries through the years, and each time lives are impacted, […]

Contribute to Micro Enterprise Projects Here     Biva Muntuyo Saving Group This particular savings group is comprised of members from Special Group in ROWAN. They are part of the Bwalula zone and just began saving early this year. They started with a minimum of 2000 Uganda shillings and a maximum of 10,000 shillings. For […]

Contribute to Micro Enterprise Projects Here   We have so much exciting news to share with you about our savings groups! People are coming together and encouraging one another to cultivate a culture of savings.     Mukama Mwesigwa Savings Group This savings group was founded in Mawanga village, and has an active membership of […]

The world’s youngest nation — South Sudan, formed a mere 5 years ago, is on the edge of civil war once again.   photo credit   South Sudan declared its independence from Sudan and formed a republic in 2011. Tensions between warring tribes have been mounting and fighting broke out in Juba, the capital city, […]

Today we have a guest post from one of the members of our team that went to Mawanga in June. Here is what Christine has to say about how the trip impacted her life, and photo credits go to Hannah, another team member from Cornell University.     “For two weeks in June myself and […]

Give towards urgent needs!     Not too long ago, we had a flash fundraiser to raise money to help buy food for those suffering from famine in Uganda. Many rose to the occasion and gave generously, including Little Man Ice Cream and their scoop for scoop program. Due to unpredictable weather patterns, many crops […]

Contribute to Micro Enterprise Projects Here   Using training from Care International in Uganda, community members have started several successful savings and loans groups to promote self-reliance and encourage others to reach their goals and follow their dreams. From these groups we have seen many small businesses born! Our founder, Pastor Paul calls these groups […]

Sponsor today!   Sometimes it’s the little things that make the biggest difference. Less than $2 a day adds up over the years and eventually can lead to great success. Don’t underestimate the impact sponsorship can have on shaping young lives and empowering our students to succeed.     Mariam is our most recent graduate […]

Uganda generally has two seasons; wet and dry. However, due to climate changes in the past several months the dry season turned into a severe drought followed by torrential downpours that destroyed crops and homes. As a result, many are experiencing famine in Uganda — especially those in the rural areas where ROWAN serves.   […]

We hear and share so many stories on a daily basis here at ROWAN. They aren’t always easy to listen to, and many times we feel helpless when we see the need. But we are called to be faithful in the task God has set before us, so we persist. And every time we are […]

  Together we can accomplish much more than we can alone! We continually strive to add new partnerships to our network to create a community of businesses and organizations with similar missions. Today we are highlighting one of our awesome partners, Mustard Seed Boutique. Mustard Seed Boutique is a small, online clothing store that delivers […]

Mothers all around the world have learned the art of multi-tasking. They carry their babies close when they are young to keep them safe, to develop a close bond; but often need to be able to do other things as well. Many women have to carry their young ones while providing for their families. Whether […]

There has been a lot of “behind-the-scenes” work going on at ROWAN lately. Our local leaders recently met in Uganda to determine strategies for moving forward in ministry. They discussed the mission and vision statements for ROWAN, pillars of ministry and how that factors into our short and long term goals. This strategy meeting helped […]

Almost two weeks ago, 35 people from 12 different non-profit organizations and 2 businesses gathered for the 2nd annual Denver summit of Uganda Unite. Our theme was to strengthen strategy for maximum impact in this incredible land of contrasts. We all share the same love for the country and people of Uganda and it was […]

Today our Christian Union team leaves the United States and heads to the village! It is a small team, but we are honored to have students and staff from Cornell and Harvard Universities as part of our June 2016 team.     Hannah, who is one of our own is returning to the village for […]

Our villages want to volunteer and build homes with these 3 brick machines! It’s amazing to see the impact that one brick machine can make, and thanks to you generous donors, we have three! The communities we serve in rural Eastern Uganda have had many struggles due to an intense wet season, and many people […]

