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Our First High School Graduates!
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Front Row: Anthony, Emma O, Ivan K
Back Row: Doreen K, Sylvia, Mercy, Zulufa, Ritah and Allen
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We are very pleased to present to you the first group of Lulwanda children to graduate from High School! They will be headed to University or Trade Schools in the Fall. The children have aspirations to study towards degrees in Medicine (Anthony), Law (Emma), Procurement (Doreen), and Finance (Mercy).
Ritah and Zulufa have already started a Hotel Management and Catering program at Tororo College of Commerce. They secured coveted internships this summer at a major hotel in Mbale. Ivan is working with a local entrepreneur in Mbale and wants to be a business man. Mercy and Doreen are currently working in an internship at a busy bridal business in town. Sylvia will pursue further education to be a Social Worker. Allen will continue her studies in the field of Business Management.
Most of these determined, hard working young adults moved to Lulwanda when it first opened in 2005. They each came from very difficult living situations, knowing pain and hunger from the day they were born. But look at them now! Glory to God for what He has done! Sponsors and donors, we are grateful that you allowed God to use you in these stories of hope. You are now seeing the fruit of lives greatly impacted by your generous donations and prayers. Please continue to support these young men and women as they take their next steps of independence and complete their education.
GICF is proud that we are fulfilling our mission of "establishing sustainable loving homes in East Africa that develop children to reach their full potential."
To watch a video of the graduation ceremony held in the church click here
We are also very proud to report that we recently received the test scores of the Primary Leaving Examinations, and all our Primary 7 Candidates scored well and were promoted to Secondary One (junior high school)! Congratulations to our children and to their dedicated teachers at Lulwanda Primary School! Well done!
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New Children at Lulwanda!
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Lulwanda became home to four more children in late December! These children represent two sibling groups. One group, Dan and Ketty, joined their brothers Kevin and Milton who were already at Lulwanda! The transition for all the new children was very smooth and they are all doing very well!
We thank you for your donations towards our #GivingTuesday campaign in November which covered the costs to bring the new children to Lulwanda.
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Dan, on the left, and his sister Ketty joined their brothers Kevin and Milton who were already living at Lulwanda. A precious family reunion!
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Mark and his sister Whitney also joined the Lulwanda family in December.
Whitney is now the youngest child in our family. She will be 3 years old in August.
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Hundreds of letters from our children were recently mailed to their sponsors. Each letter is sent with a prayer that the sponsor will write back. Letters from sponsors truly are treasured by the children, and often they will stick photos included with the letters on the wall beside their beds. They pray for you daily.
Tips in Writing to Your Sponsored Child
Write about your family, your hobbies, your pets, what your city is like, your favorite foods, anything that will give them a glimpse into your life. Write encouraging words or a prayer for them, and include a photo or two. Does letter writing still seem daunting? Simply buy a Birthday, Valentine, Easter, Christmas or any other holiday card and include a few personal words in it to let them know you were thinking of them and praying for them. It will be the highlight of their month to receive a letter from their sponsor. If your child is away at Secondary School, your letters will be kept until he/she comes back home for school term breaks and he/she will write to you then.
Include your sponsored child's full name on each item in the envelope as we have many duplicate names.
Mail Your Letters Directly to:
Lulwanda Children's Home
Child's Full Name
P.O. Box 1650
Mbale, Uganda
There is no postal code
Currently the price of a Forever Global Stamp is $1.15 for a one ounce letter.
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Continuous progress is being made at Lulwanda with the intent to make us more self-sufficient. Examples include the energy efficient improvements to our outdoor kitchen, the dramatically increased yields from our onsite milk cows and the tree planting strategy on our farm. Click here to see pictures and listen to John Palmer describe these improvements.
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We are grateful to our donors for financially supporting our expanded animal husbandry. The children learn valuable lessons and skills through the raising of animals at Lulwanda. They help produce meat and milk (which reduces the need for food purchases), learn how to farm in better, more productive ways and discover that pigs are fun! Enjoy a fascinating video of the Indigenous Micro Organism Piggery we now have at Lulwanda, thanks to John Palmer's research, by clicking here.
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The rainy season has just started and the maize is being planted. Please pray for a good rain and a bountiful harvest. Last season we experienced drought and then a severe hail storm, which did major damage to crops. Solar panels and the roofs on school buildings and animal pens also suffered damage.
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Referral of medical issues to clinics in town have dramatically decreased due to missionary Ryan Kelley's attentiveness. Because he promotes and implements prevention measures, there have been far fewer serious malaria cases. Malaria can manifest differently in each child. Ryan is learning to recognize the unique symptoms, and administers tests immediately. Our children and staff are much healthier, as they are now being treated for illness and injury promptly and efficiently.
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Korean International Cooperation Agency helps Lulwanda
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A group of Korean university students had been visiting Lulwanda, training the children in hygiene, solar power uses, and math and science. Seeing our computer lab prompted them to apply for a grant through the Korean International Cooperation Agency. This agency was established by the South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade to grant aid for developing countries. They received the grant and purchased, donated and installed 10 new laptop computers for our school! Thank you KOICA and dear Korean visitors!
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Auntie Juliet and Pricilla teach Whitney how to jump rope.
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Auntie Beatrice, in blue, and Margaret, our tailor, chat with Betty and Fatuma.
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Another Lulwanda sibling group, Hellen and Sylvia, happily reconnect during the end of year holiday from school.
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Christmas and New Year's Eve were extra fun because of the visiting teams from America. The visitors were able to interact with the children the entire time because December and January comprise the break between school years. Global Journey celebrated Christmas and the Grace Fellowship team celebrated New Year's with the children and staff. Both teams blessed Lulwanda with gifts, Bible Study, games and fun-filled experiences. A first ever fireworks display at Lulwanda was provided on New Year's Eve to the amazement of the children and surrounding village. Enjoy the show and the squeals of delight in this video by clicking here.
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Pray for our Missionary Families
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Our wonderful missionary families, the Palmers and the Kelleys, work tirelessly, pouring themselves into the daily challenges and blessings at Lulwanda. It's not always easy to follow the calling of God to help care for 120 children while also raising their own families. Please pray for strength, protection and continued joy as they serve the Lord and bless our children and staff.
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Praise Song and Words of Thanks from the Kids!
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Watch this video of our older children singing praises to Jesus. Sarah Fatuma leads the group in offering words of thanks to you, the sponsors and donors.
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We are most grateful for you our dear sponsors and donors. May God bless you abundantly.
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Your partnership with Grace International Children's Foundation through donations and prayer is greatly appreciated. Your partnership in raising these children is instrumental to their well being.
God bless you.
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