HOME AGAIN
Bethel Junior School at Home Again Ministry
What a difference a year makes!! In August of 2012, Mitch was able to visit the site that was about to become the Bethel Junior School at the Home Again Ministry. At that time, we were so amazed with the progress that Pastor Andrew and his team had made in a short amount of time. But, it was still just a shell of a building that looked as though it might someday become a school that could house 60 young children. There was no kitchen, no office, no landscaping, no fence, and only about half of the playground equipment was installed.
Last month Mitch was able to take this year’s Man Up team to visit the school again and was so impressed with what God is doing through Andrew, his team of teachers and assistants, and through all of our valuable donors and supporters.
The school has blossomed into 2 school buildings, an office, a kitchen, a full playground, and a fence to keep everyone safe. The school is impossible to miss, since every building is painted in bright, vibrant colors to make it stand out among the many shades of browns that surround it.
Bethel Junior School at a Glance:
! Provide food, education, safety for 115 children ages 3 to 8 years old
! Allows single mothers and widows with much needed child care so they can work
! Located in Jin-Ja, Uganda ! Area of Uganda with almost exclusively widows and single mothers
! Construction of the nursery school, office, kitchen, and Primary 1 classroom is complete. Land purchase is nearly complete.
! The next phase of the project involves construction on classrooms for Primary 2 and 3 classes.
! Approximately $22,000 yearly operational cost.
! 100% of Funds collected go directly to the school.
! Home Again Ministry founded by Pastor Andrew Wakabi
Busting at the Seams!!
One thing that you can’t help but notice is that there are kids EVERYWHERE! Their beautiful, bright eyes are so precious and they have so much joy and pride in their school. We knew that the school had grown from it’s original planned enrollment of 60 boys and girls, but we were shocked to find out that the current enrollment at the school is 115 children between the ages of 3 and 8!
Obviously there are several concerns with the large numbers, including classroom size and staffing issues, but there are also some definite financial fears because this is almost twice the number that we originally targeted. Pastor Andrew did put us at ease, though. He informed us that this school, which was originally built for the kids of the local neighborhood who were shunned by the rest of their society and discouraged from attending public schools because of bullying issues, had now become the model school in the area. There are now over 40 children who are paying to attend school at Bethel because they recognize the high quality education that is being offered. It is definitely an incredible turn of events.
Current Needs
After visiting the school, the women, and Pastor Andrew for a few days last month, we have identified several key items that are needed for the long-term success of the school. All of them are important in their own way and have their own obstacles for being accomplished. Please pray and consider helping us meet
these needs:
- Finish the title work for the school land
- The land that the school sits on was
recently paid in full. However, the government requires some substantial title work performed before the school can officially claim full ownership. The approximate cost of this work is $2000.
- Long term partners to meet the school’s monthly expenses
- The operating expenses are currently paid into the fall, but with an increase in classrooms, comes more expenses with more teachers, food, etc. Monthly operating expenses are approximately $1750 per month and can be covered either by child sponsorships or general donations.
Purchase land for future expansion. Pastor Andrew has verbal agreements with the owners of the land that lies adjacent tothe school to purchase the land as needed in the future for more students and classrooms. This dollar amount is not determined at this time, but will be a focus once the funding for the operating expenses is secured.
- Vocational Programs for the mothers of the children
- The long-term goal of this program is to help children and their families (and ultimately
the school) to be self-sustaining through education, love and support. Several programs have already started to provide education and skills to the adult women in the area, but we hope to have more programs in the future to assist these women to support themselves and their families.
Sponsorship Program
For the continued success of the school, we need to establish long- term funding opportunities for the operational needs of the school. The best means to pay for the long-term expenses is with a child sponsorship program. In the spring, we launched the Bethel Junior School/Home Again Ministry Sponsorship Program. For only $30 a month, you can make sure that a child has the opportunity to attend school every day.
As always, donations for the sponsorship program are fully tax deductible. We have established a relationship with Christian Aid to handle the money for our sponsorship program. Not only are they a wonderful organization to partner with, they ensure that 100% of your sponsorship dollars go directly to the school.
You have the option of paying monthly or yearly and there are a variety of payment methods available to fit your needs. We also have pictures and descriptions for you to look over and choose which child you would like to sponsor. This allows you, as the child’s sponsor, to connect with them through letters and prayers if you wish. Please consider sponsoring a child today.
If you have contributed in the past, we thank you greatly. If you have been hesitant for one reason or another, I encourage you to jump in and help these beautiful people get a well-deserved start to life. Please consider partnering with us, both with financial assistance and prayers.
May God Continue to Bless You!
How You Can Help
- Pray – As Christians, we believe that prayer is very powerful for all of us. Please pray that God will help us find the funding to reach our goal and put 115 little ones on their way to prosperity.
- Join us - You can experience the people, project and everything that surrounds them yourself by joining us on a trip. For more information, visit http://www.ManUpandGoblog.com.
- Sponsor a child – Everyone has the opportunity to ensure that every child has the opportunity to attend school. Sponsoring a child also gives you the chance to personally connect with a young person on the other side of the world. For more information, please email me at mitchhauschildt@hotmail.com
- Donate To Our Capital Fund – Any amount of monetary donation is very helpful. We are partnering with the National Christian Foundation to help us manage our fundraising efforts. They are a 501(c)3 and any donation you make to them is tax deductible as well. Donation checks can be sent to:
- National Christian Foundation 706 North Lindenwood Drive Olathe, KS 66062
- *When making your donation by check, write in the memo "The Home Again Ministry School Fund." so it gets processed to our project It would also be helpful to include a short note with the check stating the fund name to direct them.
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