Tomorrow, fourteen organizations will be involved in our 2nd annual summit for Uganda Unite! We are building on what we learned from each other last year and striving to focus on key issues facing non-profit organizations in Uganda. We are thrilled to have Unbridled Acts hosting this event again and so thankful to Unbridled Solutions […]

Sponsor today!     Remember baby Shukran? She was born prematurely and the odds were against her to survive. But not only did she survive, she is thriving! Look at this chubby little girl. She received the nutrition she needed and she is growing and developing wonderfully. It is hard to believe that she began […]

With an extreme dry season followed by very heavy rains, crops in Uganda are suffering. This past planting season many in our village planted numerous crops awaiting temperate rains to provide a fruitful harvest. Unfortunately, that rain was replaced with extreme heat and dryness and followed by monsoon rains leaving crops in complete disarray. At […]

Donate to our Mother’s Day Project!     What are you giving your mom for Mother’s Day? We just raised funds for three brick machines to use in our villages in Uganda — you can help us rebuild hope by purchasing a bag of cement!   What usually happens locally is people either build using […]

Sponsor today!     ROWAN is a faith-based community of widows, widowers, caregivers and orphans affected by the plight of HIV/AIDS. We have been in existence since 2008 and are now supporting over 300 members across 30 villages. Together we create holistic approaches toward poverty alleviation, resulting in self-reliance. ROWAN supports the widow or orphan […]

Mother’s Day is Sunday, May 8th! Mother’s Day is just around the corner… Celebrate that special woman in your life by not only getting her something to make her smile, but also giving to a worthy cause in the process. ROWAN is excited to be able to partner with Amazon smile. By shopping at smile.amazon.com […]

  Here at ROWAN we are so blessed and fortunate to have many individuals and organizations that partner with us in ministry. Networking with so many people around the globe has advantages and we are constantly blown away by the generosity we experience. One of our most recent donations came in the form of baby […]

Want to join our intern team?   KiKi Leigh McDaniel just spent a week in Mawanga, serving alongside Pastor Paul and learning from the ROWAN staff while ministering to the people there. Here is an excerpt of her experience and what she wanted to share with our readers.   “Abundant thanks to you, Pastor Paul, […]

Time to Dream   As an organization, we have many upcoming exciting events. Some of you may remember the Hall of Hope in Mawanga. The building process was started, but has yet to be finished. And we were recently blessed with the funds to be able to purchase land for expansion purposes. Since acquiring this […]

Donate Toward Goat Project   Many of you were involved in our recent efforts to gift all of our orphans and widows, plus staff with a goat this past Christmas. And while you know the goats are doing well from an update Kelsey shared, we cannot forget to share the impact these goats have had […]

Contribute to Micro Enterprise Projects Here   George is a beneficiary of ROWAN and recently went through the business-training module held in Mawanga. One of his main sources of income is growing passion fruit…yum!     Here he is spraying his passion fruit garden and preparing for the harvest. There is nothing that tastes as […]

Donate towards the ROWAN love bus!   One of the most interesting things in Uganda is the various methods of transportation that are used. Depending on where we were, there many options available, from bicycles, boda-bodas (motorcycle taxis), cars, and taxis. Now when you think ‘taxi’ a certain picture comes to mind, right? Usually a […]

Unbridled Acts     “Through the Uganda Unite Network, ROWAN has grown deep friendships with other non profits across the country of Uganda- one of them being Unbridled Acts. Unbridled acts is in a time of transition for their organization, so a few of their international board members, friends, local staff and founder Beverly Harris […]

Donate Toward Goat Project Goats are Giving Birth! I just got off the phone with Pastor Paul asking the biggest question, “How are the 250 goats?” Pastor explained that they are all doing very well. Some recently gave birth and pictures are on their way to us! Last week we had a vet come and […]

  “Women and girls make up more than half the world’s population — and they are on the frontlines — often more deeply impacted than men and boys by poverty, climate change, food insecurity, lack of healthcare, and global economic crises. Their contributions and leadership are central to finding a solution.” – See more at: […]

