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All is rainy, but all is BRIGHT!

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

Via our online messaging system, Auma Tereza recently shared this current snapshot of life in Uganda with her incredible sponsor, Victoria Scribner (translated by the wonderful Sam Kuloba).

“In Uganda we have two seasons: the Wet and The Dry, which is so exiting, l love that […] and right now we are in the Wet season, where [all the people] in the rural communities are busy in their gardens planting food crops like maize-corn, beans, sweet potatoes, soy beans, etc.”

But in Uganda, rain doesn’t mean it’s cold (average daily highs are around 85 degrees)… and rain clouds don’t mean darkness – at least not with solar power.

Several widows recently shared with Pastor Paul about the impact of solar power.

“The rats used to come in at night and […] now with the light, the rats have disappeared.”

“I don’t have anything to give to you, except to dance for you.”

“I used to pay 200 shillings every time I needed fuel for my lamp. Now I can use that money for food for my children.”

Other students and widows have messaged their sponsors about how much healthier they feel since they aren’t breathing harmful fumes from burning kerosene for light. Some have even capitalized on their new solar power charging ports as a small business opportunity by selling access to a charging station.

Our community is safer, brighter, and better for the light. Thank you.

Uganda’s Lifeline – Boda Bodas

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

The busy streets of Kampala are filled with taxis and boda bodas.

They are motorcycle taxis that will weave their way through traffic to get to their destination in the fastest way possible. They are convenient and efficient, though are more costly that using the taxis in Uganda and can be a little dangerous.

Boda bodas waiting on the roadside for customers.

On my first visit to Mawanga, I was told to take the bus from Kampala and get off at Busesa.  Pastor Paul told me to find a boda boda on the side of the highway and tell the driver to take me to him.  I thought it would be a short ride to Mawanga, but it turned out to be over half an hour.  Here I was, sitting on the back of a boda boda, side saddle, carrying my huge backpack and struggling for my life to hold on.  This boda driver weaved along the dirt roads and paths, avoiding potholes and puddles, all the while keeping this mzungu from falling off the back.  I soon came to realize how talented and knowledgeable these boda drivers actually are.  It is actually quite amazing how these boda drivers can maneuver the busy streets and village roads with their loads strapped on. Many times, they aren’t even sitting on the seat while they drive. Their load takes priority

Boda bodas at the washing bay getting all cleaned up.


You Saw What on the Back of a Boda?

In all my visits to Uganda, I have kept a running list of all the things I have seen on the back of a boda. I am sure that some of you could add to my list with things that maybe you have seen.

Here are a few of the things I have seen over the years: seven bundles of matooke, twelve jerry cans, a windshield, a lawn mower, a father with his four children, another boda, two single bed frames, a dead body wrapped in cloth, a couch, a nursing mother, a live goat, a tractor tire, 40 flats of eggs and a kitchen sink.

A boda with a man holding a boda riding on the back!

Tibita’s Successful Surgery

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

Tibita before surgery

It had been growing there for the past several years, and as you can imagine, fear grew with it. It was incredible news to hear that it was benign and simply needed to be removed. ROWAN acted fast and as of last week, this is Tibita now

Tibita after surgery

We are so thankful to be able to step in and act fast with our local clinic on the scene. Tibita has 3 more years before he completes his diploma in plumbing. He needs one more sponsor to help him reach this goal.

Would you consider sponsoring Tibita today?

We’ve GOAT Great News!

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

(In case you missed it, catch up on the business details!)

Remember Christmas 2017? Many of you donated goats so that orphans and widows could benefit from goat byproducts on a subsistence level. Soon after, many families wanted to gift the firstborn of their goats BACK to ROWAN!

Then, in 2018, a good friend of ROWAN made a generous donation to kickstart it and cover initial expenses. From building a fence, veterinarian expenses, and hiring a Manager to building a home for him on the property, we are almost ready!

We’re ecstatic about this project as animal husbandry is a very resilient industry in this region. Stay tuned for pictures of newborn goats – also known as kids! Until those cute photos come in, keep scrolling for some visual aid 🙂

Christmas 2017
Another photo from that unforgettable Christmas
Land for the Goat Project
Building a house for Robert (the Goat Manager)!
Here is Robert! He can’t wait to get started!

For All of the Lovely Ladies Behind ROWAN

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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.

1. Talitha & Hadassah Lau

This sister duo owns a jewelry company in Singapore – Hadasity – and together, they leverage their profits for good to support five sponsees: Fatuma, Specioza, Ajuma, Janet, and Shanita.

2. Lindsey Bannon

Lindsey is a nurse who enjoys serving on ROWAN’s board alongside her husband, Sean. They have a big family and a powerful international impact behind the scenes! Read more about the Bannons here. Their sponsees include Jonathan, Tapenesi, Sylivia, Mathew, Franco, Denis Sanyu, and Denis Menya.

