Merry Christmas to all!!!

Thanks again to everyone who helped make the Christmas party in Kamengo a success. Here are some pictures from the party. I hope you enjoy them!!!

And the Winner is......

We had a lot of wonderful contestants in our contest!

But the winner is Roy Martin!!!!!

Thanks again to everyone who participated! You helped us reach our goal!

I can't wait to see the Christmas Celebration in Kamengo!!! Three hundred happy families!!!!! Thanks for showing them the love of God this season!

Trading Ugly for Beauty!!!

We want to trade this...

or this...

for this...

beautiful smiling face in Kamengo!!!


We are having an Ugly Christmas Sweater Contest!!!!!

All you have to do is email us a picture of beautiful you in your ugly Christmas sweater along with a $5 donation. Four dollars will go to buy a mosquito net in Kamengo. One dollar will go into the prize fund. On December 21st we will pick the winner and send you the prize. So tell all of your friends!!!! The more people that enter the more prize money there will be.

If you would like to host your own Ugly sweater contest with your office, school, Sunday School class, or family and friends, please feel free to and send the money for mosquito nets and a picture of the winner so that we can post them for everyone to see.

Please join in the fun and help the people of Kamengo have a joyous Christmas!!!

Thanks, can't wait to see all of the wonderful pictures!!!!

Crafts for Mosquito Nets!!!

I wanted to post some more pictures of the crafts we have available to help us raise money for mosquito nets in Kamengo. We are hoping to buy a mosquito net for each family in the village!!! We need at least 300 nets! Please shop! You can pay via the PayPal button at the right. Thank you!

These trays were made by the women in Kamengo. The smaller 2 on the left are $35 and the large one on the right is $40.

These baskets were also made by the women in Kamengo. They are $25 each.

Salad spoons $25.

Coconut shell necklaces, $25.

All prices include shipping!

Christmas Crafts to help Kamengo

We have some Christmas items from Uganda for sale!!! All of the proceeds go to buy mosquito nets in Kamengo. Her are 2 of my favorites!!! I'll be posting more pictures of other items soon. We have some beautiful bags, baskets, and jewelry!!! Stay tuned!!

Beaded Christmas trees $30, shipping included!!!

Banana leaf nativity $30, shipping included!!!

Great Gift Idea!!!!!

I know everyone is getting started on their Christmas or Hanukah shopping. If you are having a hard time finding gifts for your friends and family, I have a GREAT GIFT IDEA!!! Buy them something they DON'T need. Buy mosquito nets!! For $20, you can provide FIVE families with a mosquito net.
Mosquito nets SAVE LIVES!!! They prevent Malaria carrying mosquitos from biting people while they sleep. Malaria is a very serious problem in Kamengo. In the last 2 years we have had several children and elderly villagers die because of Malaria.
When you buy mosquito nets, I will send you a picture of a family or child from the village. I will also send you a picture of the families receiving their net. It is GREAT GIFT IDEA for the families you are giving the nets to, and to the friend or family member that doesn't need another gift card to Outback. Make a difference with your giving this year. The impact of a mosquito net will far outlast the Bloomin' Onion!
We need 300 nets!!! That means we need 60 people to buy 5 sets of nets for $20. You can do a lot of gift buying from the comfort of your home and with a click of your mouse. Please just click on the PayPal button on the right or mail a check to us at 368 Evans Lane, Jasper, AL 35504.

Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukah!!!!

Clearance comes through!!!

A few weeks ago, I posted about our friend Clearance. He came through for us in a big way today. I was able to buy 68 dresses for the girls in the village today. Each one was only $1!!! I can't wait to see the girls faces when they get their new clothes. If anyone else would like to shop for the children of Kamengo, please start checking your areas clearance racks. It doesn't take long and it doesn't take a lot of money to make a difference in these kids lives. You can mail anything you buy to:
Olwazzi Ministries
368 Evans Lane
Jasper, AL 35504

THANKS!!!!!

It's the simple things

It's the simple things in life that bring joy. What is making Mama Florence so joyful? Mama Kits!! Everything she needs to do her job in a nice clean package. Mama Kits help make sure that each woman that gives birth in Kamengo has the best possible chance of survival, along with their babies.

All of these Mama Kits were given to Mama Florence by Mercy for Mamas. Please go and visit their site and see how they help Mamas all over Uganda. We thank them for all they have done for the women and children of Kamengo and I know Mama Florence can't wait to give them a big hug too!

Our friend Clearance!!!