Uganda recently had national elections, but there are other countries in East Africa dealing with issues relating to government imposed standards on its people. While there are many who would question the validity of the democratic process in Uganda, in comparison to its neighbors it is considered a country with relative stability and general prosperity. […]

Today I want to share a recipe for one of my favorite sweet treats I had while in Uganda. Mandazi is the East African version of fried dough and is somewhat reminiscent of a doughnut. Mama made them for us several times while we were in Mawanga and they go great with coffee, tea or […]

Many people are completely unaware that elections took place in Uganda last week. But for those of you who were fervently praying, and acutely interested in the outcome, here is a brief update.     These verses were chosen as ROWAN’s theme verses for 2016. And even amidst all the chaos in recent days, we […]

  Remember the business training module we had for villagers in Mawanga and surrounding communities? Believe it or not, that took place six months ago!   The model of educating used in this particular program was to: – Train – Launch – Mentor – Grow And the purpose was to equip these individuals with necessary […]

  I’ve traveled to several different countries in my lifetime. The purpose of these journeys was varied; vacation, visiting a friend, college choir trips, and of course missions. And while I learned much from being in these locales, I have come to realize there is a certain attitude when it comes to cross-cultural missions. You […]

ROWAN is privileged to partner with so many amazing individuals and incredible organizations, all over the world! One of these organizations is Sole Hope, and today I just want to share a little bit about this vital ministry. I was introduced to Sole Hope a little over a year ago when I decided to have […]

So many unique individuals, so many different backgrounds, such varied organizational goals, but a shared passion for a small country in East Africa. Uganda Unite was several months ago, but we continue to see the ripple effect to this day. Friendships formed, relationships built, mentoring actively happening, collaboration to reach a shared goal — all […]

  ROWAN is a faith-based community of widows, widowers, caregivers and orphans affected by the plight of HIV/AIDS. We have been in existence since 2008 and are now supporting over 300 members across 30 villages. Together we create holistic approaches toward poverty alleviation, resulting in self-reliance.   3 PILLARS OF OUR SPONSORSHIP PROGRAM: 1) FINANCIAL […]

  Are you looking for an alternate way to celebrate Valentine’s Day this year? Do you have a heart for serving others and learning how YOU can make a difference? ROWAN has an event on February 13th in Colorado Springs that will offer these opportunities and more.     This Valentines Day, let’s focus our […]

God is capable of so much more than we can ever ask or think. He goes ahead and paves the way and is constantly working behind the scenes in our lives. We see this on a consistent basis through answered prayers for ROWAN. Today I want to share one way that our loving heavenly Father […]

Election day in Uganda is fast approaching. Feb 18th is the day when voters decide who will be their leader for the next term. Yoweri Museveni, Uganda’s current president has been in office since 1986 when the National Resistance Movement (NRM) placed him in power. Currently, there are no term limits applied to the office […]

SCRIPTURE UNION CAMP 2015   Hi folks , meet our fresh ROWAN young leaders (who recently returned from) the annual scripture union camp 2015 at Gayaza High school. We are proud of them because of the positive impact they will cause in the lives of several souls for Christ. Keep praying for them. Mbuyaa Nyasaaye, […]

Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ~ Matthew 11:29 ~     Our ROWAN staff in Uganda just returned from their annual retreat. These dedicated leaders have families and responsibilities of their own, yet choose to […]

Sponsor today!   Happy New Year to you and yours from all of us at ROWAN! For many people this is a time of reflection over the past year and resolution to make changes and improvements in one’s life over the course of the coming year. Personally, I have a love/hate relationship with New Year’s […]

As we reflect on the Christmas season, I wonder if you have an especially memorable gift that comes to mind when you think back on your life. Perhaps it was unexpected or came from someone whom you love dearly. Now imagine receiving a gift for the very first time. Many of the recipients of these […]

Donate to Culver Christian Church Summer team! This church team will go for three weeks to help with kids programs, widow and caregiver training and much more! Support the members below!

