Two Countries, One Purpose
Relationships are everything. And it’s not just those in the U.S. reaching out to other countries; it’s the entire Global Church engaging with and learning from each other. As an organization, we seek to foster and steward those vital relationships. Recently, the director of our Uganda children’s program, Bonny Lugayizi, along with program staff member Philip, visited our Kenya children’s program headed by Jane Wathagana to learn, encourage, and dream together. They left their time feeling empowered, equipped and inspired.
Jane (left) with Bonny (center) and Philip (right) looking at land that will be used to build homes for families in our Kenya program.

From Uganda to Kenya

Bonny and Philip traveled to our Kenya program to see it and learn since it has served children for over 16 years. Specifically, they wanted to learn how to open and operate a community center like Kenya’s. They want to create a centralized location for their program serving hundreds of children in the slums of Kampala.

Jane showed Bonny and Philip the Mama Beth’s Children’s center, which includes a kitchen, preschool, offices, and sewing program all on-site, as well as space for special events like VBS and bible studies. They learned about the feeding program serving hundreds of children at three local schools and toured the project site where homes are being built for families in most need.

Giving Back

Jane was excited to have Bonny visit since he has experience running a financial literacy and savings program with women in Uganda. She wanted to learn how to provide this for the women in Kenya. While in Kenya, Bonny and Philip met with women in the community, helping equip them with skills in financial management, entrepreneurship, banking and loans.

Afterward, Bonny shared, “It was an honor listening to their touching stories and getting to hear their aspirations. Many of the ladies are single mothers who depend on petty income from washing clothes and helping out on people’s farms, many times they lack what they need to feed their children, and it’s upon this that they desire to start up a savings group through which they can borrow money and start their own businesses. We shared success stories of the women in Uganda who started this up and now own businesses; some have their own houses.”

Seeing Fruit

This trip had a tremendous impact on both programs in Uganda and Kenya, inspiring and equipping the leaders with the tools they needed to take the next steps in their community development plans. Jane has started a women’s savings group in Kijabe, Kenya, and Bonny has purchased four acres of land to build a community center. Bonny shared, “By building a community center, we’d have a safe, consistent place to offer holistic care to these children, including meals, health checkups and medical care, spiritual discipleship, gardens for training and food, a transitional home for helping street kids get reunited with families, and an office space for our program staff.”

Please join us in praying for wisdom over the planning of this new community center in Uganda. Go here to contribute or learn more about this project.

Together is Beautiful

Bonny and Jane walked away with a great appreciation for one another. They taught each other how to enhance their holistic community development programs. Jane remarked, “This visit was of paramount importance to both organizations.”

In the work we do, relationships are everything. Engaging with and learning from each other, encouraging and dreaming together…that’s how we build holistically as the Global Body of Christ.

community development

Create Hope Ghana – Living Up to Its Name

It’s an exciting time at Forward Edge as we announce the launch of our brand new program, Create Hope Ghana, alongside our 40th anniversary celebration. We’re thrilled to witness the positive impact this program has already made on the lives of 75 children and their families residing in 10 different

Go to Blog »
cuba

Children Step Up for Families

Tough Times It never ceases to amaze me the accomplishments children can achieve, but more importantly and impressively, their hearts behind it. The pandemic has been difficult for everyone, but one of the largest hurdles the families in our programs have had to face is watching the prices for their

Go to Blog »
mission trips

My Forward Edge Story

I had the pleasure of sitting down with Sheri Stanley, our Director of Operations & Mobilization, to hear her Forward Edge Story. While what we spoke about was only a fraction of God’s incredible works in her life, these significant moments were an inspiration to me, and I hope they

Go to Blog »
believing in children

Believing in Ymer

Ymer grew up feeling invisible, his dreams of education dimmed by discrimination and discouragement. But a spark of hope emerged when he joined tutoring classes, where a simple moment of recognition changed everything. With newfound confidence, letters of encouragement, and the support of a sponsor, Ymer discovered his worth and the power of believing in himself.

Go to Blog »
Transform a Child's Life Through Sponsorship

Bonjou (hello), my name is Louina

  • location

    Haiti

  • 12 yrs. old

    01-04-2013

Entered the program: May 2018

Louina lives with her parents and 3 brothers in an unfinished concrete block house with no water or electricity. The kitchen and latrine are outdoors. They lost their original home to Hurricane Matthew in 2016.

To provide for the family, Louina’s father hires himself and his vehicle out as a taxi and her mother tries to sell cold drinks as a street vendor. Their neighbors and the church help to provide them with food.

Sponsorship Level What's this?

Three $38 sponsorships are needed to cover the complete holistic care of one child. Cover one, two, or three sponsorships.