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 transformation that occurs in the lives of orphaned and vulnerable children. This week we would like to introduce you to Andrew, the Project Coordinator at Murole 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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Please tell us a little about yourself, where you are from, where you live and your family.
My name is Andrew, Project Coordinator with Children’s HopeChest at Murole CarePoint, and I am a Christian committed to the Lord Jesus Christ, with great passion for the wellbeing of children.
I have served in child-related ministries for the last 18 years, since 2000.
I am from Kabale, South Western Uganda, and I have been married for the last 11 years to Eunice, who is also a Christian. God has blessed us with four children.
How did you find out about HopeChest?
In January 2013, Norman, whom knew I was with a child-related organization, knew that during that February a CarePoint was to relocate to Murole. He approached me, inquiring if I would be available to support the running of the new CarePoint. With the desire and passion I have for children, I accepted this position for this noble cause of supporting the orphaned and vulnerable children in the Murole community.
What is your role? What is a typical day like?
I am a child advocate and witness for Christ in the community–speaking for the voiceless (children), working hand-in-hand with communities to come up with development initiatives that help with their socio-economic transformation, leading planning, budgeting and implementation of programs.
I also encourage people to get involved supporting orphaned and vulnerable children in their communities.
In addition, I am involved in ensuring systematic programming and implementation of the discipleship program for orphaned and vulnerable children who attend the CarePoint, monitoring the welfare of the children, and ensuring that children grow in the knowledge of God’s word.
What do you like about working for HopeChest?
Children’s Hopechest is child-focused and at the same time aims at promoting the socio-economic transformation of communities. This makes it more community-friendly with an aim to have the community being self-reliant, minimizing dependency.
Children’s Hopechest prioritizes empowering and developing us as staff to be well equipped for better service to orphaned and vulnerable children and their communities. Prioritizing equipping us as staff with relevant knowledge and skills to help us serve better is one of the reasons I have enjoyed working for Children’s HopeChest.
Please share a story about working with a particular child in the program.
I am grateful to God for how far He has empowered us as a team to reach out to the orphaned and vulnerable children. These are children who have gone through different life changing events which indeed seem to cause life-long, adverse effects. By God’s grace their stories are changing.
Jordan, a 12-year-old at Murole Preparatory School, was born to a mother with a mild mental problem and thus is living in abject poverty as she hardly has had enough to feed her children, has had poor shelter, and has been disregarded by many community members.
Jordan was affected by such circumstances, and could hardly attend school as he would prefer moving around peoples’ homes seeking food. He had become truant. This caused me to become close to Jordan and make him a friend, regularly following up with him, praying with him and encouraging him to engage with other children. Jordan now boards at Murole Preparatory School. Unbelievably, Jordan is one of the most well-behaved children, performs well in class with a steady improvement in academics, loves the CarePoint, is able to pray, reads the Bible, and is responsible to himself and other children. It gives me joy and this has always re-energized me to always reach out to children. To God be the Glory.
What do you like to do in your free time when you are not at work?
Being with my kids at home.
How has your faith in Jesus grown through working at the CarePoint?
Being at the CarePoint has given me an opportunity to witness the changes in the lives of children and members of the community, experiencing the love of Christ that children exhibit, and how children’s stories have changed. Through the support from partners there has been a great improvement in children’s lives. Their hope is restored through the word of God and behold things becoming new.
This has encouraged me to appreciate God’s love and ability to change our situations to His Glory.
How have you seen God answer prayer in your life and/or at the CarePoint?
I have experienced God’s special hand in my life through prayer as I serve with Children’s HopeChest. I would experience poor health but the day I prayed and fasted for God’s intervention, I registered an undeniable breakthrough. This has given me the time and power to serve.
Progressive improvement in children’s welfare and their feelings of self-worth/self-esteem.
What have you learned since you started working at HopeChest?
- God works out in his own divine ways to intervene in the lives of children. This has taught me to keep devoted in prayer for God’s guidance.
- Every child has God-given potential and needs to be understood.
- Communities have their desired future, therefore it is important to always engage them in coming up with initiatives to help them achieve their desired dreams.
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Interested in learning more about the day-to-day work of our in-country staff? Sign up for our Global Partners Conference this September to meet Country Directors and hear firsthand stories of transformation!