What is the deal with Antlers? Many of you may have received our antler pendant in your Buddhibox Subscription! And just so you know, this box went out to 2,000 people who will hear about us for the first time! So if this is your first time to our site, welcome. We are so glad […]

Greetings in the Lord from brothers and sisters across the ocean! I have the great privilege of sharing the stories of these precious people and how God is working in and through lives in Uganda. Today I want to share our most recent victory and how provision is made for His people. This post will […]

  Most of us commute somewhere on a daily basis, whether it is to work or school. Recently I moved much closer to my job, which makes my commute only a few short minutes every morning. But I’ve found that I take things for granted. Things like transportation, the ability to own a vehicle that […]

ROWAN is able to operate because of the many partnerships God has allowed us to make with various organizations around the world. We are blessed to have so many valued partners and sponsors who help keep ROWAN alive. One of those organizations is SOLIBAD. Combining solidarity and badminton and proclaiming the slogan of “Badminton Without […]

“This is proof that the spirit of God through ROWAN has given people hope to live again, as we are looking towards the positive ending of the lives of all our family members. Restoring the living HOPE to the HOPELESS” -Pastor Paul, Founder ROWAN Celebration December 1st was a day of celebration for the people […]

“Men and women flood our local village office with their HIV+ card dreaming to join our ministry and fight this battle with hope. As we conduct numerous HIV training courses and educational seminars, individuals are realizing they don’t need HIV to define them. They have worth. They have a voice. And the fact is, their […]

Meet our nurses – Christina and Rachel!   From staff member Sam Kifuko: “The total number of individuals that they follow up with on a regular basis is over one hundred people. Since becoming full-time staff members of ROWAN they have been able to visit all 114 people in our programs and have gathered important […]

  We serve a powerful God and He controls the weather. Here in Colorado we enjoy four seasons, sometimes all in one week or even in the span of a day! In Uganda there are two seasons; wet and dry. The wet season is a time of plenty, many crops are grown and produce is […]

Give a Goat Today   A few years ago, my immediate family decided to start a new tradition. We wanted to change the way we gave gifts. Rather than buying something just for the sake of getting a gift, we wanted to do something to meet a real need. We wanted to give back to […]

Have you ever been homesick for a place you have never been? I was for nearly three years. God placed Uganda and its precious people on my heart and I began praying. I prayed for direction, I prayed for wisdom and I prayed for a chance to make a difference. Little did I know where […]

Make a Difference — vist our Etsy Shop!   You’ve heard of them. Various cooperatives that send out monthly subscription boxes. Boxes of beauty samples, organic snacks, wine, coffee, chocolate of the month and even fun activities for kids. I used to receive these monthly missives and loved knowing I would get a small package […]

Contribute to Micro Enterprise Projects Here     We started with a dream, which grew into a plan that is now reality. Back in 2011 ROWAN agreed to grow passion fruit for three main reasons: 1) High demand for passion fruit in the local markets 2) Passion fruit grows on a vine, so it is […]

Donate to Urgent Needs!   Remember these boys and their sweet grandma?   Ajuma Winfred is the grandma to Moses, Moses and Moses! Their house was falling apart and no longer in safe condition to live in. Our sponsors answered the call to action and raised money for materials to build a new house for […]

Contribute to Micro Enterprise Projects Here   Sustainability: the ability to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.   We recently completed a month-long program for business training in Mawanga. The purpose of this training was to equip our people with the necessary knowledge […]

Just for fun, I thought I would post a few recent reviews on ROWAN. The reason we excel is because God is in this work and continues to transform lives through this ministry, both here and across the ocean. So here are a few different perspectives about us. We can’t do it without God and […]

