May has been a crazy month, we have been able to serve so many people within the Iganga Community. We have entered into the rainy season which has made it cool down a lot and has left many of us with sicknesses such as influenza, malaria, bronchitis, etc. We have continued to see so many children suffering from malnutrition. Aside from all the hard things we experienced this month, we also saw some hopeful things! Thank you to everyone who has donated and prayed for us in the month of May. We look forward to June and all that it will hold for Whispers of Love.
Back 2 School!!
As many students are getting out for summer around the world, our students have gone back for their 2nd term! Thanks to so many of you who made it possible for us to send 26 children back to school and add 5 new children to get the opportunity at a chance towards a brighter future.
Uganda has a big agriculture show during the months of July and August and many of our students will be going for a field trip and they are all so excited for that! Most of our older children have joined sports teams and will be participating in a few events over the next few weeks!
Baby "S"
Baby "S" was referred to us in early May by our local child welfare officer after concerned neighbors brought him in. Baby "S" father has a serious seizure disorder that has gone untreated for many years. As his seizures continued to become worse and worse, he was suddenly unable to care for Baby "S" resulting in him becoming severely malnourished and anemic.
We immediately rushed him to our local hospital in Iganga, unable to find blood throughout Iganga we were forced to travel to Jinja where he was admitted to a children's hospital for his malnutrition, malaria, and anemia. He was there for 3 weeks with one of our staff members while he recovered. During this time, we were able to connect with his relatives and found an elderly grandfather and grandmother. They both have serious health conditions. No other family has been found yet. At this time, his father is refusing medical help. We are currently still working on his case with local officials to see that he is placed in a safe environment whether that be with a relative or one of our foster families.
Fighting Child Abuse
In Uganda so many children are left without parents due to HIV, Malaria, poverty, poor healthcare, etc. Many times these children are sent to live with relatives when their parents die. These children are then seen as maids for their aunts and uncles. They work them all day and refuse them food. This was the case for "AK" also. He was referred to us by our local Child Welfare officer after his uncle abused him for not taking care of his ducks properly. "AK" was hospitalized for several days as he needed stitches, X-rays, and physical therapy to help him walk again. After the incident the uncle disappeared, but we are working with local law enforcement to ensure that he is held accountable for his actions. our social work team has been following up on this case daily to ensure that justice for "AK" is achieved.
"J" or Nalongo
Nalongo is a word in Lusoga that means mother of twins. She was referred to us after she came to the hospital with severe abdominal pains. Her husband left her there without any food or money. When we arrived, she wasn't producing breast milk for her 4 month old babies and was in so much pain. She received treatment for a few days for appendicitis and was scheduled to return in three months for her appendix to be removed.
After two days of returning home, she called us in excruciating pain. She was rushed to hospital and then rushed in for surgery. The infection had spread to parts of her colon and ovaries. The doctors removed her appendix, left ovary, and part of her colon. She is still recovering in the hospital and we hope she is discharged soon. We plan to monitor her and support her while she takes care of her children as a single mother.
Amazon Wishlist
Our construction is going on well and we are hoping to release more pictures of that soon. We have many visitors coming over the next few months and they will be bringing us supplies needed. Shop our wishlist for things to be used in our new babies home!
Prayer Requests:
Pray for the different cases we have been working on and the families we are encountering. Pray that we will be able to give them the help they need as well as showing them the love of Christ.
Pray for the children and women we helped in the month of May and that they will continue to improve.
Pray for our team as each day presents itself with new challenges.
As we are restructuring our organization, we are really growing fast and it is increasing our need for more programs and more staff. If you would like to become a monthly sponsor so we can continue the work we are doing here in Uganda, click the link below.
With Love,
Rachel Gregory and Catherine Smith
Contact us at rachel@whispersofloveuganda.com or catherine@whispersofloveuganda.com
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