In 2011 Viva Equip People helped 306 church and project workers and Viva Equip Projects trained 238 organisations to be better equipped in providing quality care and support for children. We were thrilled to receive the following message from Sheeda Nakabuye about how the training transformed her organisation…
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From: Sheeda Nakabuye
To: Viva Africa office
Subject: Improvements at Gateway Mercy Ministries
To all at Viva and the Kampala network,
I bring you warm greetings from the entire family of Gateway Mercy Ministries here in Uganda, hoping and praying that you are doing well.
As you know we are a Christian organisation that helps children who are orphans, abandoned, neglected or children of young single mothers. We are providing accommodation, medical care and education, as well as instilling the best moral values in the children we care for. Thanks to Viva Equip Projects we are now doing this at an even better level.
Since we began the Viva Equip Projects training we have identified some areas that were a problem for us and that we would like to improve. One of these areas was making sure that our place was a safe and good space for the children to be in, where they would not hurt themselves, get dirty or catch diseases.
We are so thankful that when we applied for an Improvement Grant as part of Viva Equip Projects that you entrusted us with the money. We have painted all the walls inside and outside and have properly built the unfinished walls; we have made the toilets clean and with a proper door; and we have been able to put in a covered kitchen area instead of just cooking outside. The training taught us what we needed to be doing for the children and then this grant helped us to actually do it – God bless you!
We had some challenges while we were doing the work, because there were sometimes heavy rains that could destroy the repaired floor and the painting. But as you see we have now finished and we feel so blessed to look around us. We have included the pictures so that you can see this amazing change here.
The children and staff are more proud of their school than ever before. Now our project looks like it is a proper home, fitting for these children to live in. We are also now living in a healthy and clean environment and this has reduced the risk of spreading diseases like cholera or chronic diarrhea, since all the trenches have been repaired.
So I end with special thanks to you again. It is always a joy to be a part of the network and may God continue to bless and reward the work of your hands.
Webale nnyo,
Sheeda Nakabuye
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Thank you for helping to make children’s lives better by improving the quality of the projects that care for them!
If you are not yet a part of this exciting work, please do visit viva.org/equip for more information or to donate online.