3. Cynde Carr

Cynde and her husband Chris partner with ROWAN to sponsor six vulnerable Ugandans: Prossy, Emmanuel, Janet, Kekulina, Ivan, and Harman. Our co-founder, Kelsey, enjoyed getting to know both Cynde and Chris on a trip to Uganda back in 2008!

4. Heather Gamberg

Heather is also an entrepreneur – she started a nonprofit, Christian counseling center on her ranch. On top of helping many people locally, Heather and her husband, Tony, proudly sponsor both Janaina and Ibrahim, pictured below. 

Rose is Kelsey’s sister-in-law and, together with her husband Ricky, she proudly sponsors Eunice, Ruth, and Caleb. When asked to describe Rose, the first thing that comes to Kelsey’s mind is “crazy generous.”

Together with their families, the five women listed above sponsor 23 orphans and widows! Because of many generous sponsors in the ROWAN network, we currently have 190 orphans and widows sponsored. Can you help us find 10 more big-hearted friends to help us get to 200?!

More Beads!

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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 from their work.

Flashback to 2010

These flashback photos are an engaging way for us to share the progression of life here at ROWAN, while sharing new (& old) projects that we love. After over a decade, ROWAN (through your donations) has helped a lot of deserving people live a better, more fulfilled life. Enabling them to grow personally, spiritually & financially. Thanks so much to everyone who has helped to make all of the ROWAN projects possible.

Enjoy the Show

We will continue to share photographic stories of the amazing people of ROWAN, both past & present. Their strength & smiles should be an inspiration to us all. Please keep them in your prayers & if you want to help, we’d also love for you to get involved. Plus stay tuned, we have lots more bead photos to share! .

ROWAN Clinic Expandsc

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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.

Did you know we expanded our clinic with a laboratory?

Since ROWAN clinic opened in 2017, we have worked diligently to create a facility that will meet the needs of the local community. We have added a maternity ward with an ultrasound machine, and now this lab will service the entire community. ROWAN members pay .28 cents for each visit, and free lab work and ultrasounds. Non-ROWAN members pay $3.00-$10.00 per visit, depending on the need.

Each month, ROWAN covers the cost of purchasing the medicine needed to care for hundreds of people across 30 villages. As we work toward being 100% sustainable, we need your help.

Donate medicine here

Beading A Future 2

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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!

Stringing handmade beads.

Flashback to 2010

These flashbacks enable us to share the progression of life here at ROWAN, while sharing new (& old) projects that we love. After over a decade, ROWAN (through your donations) has helped a lot of deserving people live a higher quality, more fulfilling life. Enabling them to grow personally, spiritually & financially. A special thanks to everyone who has helped to make this possible!

People of ROWAN stringing handmade beads.
Florence stringing handmade beads.
ROWAN’s Handmade beads.
Hanging strands of handmade beads.
ROWAN’s Handmade beads.
ROWAN’s handmade beads.
ROWAN’s handmade beads.
ROWAN’s handmade beads.

Enjoy the Show

We will continue to share photographic stories of the amazing people of ROWAN, both past & present (be sure to check out more beads. Stay tuned, we have lots of beads photos to share! Their strength & smiles should be an inspiration to us all. Please keep them in your prayers & if you want to help, we’d also love for you to get involved.

Beading A Future

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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!

People of ROWAN stringing handmade beads.

Flashback to 2010

These flashback photos are a way for us to share the progression of life at ROWAN, while sharing new (& old) projects that we love. After over a decade, ROWAN (through your donations) have helped a lot of people who have been affected by AIDS/ HIV live a better, more fulfilling life. Enabling them to grow personally, spiritually & financially. Thanks so much to everyone who has helped to make this possible.

Stringing handmade beads.
Florence stringing handmade beads.
ROWAN’s Handmade beads.
Women of ROWAN stringing handmade beads.
ROWAN’s Handmade beads.
Stringing handmade beads.
ROWAN’s handmade beads.
ROWAN’s Handmade beads.
People of ROWAN stringing handmade beads.

Enjoy the Show

We will continue to share photographic stories of the amazing people of ROWAN, both past & present. Stay tuned, we have lots of beads photos to share! Their strength & smiles should be an inspiration to us all. Please keep them in your prayers & if you want to help, we’d also love for you to get involved.

Flashback – ROWAN Health Center 2009

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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.

Elijah in his own dentist chair.

Working for a Healthier Everyone

The doctors & dentists here offer important services to the women & children of ROWAN, they are forever in our prayers. It’s important to let these amazing people & the donations provided for them to do their work shine as much as possible. They are an essential part of life for many people.

Some pictures of the health center & the people who make it tick.

Elijah working on a patient.
Sparkling clean dental equipment at the health center.
Elijah explaining his process.
Elijah showing off his dental equipment.
Elijah at his desk in the health clinic.
Hospital beds in the health center.
Donated medical equipment in the health center.

A Big Thanks

Thanks to the donations of our patrons, we are able to keep ROWAN women & children as healthy as possible, from the top down! If you’d like to donate to the cause, we’d love to have you as part of the family!