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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.  

When the new restrictions were announced, ROWAN began working to put together a plan that would allow us to help our widows and orphans during this new lockdown.  After much thought and prayer, the board felt that the best course of action for ROWAN would be to provide our widows and orphans with food distributions during this time.  To this end, we recently set up a new donation campaign called Food to Families.  Every dollar donated through this campaign will go directly to the purchase of food goods that will help ensure that our widows and orphans are fed during this time of quarantine.  In addition to the money raised through the Food to Families campaign, ROWAN’s board made the decision to move our budget around from our sponsorships and put that money toward buying food supplies for all those under our care during this lockdown.  

We are grateful to those who have already donated to our Food to Families campaign as well as those who make donations through sponsorships.  Your generosity is making a tangible difference in our ROWAN communities.  We also want to give a huge shout-out of thanks to Little Man Ice Cream for their very generous donation.  Because of the generosity and love shown by all of you, we were able to send $13,000 to our Ugandan team for the purchase of food supplies.  

Food prices in Uganda keep increasing and ROWAN is working hard to ensure we are ready and able to distribute food goods to our widows and orphans throughout this lockdown.  With your help, we can make sure none of them go to bed hungry during this time of quarantine.  

All photos in this post are by Bob Ditty

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 those results with all of you.

Of the 15 participants, 9 of them felt that the Marketing and Research training provided within the course was the most beneficial for them.  The training on Business Start-up Ideas and Techniques came in a close second, with 5 of the participants stating that they found this to be the most helpful. 

When asked what their favorite part of the entire training course was, one of the participants said that it made them want to show more love.  A few of the participants wrote that their favorite parts of the training course were the activities that helped to reinforce the business training they had just received.  For the majority of the participants, however, it was the inclusion of a scriptural-based curriculum that stood out for them.  One of the scriptural passages that truly  spoke to the majority of participants was James 1:5 “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.” (KJV) 

As I read through the survey results, I was struck by the sense of gratitude and hope for the future that the participants expressed in their responses.  There was one response in particular that really stood out to me as I read the completed surveys; it was an answer to the question of ‘ What was your favorite part of the training?’.  This participant wrote that their favorite part was the “idea that everyone has a legacy they leave behind”.  As I read that I realized, once again, how truly alike we all are.  We all have a legacy we leave behind and it is up to us to make sure the legacy we leave is one of goodness and hope.  

All photographs by Bob Ditty

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 Role and Calling”.  Pastor encouraged the close-to-20 team members there to see their work as a divine calling which should be honored and observed.

“As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace.”  1 Peter 4:10 

The board and staff created and took ownership of the following FIVE goals:

1. To work in love harmony and unity with colleagues.
2. To ensure ethical conduct while at place of work
3. To ensure workplan development and integrity while at work
4. To ensure timely report development and submission
5. To ensure team work and time management in work processes

Pastor Paul welcomed four new board members and four new staff members. Their names and roles are as follows:

New Board Members:

• Malinga Isaac…Board Chair & in charge of Health Affairs

• Sam Davis Kuloba…Organizing Secretary & in charge of Sponsor Affairs

• Tom Musira…..Secretary &in charge of Human Resource Affairs Edith Edith Nyende…………Board member & in charge of Entrepreneurship & Farm Management

New Staff Members:

• Onyango Valiriano…..Farm Manager

• Nkonoka Scovia………Sponsor relation staff-1

• Rachael Babirye………Sponsor Relation staff-2)

• Joy Namuganza………Project Officer

Pastor Paul with three new board members who will use their experiences, talents, and skills for transforming the ROWAN organization in even better ways.

New ROWAN staff: From left, Onyango Valiriano (Farm Manager), Nkonoka Scovia (Sponsor relation staff-1), Rachael Babirye (Sponsor Relation staff-2), and Joy Namuganza (Project Officer)

All those who participate in ROWAN programs appreciate and are blessed by the hard working board and staff. May God give strength to each of the 20 team members who follow HIM and work together as a team to care for so many widows and orphans.

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 in cases is believed to be due in part to the arrival in Uganda of the new variants of the virus that have been seen in India and South Africa.  These new variants are more infectious and have been shown to have a higher hospitalization rate.  In her article for VOA News, Halima Athumani shared statistics that highlight the exponential growth of COVID-19 infections in Uganda; Ms. Athumani reported that for the week of April 25, there were 256 new COVID-19 cases reported but by the week of May 16th, new COVID-19 cases in Uganda had risen to 1060.  In addition to the arrival of the new, more infectious, variants of the virus, Uganda is facing a vaccine shortage emergency.  According to news reports in Uganda, the existing supply of COVID-19 vaccines has run out, and it is unknown when future shipments of the vaccine may arrive.  The president of Uganda, Yoweri Museveni, is expected to address the country on Sunday with an update on the COVID-19 crisis and the actions the government is going to take to try to slow the spread of the virus.

The second wave has seen the COVID-19 virus reach the communities ROWAN serves.  Even though our communities have not had any COVID-19 cases over the past year, ROWAN has been working hard to help people in our communities be as knowledgeable and as prepared as possible for the arrival of the COVID-19 virus.  While our ROWAN team in Uganda is doing all they physically can to help our community members weather this storm, we also know there is tremendous power in prayer.  There is a quote by Angus Buchan that says, “There is power in prayer.  When men work, they work.  But when men pray, God works.”  We have seen firsthand the power of prayer in action and we are standing with our community members, our Ugandan team, and the Ugandan people in prayer.   Please, join us in praying for our ROWAN communities and for the people of Uganda as they face this new threat. 