We have a very good friend at Olwazzi!! His name is CLEARANCE!!! He is really good to the people in Kamengo. Clearance is popping up in Wal-Mart, KMart, Target and other stores around the country. Summer clothes are being marked down to as little as $1!!! Dresses, shirts, shorts all for $1-3 each!!

If you are a bargain shopper and would like to put your skills to work for charity, please shop your areas Clearance racks. We will get the clothes to Kamengo and they will make a HUGE difference in the lives of the people there. I wish I could explain to you the joy and happiness that each of the people in Kamengo get when they get a new piece of clothing!!! It is like they have won the lottery. And it just takes a few dollars. Passing out clothes to 300 kids is better than being Santa Claus anyday!!!!

If you find dresses(to the knee please), skirts or skorts, shorts(to the knee), or shirts for men, women, boys, or girls on clearance and would like to donate them to the people of Kamengo, we will be almost as excited as the people in the village. Please contact us at olwazzi@yahoo.com and we will arrange shipping.

Thanks so much!

They will leave a light on for you

If you are planning a trip to Uganda, please consider staying at Suubi Guesthouse. The guesthouse is run by Godfrey Lwanga, our in-country director, and his wife Tina. They were able to start the guesthouse because of the generosity of Kelly Savopoulos. Here is her story:
Suubi Guest House was started when my mum, sister and I visited Uganda. Through the introduction of a mutual friend, we met Godfrey (who is now known as "God-sent" to us), who showed us around and we immediately fell in love with the country and the people. It was during a visit to the slums of Kampala, when a street child told us that "hope never ends", that we knew we had to get involved in some way.​

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With the help of Tina and Godfrey who share the same enthusiasm and passion Suubi guest house was started. We decided to name the guest house "Suubi" which means hope in Luganda. The intention of Suubi guest house is to help fund a healthcare program in Kammengo Ffunvu and support various projects to help street children. ​

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Through the hope that energised us, we hope that Suubi will continue to spread hope to its guests and the people that benefit from it. ​

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With love and light
Kelly


Please visit the Suubi Guesthouse website for more information.

And if your in Kampala visit Suubi, they will leave the light on for you.

A Bicycle from Colorado

Sorry it's been a while since our last post. It has been a busy summer!!!

Olwazzi would like to say a big THANK YOU to some little people. They are only little in stature and age, they have great big hearts. They live in Colorado and worked really hard to send money to Uganda. Olwazzi was happy to use the money to buy a bicycle for one of the boys in the village.

As you can see, he is pretty happy about it!!! There are some other people that are happy about it, the elderly people of the village. They get water delivered to them now via this young man and his bicycle! Thanks to one little old bicycle, lives are changed!!!!

It doesn't always take a lot to change lives. What could you do to change lives around you or around the world?

Ceasar

This is Ceasar and his mother. Ceasar is a very special little boy in Kamengo. He is vision and hearing impaired, partially paralyzed and HIV+. Ceasar is receiving treatment for his HIV and is doing well. As you can imagine his mother is his world. She has done her best to care for him, but she knows he needs help to live up to his potential. He is going to be evaluated this week by a social worker from Ekisa. Ekisa is a special organization that offers services to the disabled in Uganda. Please pray that they are able to help Ceasar. Thank you Hedda Forquer for setting this meeting up.

If you look in the background of the picture, you will see Ceasar's jaja, grandmother in Luganda. She passed away today. Please pray for this family that is experiencing such a loss.

Updates and Prayer Requests

Titus has had his last procedure and is hearing now!!!! Praise God!!! It is so amazing that what we counsider as a small amount of money has changed his life forever. Please continue to pray for him and his family.

Please pray for Nalubowa she begins her treatment plan. Pray that she is soon strong enough to care for her children and that the family can be reunited.

Two ladies from the village will be traveling to Gulu for training with Days for Girls. Please pray for their safety while traveling. Pray for their families that are being left behind. Pray that they learn as much as possible during the training and that they are able to bring that knowledge back to Kamengo and share it with all of the women in the area. Pray that they have fun.:)

Pray for our upcoming projects, a foster home and a school. Both very much needed in the village!!!

Thanks for all of your support!

Independence Day

Today we celebrate Independence Day in the US. Thank you to all of the men and women who have served our country to help us enjoy the freedoms we have!!! We will never be able to thank you enough for the sacrifices you and your families have made.

Olwazzi would like to ask you to consider celebrating Independence Day by giving the girls and women of Kamengo-ffunvu independence. The girls and women of the village do not have access to feminine hygiene products. This means that they miss out on going to school and to work during their periods. They develop infections and get sick from using rags and other unsanitary materials. We have been given the opportunity to send 2 women from the village to attend a training session by Days for Girls International. Days for Girls is an amazing organization that trains women to make sanitary supplies for themselves and others. The women going to the training will learn how to make kits for women in the village and can teach the other women to make them as well. This would be life changing for these women!!!

