HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!

Agence France-Presse recently reported: "In Africa, the pandemic is still in its "early days", UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned, calling for "global solidarity" with the continent."The pandemic threatens African progress," he said. "It will aggravate longstanding inequalities and heighten hunger, malnutrition and vulnerability to disease," Guterres added, calling for international action to support Africa's health systems and maintain food supplies. In addition, with schools closed across Africa, many experts fear that children who live in poor communities will be set back as they lack access or devices to perform their school assignments on line.

On a lighter note, Joseph Hammond, a 95-year-old WWII veteran who resides in Ghana, walked twO miles a day for a week to raise support for COVID-19 charities. Click HERE to read his story.


Our BPC Team working to stay safe during COVID-19

COVID-19 HUNGER RELIEF

As we reported in our May Newsletter, with the country closure instituted by the Ugandan Government, many in the communities in which we serve have been facing severe food shortages. A number of Align supporters donated money last month to help reduce the impact of hunger. Together with donations from Peninsula Community Church (PCC) in Rancho Palos Verdes who provides a medical mission each year in Bombo, our BPC partners were able to  provide their communities with much needed food.

Bishop Alex Ojera sends his personal thanks:
"The purpose of my writing today is to extend our sincere appreciation for the COVID-19 food relief funds. On behalf of all our pastors and congregations and the many in our communities who benefited from the food donations, I would like to say thank you very much for providing to us during such a time of great need. The distribution went well and all who received food were very grateful. We have been lauded even by people who did not get food from us, because they felt we did a much better job than the government in terms of quality and quantity of what we gave out. The integrity with which the whole process was handled was admired by many. A combination of what we received from Align and funds that we had received from PCC enabled us to provide food to more than 400 families. PCC also raised funds to provide a portion of the salary for one month of all the Donela staff from Bombo to Kakooge. Providing a half salary for the staff instead of full during the shutdown means we will be able to pay them of the month of June as well. Through all of you God has been so good to us! Thank you."

We are in frequent communication with our partners to decide how best to assist them in their efforts. We will continue to keep you updated.

ALIGN'S SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM

We Bless Them So They Can Bless Others We want to introduce you to all the things Align has established in partnership with BPC in Uganda. This month we bring you Align's Scholarship Program. Our Scholarship Program gives godly men and women the opportunity to further their education past secondary school. We currently have 13 students blessed with the opportunity of higher learning at a private trade school, pre-university (junior college) or university and have had three graduates from our program in the last two years. We believe they are empowered to impact their community for generations to come. Each scholar was formerly in our Sponsorship Program and trusted God to help them overcome and heal from past struggles like abuse, abandonment, and/or immense poverty. Despite their challenges, the young men and women in our program have maintained their commitment to academics and service in church. Because of their proven character and diligence, it is with great joy we invest in the future of students whom we believe can help transform their communities. Continue reading for highlights of some of our Scholars! We believe it will put a smile on your face today.

SCHOLARSHIP SUCCESS STORIES

A GRADUATING SCHOLAR

Badda Kiwanuka Wilberforce was orphaned as an older child through the death of both parents and pulled out of school. Under the care of his older sister, Badda and his siblings struggled to obtain the necessities for simple daily living, making the idea of going back to school impossible. After some years, Badda was discovered by a leader at Kakooge Pentecostal Church and put on sponsorship. Through sponsorship, Badda was enrolled in school and able to focus on his studies, no longer worried about where he would get his next meal. His faith and character grew during his time under sponsorship along with his diligence toward his studies. In 2016, Badda’s hard work paid off when he was accepted into Kyambogo University and approved for a scholarship through Align’s Scholarship Program. We are thrilled to report that Badda graduated from the university with a Bachelor’s Degree in Development Studies. Badda intends to use his acquired skills to give back to his community of Kakooge and thanks God for all he’s been blessed with.

A FORMER SCHOLAR, NOW BPC STAFF MEMBER

Meet Millie Akello. She is an amazing young woman who took the opportunities God gave her and is now working as a testament to God’s ability to produce an abundance of blessings. Both a former sponsored child and scholarship, she now works as the Client Coordinator for Align's Life With Hope Child Sponsorship Program. Click HERE to hear her heart-warming story.

LIFE HOME GARDENING UPDATE

Speaking of Millie Akello, below is her report on the vegetable gardens the Life Home children have planted in their community.

Last year, we were able to plant cassava, sweet potatoes, maize, tomatoes, and different types of vegetables. The children were very blessed to eat the food they themselves had cultivated. Not only did it prove to be healthy ... we also were able to save money and put it toward the costs of their upkeep, medical care and school needs. This year we prepared the ground for vegetables as well. The ones we planted are very good in that, in most cases, they are the ones we mix in the sauce (like beans) to make our meals even tastier. The children love it!!! With COVID-19...food prices are way higher than normal. Being able to have this food already in the ground is very good preparation to complement our food supply.

We have also learned that the Ugandan government requires programs like our "Life Homes" to include a self-supporting activity. The children's vegetable gardens should be able to satisfy this requirement so it's turned into a win-win for all!

Life with Hope children working in the Life Home Village gardens - over an acre of land!

DELAYS IN SPONSORED CHILD CORRESPONDENCE

Due to the shut down in Uganda, our BPC partners want to alert you that you may experience delays in receiving a response from any email you send your sponsored child. We appreciate your patience as we work together to resolve. WEEBALE!

One last thing...

Looking for Father's Day gifts? Amazon has some great ideas! And if you shop at smile.amazon.com, AmazonSmile donates to Align International at no cost to you. Just make sure to choose Align International as your charity of choice on AmazonSmile. This money helps to defer our Stripe and credit card fees, and are especially needed in this time of COVID-19 when every dollar counts.