All photos in this post are by Bob Ditty

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 ROWAN ministry.  With each harvest and goat, we grow closer to reaching that goal. 

To help ensure our growing farm is running smoothly, we recently hired a new farm manager.  His name is Onyango Valiriano. 

We are excited to have him as a member of our ROWAN team and we believe he is going to do an excellent job!

With the growth of our farm and goat herd, we have seen our water needs increase.  The closest well is over 1.5 miles away and our farm manager is having to make 3 trips a day to the well to meet the farm’s water needs.  It has become apparent that we are in desperate need of our own well on the farm.  So we are reaching out to each of you and asking for your help.  The cost to build a well on our farm is $5000 (USD).  If you are able to make a donation, of any size, please click here to be taken to our Goat Well Campaign page.  With your help, we can build a well that will have an impact for good for many years to come.   

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 get to share the exciting news that our Learning Center is now open!  

We currently have 4 teachers working at the Learning Center and have different curriculums for each grade level.  In-person learning is done in groups based on grade level and these groups rotate weekly.  The children love being able to be with their friends and teachers again!  They also have the added excitement of being picked up for school in the ROWAN bus – a bus just for them.  

In addition to the in-person learning each week, students at the Learning Center are given assignments to work on at home.  Rowan staff are making follow-up visits to the student’s homes to help ensure that they are getting their assignments completed.  We are also working hard to give the families the tools they need to be able to support and help their students at home.  

Our Learning Center is the result of love in action and the joy we see in the eyes of the children who attend each day is a beautiful sight to see.

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 year ROWAN has launched our Legacy Program: A four year comprehensive plan for our widows to learn business practices, grow in their faith, practice life skills, increase their passion for their families, all while meeting their physical needs each week.

So what is Mothers to Mother’s Campaign?

We have 18 mamas who need a sponsor to help them through this 4 year program. That could look like:
$38 a month, $228 every 6 months, or $456 a year. They will graduate at the end of 2025! 
What will your mother receive?

1. Your mother will receive a sponsorship card with their photo and details
2. Access to write her letters online *Anytime! She will respond within three weeks of your message! 
3. Updates on her progress in Legacy Program through ROWAN quarterly.
4. An opportunity to visit her mama at her graduation party in Uganda!

Will you consider sponsoring one of these mamas? For your mom, your mother-in-law, your sister, your aunt, your grandmother, your friend, or any special woman in your life who has loved and taught you. Visit the 18 mamas here and consider giving your mom or mentor the gift of loving one of these precious women who are in need of love from someone who has loved you. If you can’t sponsor a mama monthly, a one-time gift goes a long way to sponsor our 18 mamas! Thank you for reading about our mamas and considering changing their lives through the Legacy program. mother’s 

We understand if you can’t give right now. This virus affects us all differently, and we sympathize with those of you who wish you could give but aren’t able to. If you are looking for other ways to help, please share about ROWAN with your family and close friends. Our hearts are with each of you this holiday weekend.

ROMANS 5:5

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 incorporating this training into our higher-level education programs. 

During the first group of sessions with Neema Development, we had 14 ROWAN staff members in attendance.  They were all excited and eager to learn.  These sessions covered things like marketing, business management, business operational skills, customer care, and the understanding of new business trends. 

At the conclusion of these sessions, our staff members all felt more confident in their understanding of the foundations needed to start a new business.  Our ROWAN staff members also said they appreciated the way the trainers from Neema Development referenced the bible throughout the training and they loved learning about the concept of “Purpose” and how it relates to business.  We are so grateful for our partnership with Neema Development and for the opportunity it gives ROWAN to further help our widows and children build a better future for themselves.   

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. 

In addition to being in grade Senior Two, Ibrahim has taken on the responsibility of helping to support his younger siblings.  He weeds the cassava garden and has built a small hut near the house his father was in the midst of building when he passed away.  Ibrahim and some of his siblings live in the small hut he built but it takes a lot of work to maintain.  The grass needed for the thatching is hard to get and can leak when it rains.  During times of drought, the thatching is eaten by termites.  In addition to issues with the roof, Ibrahim and his siblings must also worry about the snakes that creep in during the night.  Despite these hard living conditions, Ibrahim’s faith remains strong and he carries gratitude in his heart. 

Today, we have GREAT NEWS! With the help of his sponsor and other supporters, we are going to build his family a new house! Soon his grandfather and siblings will have a new, safe place to call home. We will post new photos of their house in a few weeks! 

Want to help donate to the next house building project? It only takes $3,300 to build a new house top to bottom! Donate today! 

“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 Josan’s education and in February of 2020, he was able to graduate from the mason skills and building practices program.  To celebrate this huge accomplishment, the Beason’s bought Josan the tools he would need to be able to work in his new industry.

In a letter he wrote at the end of his sponsorship, Josan spoke of his gratitude for ROWAN, its leadership, and his beloved sponsors.  He also expressed his appreciation for the love that he, “a needy orphan” received and for the fact that people were willing to advocate “for a person like me.”  

When we say that we are grateful for each of our sponsors and donors, we are speaking words from our hearts.  Your help allows ROWAN to be able to do the work that our Savior exemplified during his mortal ministry – that of loving and serving our fellow men.  What a blessing that is.  What a blessing you are.  

We wish each of you a beautiful Easter filled with the peace that is found in Christ.