An Update from STAO

Greetings, brothers and sisters in Christ,

I am pleased to be sending you news from SAVE THE AIDS ORPHANS-UGANDA, and hope to update you more frequently in the future.

Life here at the children’s’ home continues to be busy, with over 80 children currently under our care. Besides providing for their basic needs (food, shelter) we sometimes encounter difficulty paying for all of their school fees as well as providing books and other supplies for their studies. We are doing our best to remind the children how vital it is to obtain an education.

Although we are doing our best to provide adequate nutrition for the orphans at STAO, many of them are intermittently ill, and because they live in such close quarters it is not surprising that more become sick as a result. The most common ailments appear to be malaria, worms and respiratory infections. The clinic that operates just beyond the STAO grounds has been providing for the health needs of the children and has been treating them accordingly. In addition to caring for the orphans, this clinic also treats members of the community who come seeking medical help. This also helps cover the cost of the treatment required for the kids. Though this clinic has perhaps had humble beginnings, it is our hope that we will be able to expand and therefore provide medical services to more people in the future. Please join us in praying for this.

We have been blessed recently, financially and with the presence of volunteers from the United States and Canada. They have brought another glimmer of hope to STAO, and most importantly to the children, and have been instrumental in providing such necessities as medical care and supplies, food, and school fees, just to name a few. As a result of their being here, we’ve been able to expand a couple of income-generating projects which we hope will further our goal of sustainability. Specifically, these endeavors include a pig farm and a chicken farm, both of which are in close vicinity to the children’s home. Currently the pig farm is being permanently constructed to accommodate livestock in the coming weeks. We are looking forward to updating you soon on the finished product!

Hens are kept nearby and help to generate further income for our various needs here at STAO. The eggs they produce are sold and the profits go back towards the needs of the children.

The church building on site couples as a classroom for some of our children during the day. We are excited about the changes we are making to our curriculum currently, and with the help of volunteers and our new teacher, we hope to improve the framework of the curriculum for the children in nursery and primary levels. Below are a couple of photos of a few of the children in the classroom. We hope to, at some point in the near future, be able to provide all of the children with the necessary uniforms for school. Your prayers regarding this matter are greatly appreciated.

We continue to be grateful to God for all the blessings He has bestowed upon us, and we wish to extend the warmest of thanks for the support and prayers of our sponsors. There is always need, and God is providing through you! Thank you so much for taking the time to make a difference in the life of a child.

Blessings,

Pastor Nelson Lufafa

Director, STAO)