Have you ever wanted to know about the daily lives of our in-country staff? We conducted a series of interviews to give you an inside look into who our incredible and passionate staff in Uganda are.
Our CarePoint staff around the globe are instrumental to the impact that we have on orphaned and vulnerable children. This week we would like to introduce you to Ezekiel, the Project Coordinator at the Obwobwo CarePoint in Uganda! We’re inspired by his compassion for children and his eager heart to serve the Lord in everything he does.
We interviewed him about his daily work with HopeChest, his hobbies outside of work, and how his faith has transformed through his work with vulnerable children.
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Tell us a little about yourself, where you are from, where you live and your family?
I am a humble person who has an ever growing passion and love to act as an agent of change in the lives of people, especially children and their communities through acting as a voice out to the community.
All my life I have loved to interact with people of various unique backgrounds and have found it interesting because of the different way I have viewed their lives from the perspective of our Lord and savior Jesus Christ. In my local church where I go for fellowship, by God’s grace, I am a youth team coordinator.
I live in a beautiful town called Soroti located in Eastern Uganda. I am single and still staying with my parents in a place called Kichinjaji (northern division) and giving them support in any appropriate way deemed possible.
How did you find out about HopeChest?
It was back in 2013 when I had just completed my bachelor degree in Kyambogo University in Uganda. I prayed to God for a job opportunity in which I specified that I would really love to work for an organization which loves and respects him in all their operations, and, as God is so faithful to his word, a colleague of mine told me about Children’s HopeChest, which looked to me like an answered prayer.
I applied in 2014 as a Project Assistant but did not amount to much in the interviews. God wanted to give me something bigger than the Project Assistant, and so I applied again this time as a Project Coordinator in 2015 and was called for interviews for the Project Coordinator. I was interviewed by Mr. Joseph, the Country Director, and Harriet and the opportunity was given to me. This was a turning point and the best moment of my life, and up to date I am the Project Coordinator of Obwobwo CarePoint. It’s all for the glory of God Almighty. And it is the first job which has given me an opportunity to serve the Lord, and I am proud to be part of the Children’s HopeChest family.
What is your role?
At Children’s HopeChest my role as a Project Coordinator is to coordinate activities from the all stakeholders (donors and investors) who have a stake in the project with the Children’s HopeChest Uganda country office through planning, implementation and control and monitoring of progress and status of various activities through monthly, annually, and quarterly meetings and reports such as monthly participation lists, among others.
What do you like about working for HopeChest?
What I like about HopeChest is first and foremost that it gives me an opportunity to serve the Lord through this ministry. Secondly, it gives me the opportunity to meet great men of God through the monthly prayer meetings called the Lord Center Days. These men have increased my knowledge and understanding about the word of God and his purpose for my life. Thirdly, it gives me an opportunity to grow my career by enabling me to go to school, which has empowered me to be the man I am today. I believe I can fully embrace the best that is yet to come my way.
Share a story about working with a particular child in the program?
When I just started working in Obwobwo CarePoint, there was a young boy called Alokei, a CarePoint child. He had a growing infected wound on his left leg which was caused when he was tying a home bull which became aggressive and pulled him around the whole compound and almost killed him. He became unconscious, and this left him a serious wound on his leg which has been growing due to limited attention given to it. It had started rotting and smelling. He could also not attend school.
I received the communication from one of members of the project management committee, and I picked up this boy and took him for treatment. Apparently he is fine, and whenever I look at him, I give God the glory because this has saved more than two generations of his life. And thanks be to Children’s HopeChest for the medical and emotional support.
What do you like to do in your free time?
In my free time I love to read my Bible and inspirational books, watching Christian-related channels, and I also love visiting my parents on weekends and spending time with other brethren in my local church.
How has your faith in Jesus grown through working at the CarePoint?
With and besides conducting discipleship lessons for the children, I have in turn learned a lot about myself through morning devotions, prayer and fasting, and Bible studies among others. My faith has grown due to constant hearing, meditation, and listening through the word of God, and in turn God’s faithfulness has manifested in several ways.
Have you seen God answer prayer in your life and/or the CarePoint?
Yes I have seen God answer my prayers on one occasion, in that I used to be on probation for six months with little hope of whether I would be approved for posting, but I believed God for his answer which indeed he did by my appointment and posting letter to Obwobwo CarePoint. At the CarePoint we have been praying for the health of our children who were not in good health at the start of the project, but thanks to God we have not registered new illnesses in this month of May 2017.
What have you learned since you started working with HopeChest?
I have learned one thing since I started working at Children’s HopeChest. That in all my life I will get knowledge, understanding, and wisdom from the Lord, and I will acknowledge him in all my ways.