We also have a huge praise going up--Nakato and Babirye do not have HIV!!!!! Their mother is receiving treatment for her HIV!! Hopefully the family will be back together soon!! Thank you again to the Ugandan adoptive moms for their help in paying for thier foster care!

Please pray for Kawoya. He is a young boy from the village that was hit by a boda(motorcycle). He was taken to the hospital for treatment and has been released, but still has a long way to go for a full recovery.

Thank you again for all of your prayers and support.

Tuesday Prayer and Praise

The twins and their mom have been going to the clinic for test to determine the a treatment plan for them. Please pray that the doctors determine and implement the best treatment for each of them.

Please continue to pray for the building of a foster home for the village. This will be such a help to families such as this one, who are struggling.

Preventing Orphans

One of the main goals of Olwazzi Ministries it to prevent orphans. Children in Uganda and around the world become orphans in various ways. Mothers dying in childbirth, AIDs, disease, and poverty are all working against the families of the world, Uganda, and Kamengo.

We have been asking for prayer for a mother and her children. She is very sick and has asked that someone else care for her children. She wants to care for her children, she is just too sick and weak. She is getting treatment. Our prayer and hope is that the treatment works and this family will be reunited. Please continue to pray for this with us. Thank you to the Ugandan adoption community for coming together to help pay for the foster care of these children.

Unfortunately this story is not the only one like it. There are other families, in desparate situations. They try to take care of their families. When they can't they turn to their extended families or neighbors. Sometimes they can help, sometimes they are in similar situations and cannot.

This is where Olwazzi is hoping to step in to help. Our next project is a foster home. Our plan is to build a foster home in Kamengo. It would be a place for families in crisis. A place where they could have their children cared for until they can. A place where families are preserved, not where orphans are housed.

All donations and craft sales will go directly to this project. Pictures of crafts will be posted soon. Please consider making a donation or buying crafts to help preserve the families of Kamengo.

Prayer requests-Early/Late

We are asking that you continue to pray for Nalubowa she is very sick and very weak. She is suffering from AIDS and TB, she is receiving treatment, but needs our prayers also. Pray for her twins, Nakato and Babirye, they are being cared for by another woman in the village until their mother is stronger. Pray for our upcoming projects. We will announce more about them soon. Trust me they are exciting!!!! We have several unspoken requests! Please pray with us for these, God knows the need!!! Thanks you

Tuesday Praise

Join us in praises for Titus. He has had his surgery and is already beginning to hear to a small degree!!! Please continue to pray for him. He is having a hard time processing all of this new information he is getting. Pray that he begins to better understand and process the sounds that he is hearing. Pray that his hearing continues to improve. Pray that his fears become fewer and that his joy increases. Please continue to pray for our in-country staff and our upcoming projects. They all need protection and blessings. Thanks for praying with us!!

Apologies and Prayer Requests

I apologize for not having the prayer requests up on time for the last 2 weeks. Last week was the last week of school for us, and the first and last weeks of school are like running a gauntlet for teachers. Now that school is out, I will be updating the blog and adding a few features, so stay tuned. According to the page view counter on the blog, we are almost at 1,000 hits. If you are our 1,000th view please leave me a comment and let me know, we have a prize for you, so keep coming back. Prayer Requests: Please pray for our work in the village, we have some difficult decisions to make and we need God's guidance. Pray for our families, Satan like to attack and get our attention off of our work, we need protection not just for ourselves but our loved ones too. Thank you so much for praying with us!

Tuesday Prayer Requests

Nalubowa is in need of prayer. She is the mother of twins, Nakato and Babirye. She also is HIV+ and has TB. Her health is declining rapidly and there is not much the doctors can do at this point. Please pray that family members can be found to help care for the twins. The water delivery program is under way. Please continue to pray for its success. I hope to have pictures to post soon, the internet in Kampala has been problematic. Please continue for our in-country director Godfrey and his family. Thanks!!!

Tuesday Prayer Time

Thanks for all of the prayers for Elizabeth. I talked to Tina today and Elizabeth is continueing to get better everyday. Please pray for the success of our water delivery program. Pray that it helps build a sense of responsibility and pride in the boys who are delivering water, along with being able to help provide for their families. Pray that the health and well being of the elderly people receiving water are improved.

