UPDATE:  2023 Recap

 

Thanks to your support 2023 has been a great year for Hands for an African Child.
 
We began the year with our first 13 children and four families.  We now have 53 children and eight family homes, each with a mother and father that are committed to be foster parents for the long term to their orphaned children and of course their own biological children. 
2023
The majority of the children are double orphans, both their mothers and fathers have passed away or occasionally one spouse abandons the children and the other parent has died.

In one case the father abandoned his family after joining the army.  The mother was struck and killed by a car and the father wants nothing to do with his children.  As there was no other family member that could take the four children, the government authorities asked us to be their permanent custodians, a responsibility we gladly accepted.  These 4 children were all welcomed into one of our loving homes where they will receive shelter, nutritious meals, and healthcare.
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Our dedicated parents ensure that each child's physical, emotional, and educational needs are met, fostering an atmosphere of growth and personal development.

We plan to grow this community to 200 orphans with 14 total homes for these orphaned children where they will be raised with a father and mother.

We now have 8 couples, each in their own 6-bedroom home, which we have built with your financial help.  All combined these parents have 11 of their own biological children, making 64 children on our property. 
 
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The grand opening of the Nuri Primary School in September was a huge success. 
 
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Prior to the completion of this 8-classroom school we held school in one of the completed homes that was not yet occupied.

We have five full-time, qualified, and engaging schoolteachers and a headmaster that are extremely dedicated to the success of the students.

Nuri Primary School has the capacity to handle 300 students, although we are keeping the class sizes small to help the children catch-up to their age-appropriate class level. 
 
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A high percentage of Ugandan children are behind in their school studies as they have had to drop out for a period because their family could not afford the school fees.  This is a larger problem for orphaned children because of the lack of support they have experienced.

In addition to our orphans, we will provide schooling for some of the children in the community whose families don’t have the money to pay the school fees. 
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Only 51% of Ugandan children complete primary school , two-thirds do not attend secondary school (high school).

We firmly believe that education empowers, uplifts, and breaks the cycle of poverty.  With the support of compassionate sponsors like you, we will be able to provide access to quality education for these deserving children. 
 
At the same time that the Nuri Primary School was finished, the GenWell Community Center was also completed.
 
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This building will have a community & school library, the books are already being shipped from England in a 40 foot shipping container to our site in Bukomero, 40 pallets with a total of 40,000 books!

The GenWell Community Center will also be used for outreach to the surrounding impoverished people in our area where we will offer classes on clean water, improving family farming methods, and English as a second language classes.
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At the end opposite the library and offices is a multi-level “stadium seating” area which is perfect for school choirs and the small classes. English training classes started in October and are being taught by our community nurse.

Yes, we have a full time nurse that now lives on our property! One of 62 applicants that applied for the job.
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These are the first three teacher duplexes,  They will be housing for our teachers,   Slabs have been poured directly across the street from those units for three more.
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Additionally in 2023 we expanded our number of pig barns to three. 
 
The pigs are fed the corn we grow on the property and are sold when they reach maturity.  This is one of the methods we are going to reach self-reliance as a community.
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We purchased 75 acres adjoining our property.
 
This purchase was made possible by a very generous donor.  This additional land will be all used as farmland for row crops like corn and beans.  The profit from these crops will also be used to obtain self-reliance.
 
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The same donor that paid for the purchase of the 75 acres has also donated $75,000 in matching funds for a medical dental building.

We are actively looking for those that would like to make a contribution towards this clinic so that we can unlock those matching funds.  We have currently received $48,000 towards the $75,000 goal.
 
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This clinic, with the Genwell Community Center for triage, will facilitate short term medical and dental “mission trips” that can serve the impoverished living in this area of Uganda.
We have also blessed the lives of over 140 workers and their families. 
They are paid $2.70 to $6.75 per day, depending on their skill level, for which work they are very grateful.  On any given week, we have employed 70 to 100 local workers over the past 3 years.

I recently received this text from Nicholas Mugenyi: “Very much grateful to Hands for an African Child, it has really trained me to become a man. I am today equipped with a number of skills I didn't know about before.”

Nicholas learned to weld while working on our construction crew and is now employed in the construction of the expansion of the main airport in Entebbe, Uganda.

 
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Stainless Steel silos for grain storage. 

 
You may ask what can I do to help?  We need monthly donations to pay for ongoing expenses.  Some of you are already contributing, for which we are very grateful.  If you haven’t already, would you please consider signing up to sponsor a child or parent for one of the following:  Please consider sending this email to your friends, as they may want to contribute as well.

Food cost per child                $30 per month (or $15 for ½ a month)

School expenses per child    $25 per month (for teacher salaries, books and lunch)

Each parent stipend             $80 per month ($160 per married couple) These parents gave up their jobs to move to our community and be parents.

Our website has more information, sharable videos, and a place to donate.  You can set it up for a monthly or a one-time donation at handsforanafricanchild.org

Thanks for your support,

Brian Matthews
Founder/President
Hands for an African Child

 

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