  “Sustainable income for hardworking Ugandans through recycling old tires into new treasures” Ever heard the saying ‘one man’s trash is another man’s treasure’? Once again God is using that to teach us if we are willing we can use anything to glorify Him…even tires. Luket Tired, a division of Luket Ministries founded by Adam […]

So you all know we are ROWAN and what that stands for (Rural Orphans & Widows AIDS Network). But I’ve discovered here and abroad that there is so much stigma surrounding the terms “HIV positive” or “AIDS”. There are so many questions that go unanswered and people often just accept what they hear as truth. […]

  We are so excited to share that we have achieved this status — but we couldn’t have done it without you! Thank you for your kind reviews and for believing in what ROWAN stands for and supporting our mission.   Rural Orphans & Widows Aids Network Inc Rating: 4.97 stars 37 reviews 1,766 views […]

“Just because it isn’t happening here doesn’t mean it isn’t happening.”   There is a video circulating social media that has gone viral. It depicts a young Syrian girl throughout the course of a year. At first she is happy and carefree, surrounded by love and security. Then her circumstances begin to change and her […]

  About two weeks ago at this time, I was in the midst of our very first summit for #Uganda Unite. Over seventeen different organizations were represented, ideas were shared, dreams were voiced, relationships were formed and we saw what we could do together to effect change in Uganda.   It was refreshing to be […]

At ROWAN we believe that hope doesn’t disappoint. In the villages we have seen our share of sorrow and pain. These people have families and face struggles and endure hardships. Recently we experienced the loss of one of our sweet mamas during childbirth. Shukran, the premature infant that was born at only 4 pounds seemed […]

Exciting things are happening in Mawanga this month!   This week started the month long process of business training for local ROWAN members in Uganda. Wafu, who is a trained educator, is passionate about teaching and is leading this business module. We have chosen 50 individuals to go through this program provided through Business for […]

This past week at #UgandaUnite I had the privilege of gathering with over thirty people who share the same passion for Uganda. We met and dreamed together about the future of this beautiful country. We exchanged stories, wisdom and resources. And we talked about our biggest strengths and revealed areas of weakness. We must actively […]

This day has been anticipated by so many for quite some time now. We have planned for, prayed over, and poured into this event. Uganda Unite is finally happening! We are so excited about the potential this meeting could have and how that will be manifested in the days, weeks and months to come. The […]

  ROWAN exists to carry out the Biblical mandate of caring for the widows and orphans found in James 1:27. By being the hands and feet of Jesus we are able to meet their physical needs, but also go much deeper and show these precious ones that they are valued and valuable.   In a […]

Here at ROWAN we are getting so excited for next week and the unique opportunity to connect and network with others who share the same vision. In less than a week we will be gathering 17 different organizations with a presence in Uganda that are headquartered right here in Colorado! ROWAN has organized this summit […]

That’s right, Moses and Moses are brothers living with their sweet grandmother Ajuma. We recently realized how terrible their current hut is and we need to act fast. Many have stepped up to support this effort. Join us to reach the $2,000 mark in order to start building now! Check updates on Instagram and Facebook. […]

Here at ROWAN a big part of what we do is networking. Whether it be another organization that can offer certain services to our people or a local business dedicated to making a difference, we partner together to make a bigger impact. One of these partnerships is with Mustard Seed Boutique located right here in […]

Lauren and Ben are back in the village diligently pursuing the work God has called them to do. A big part of the reason they are spending so much time in Mawanga deals with property rights. And they are diving into the property rights program right now. Property grabbing is a prevalent problem and Lauren […]

Eddy is one of our own, and proof of the success ROWAN has had in this community. His story is incredible and inspiring. He started as an orphan with a bleak future, but he has achieved so much and come so far. He is the first student to attend university and recently graduated with his […]

Last week I posted about the upcoming business classes that will change the course of our history. Today I want to share about some of the widows who might be involved. They are resilient and refuse to accept defeat, even amidst great opposition. Though many of them face challenges and stigma as a result of […]