This is Titus. He has malformed ears and therefore is hearing impaired. Titus will be having surgery soon to correct his ears and hopefully greatly improve his hearing. Please pray for Titus and his surgery. Pray for the doctors and nurses that will be caring for him. Pray for his family. As always please pray for the protection of everyone working for Olwazzi in Uganda, Godfrey and Tina and their family and Pastor David and his family.

God is good………………all the time!

The following blog is a guest blog by Ruth Hamm. Ruth is one of the the 'Canadian Ladies', that raised money for Mama Florence's new birthing center and then traveled to see the beginning of construction. She and Holly and Andrea did so much more and we are eternally greatful to them. Please enjoy her blog.

In the pit of our humanness, I think we all struggle with this from time to time. Psalm 84:11 says, The Lord is our protector and glorious king, blessing us with kindness and honor. He does not refuse any good thing to those who do what is right. In my life I certainly have gone through times when I wondered, “really??” Over time I have learned that the real problem is my idea of what “good things” are. God sees anything that brings me into a closer relationship with him, that challenges my thinking, that grows me, that brings me into obedience as “good things” and they may not always bring me comfort , make me feel warm fuzzies or provide earthly goods. For me, my travel to Uganda was a huge lesson in obedience from day 1 of planning. I was challenged repeatedly that fully surrendering all outcomes was what was expected of me, and my only option, if I was going to be obedient to Gods leading in my life. I travelled to Uganda with 2 other women to participate in several projects. I was made aware of Olwazzi’s work in Kemengo through one of the other women and we began fundraising for Mama Florence’s Birthing Center. We were able to raise the full funds for all the projects we were participating in on an extremely short timeline and saw God come through when at times we were unsure how it would all come together.

Arriving in Kemengo just a few short weeks after having learned that this village even existed was surreal. Being a mother of six children, clearly I have a big heart for children. I was unprepared for how my heart would explode with the love, compassion, pleasure and beauty of the hundred of little faces. We brought cases of soap to the village and handed bars out to the children. The children were organized into 3 lines and each of us women took a line. Despite the language barrier, I felt that I was able to connect on some level with the children. I breathed a silent prayer over each child and whispered “Jesus loves you” to every child I handed a bar of soap to. I pray that someday each and every one of them knows in a personal way who this Jesus is.

The mothers of the village left an indelible mark on my heart also. Their pain-staking hard work, love and commitment to their families under certainly less than ideal circumstances by our standards is beyond commendable. Their hunger to learn a new skill or collect some tiny grains of new ideas in an attempt to provide for their families is remarkable. These women faithfully gathered outside of Mama Florences home every day we visited and we felt blessed to be able to provide them with a sewing machine to help develop another skill that will translate into longer term sustainability for their families also. These women have a huge will and the spirit to provide for their families inside of them. All they need is confidence, a little assistance and Jesus.

Mama Florence………….Oh, Mama Florence! What to say about her…………. Anyone who has met this dynamic and charismatic woman knows just how hard it is to really convey the spirit of who she is. She has a joy and presence that is an encouragement to those around her. Her love and passion for what she does is evident in her every step. It would have been impossible for us to not be excited about the Birthing Center Project as we experienced her laughter, squeals of excitement, bursts of dancing and squeezes of gratitude. What a joy and blessing for us to see the leveling of the old and beginning of the new. The final product photos we have received since we left have pleased us beyond words! Thank-you so very much to Tanya for connecting us to this awesome project and to Godfrey for all the hard work you put into co-ordinating the successful completion of the Birthing Center. As I immerse myself back into my work here at home and reflect on my learnings, I find myself wondering at times, “how in the world does a passion, a calling, a dream of mine since I was seven, become a walk of obedience?” The answer comes to me as, “when God chooses to use it to shape, mold and impact me just as much or more then the people I went to help”. I would challenge each one of you to take a step of Faith and go to Kemengo! God has good things for you there!

Tuesday Prayer Requests and Praises

Thank you for all of your prayers for Elizabeth Tanya. She is feeling better and getting stronger everyday. Please pray for a new program we are launching this weekend. We have bought bicycles and are hiring some of the boys to deliver water to the elderly people in the village. Please pray that this helps solve one of the problems we were having with access to clean water. We want to thank Mercy for Mamas for the birthing kits for Mama Florence. Please check out their website for more information on how you can help support this great ministry!!!

Elizabeth Update

I wanted to let everyone know that Elizabeth is better!!! She is out of the hospital and recovering at home. She is eating and drinking and walking around. She also has a horrible cough still. Continue to pray for her recovery and for the rest of the family. Thank you so much!!!

Update on Elizabeth Tanya

Elizabeth Tanya is better!! Please keep praying, she is still in the hospital. Her Mama and Daddy need prayers too. They are staying with her around the clock at the hospital.

Urgent Prayer Request

Please pray for our in-country director Godfrey's daughter, Elizabeth Tanya. Godfrey sent me a text earlier today that she has been admitted to the hospital with malaria. She is only 18 months old. Please pray for wisdom of those who are caring for her and that she makes a fast and complete recovery. Pray for strength for Godfrey and his wife Tina. I will post updates as I get them, here and on our facebook page. Thank you!!

Prayer Time

I would like to thank everyone for their prayers. They are felt and progress is being made in the village. This week please be in prayer for a new project we are starting. I will post more about the project when we get everything in place to begin. This project will help some of the boys in the village earn money and help the elderly population also. Please help us prayerfully seek answers to the issues in the village and how to implement solutions. Please pray that our work honors God and that He is glorified in all that we do. Our main hope is that people come to know Jesus.

More News and Prayer Requests

We have been able to get the road in Kamengo-ffunvu widened and graded smooth. This will mean that it will be easier for everyone to travel through the village. It will also make it easier for people coming to the village, less stress on the cars and trucks and their drivers. Please pray that this better road is the path to more work being done in the village. Please pray that it will bring more volunteers to the village. Please pray that it will bring easier travel for the villagers travelling for medical treatment. Please pray the road will stay this way for a long time. Ugandan rains tend to wash out ruts and potholes:).




The ladies have been working on their sewing and embroidery too. Please pray that they will continue to develop their talents and be able to better provide for thier families. Please pray that other income generating projects will be successful too.

The Birthing Center is Finished!!!!

Sorry that I haven't posted pictures until now. It was a busy weekend, in Uganda and in Alabama!! Please click on the link to the right and go like our facebook page to get quicker updates!!!

Now, on to what you have been waiting for!!!




Putting on the final touches.






Nice new beds.



A new baby scale, thanks to John Mark.



And a new baby to weigh!!!



The first baby born in the new birhting center and her mom.

Thank you to Keltie, Holly, Ruth, Andrea, John Mark, Melissa, and the Craft Aid volunteers who helped with the project and provided supplies for Mama Florence!! Thank you so much Godfrey for managing the project!! You have had a tremendous impact on Kamengo-ffunvu and we can't thank you enough!

Tuesday Prayer Time

Please pray for Olwazzi as we prepare to make decisions about out next project. There are many needs in the village. Please pray that we meet the most pressing. Pray for the children of the village. Pray that they will be able to go to school soon. Pray that they will have good food daily. Pray that they will have clothes and shoes. Pray that we can show them Jesus.

I wish that I had updates and pictures of the birthing center, but Godfrey hasn't been able to send me any. I will post them as soon as possible.

Thanks,
Tanya

Update on Prayer Requests

Thank you for praying!!

Peter's body has been found and his burial will be tomorrow. Please continue to pray for his family during this time.

Nalubowa has been taken to the doctor and is now being treated for her TB. Please continue to pray for her and the twins, Nakato and Babirye.

Prayer Requests

Please be in prayer for two of the families in the village tonight.

This first family has lost their 14 year old son. Peter went swimming in Lake Victoria and drowned. They have not recovered his body yet. Please pray that he can be found. Pray for peace for the family during this difficult time.

The second family has been ravaged by HIV. The mother is HIV+ and gave birth to twins almost 2 years ago. She has now contracted TB. Please pray that we are able to get her the treatment she needs. Please pray that the TB does not infect the twins who are so fragile.

Updates on the birthing center and other projects are coming soon.

Thank you so much for your prayers.

One step closer!

The plaster has been put on the outside.



The ceiling has been put in. This will make it so much cooler for the ladies!



I think Mama Florence is ready to get moved in.

Tuesday Prayer

I wish I had pictures of the birthing center, but I don't:(. The internet network is not cooperating and Godfrey is moving. I promise I will post them as soon as I get them.

Please continue to pray for the completion of the birthing center and all of the women and children treated there. Please pray for Sunday School and Pastor David. Please pray that revenue will be raised to start an income generation project for the men in the village. Please pray that more volunteers would come forth to work in the village.

Thank you so much for your prayers.

Update and Prayer

Mama Florence's birthing center is coming along splendidly!!!! The windows and doors are in!!

The roof is on! Godfrey's finger wanted to get in the shot too:)!

Hopefully everything will be finished in less than 2 weeks!!

Please pray that the weather will continue to cooperate. Pray for Mama Florence and the work she does. Pray for all of the women and children that will be treated here. Pray for a program we are developing to start a business for the men of the village. Pray for craft shipments to arrive.

Thank you for your prayers and support!