In the small rural village of Bukeka, Uganda…

you’ll discover a beautiful community filled with resilient people recovering from years of hardship.

In 2000, Bukeka experienced an HIV/AIDS epidemic that took many lives and left many children orphaned. Today—like much of the world—Uganda continues to face many ongoing challenges due to the global pandemic. And beyond health crises, Uganda has faced decades of war and ongoing political instability.

Children face many of the steepest challenges.

As many as 2.7 million children in Uganda lack day-to-day parental care. And many more parents who do provide still struggle to meet the daily, basic needs of their children.

In rural areas like Bukeka, as a means of survival, nearly 33% of girls are married by age 15. Making child marriage and pregnancy all too common.

And the poverty cycle continues.

Girls like Nusura are at risk.

Nusura is the second of seven children.

Her parents are farmers. And while agriculture is the backbone of the Ugandan economy, it’s a difficult lifestyle. Despite rich natural resources and good weather, farmers in Uganda live humbly.

Nusura’s parents farm a small quarter of an acre, so they supplement their income by raising animals. All of this hard, faithful work still produces an inadequate food supply for a family of nine.

As the seasons continue to change, farming grows more difficult. Nusura and her six siblings are deeply loved, but life is hard.

Education is critical.

Not only does education provide children countless opportunities for their future, but school is often the first line of defense when it comes to protecting children from labor and abuse. So those who don’t go to school remain increasingly vulnerable.

Even students who can go to school in Uganda rarely receive the full education they need in order to thrive beyond graduation. Most students don’t hold a book in their hands until late high school or college.

Nusura has dreams and aspirations. She wants to be a midwife when she grows up. She’s already a leader among her peers. And she encourages her friends to work hard and do right.

While her potential is clear, her opportunities are gravely limited.

But everything is changing for Nusura.

Thanks to the support of committed friends like you, Lifesong has partnered with Global Hands of Hope to support vulnerable children in Uganda by giving them access to quality education, a local church family, health care, food security, safe housing, and vocational training. This includes a Christian school for Kindergarten through Grade 8: Suubi Christian School.

Each year, local leaders identify 50 vulnerable, underprivileged 3- and 4-year-olds in the community. These 50 children are invited to enroll at Suubi Christian School. All at no cost to them or their families.

In 2012, Nusura was one of the 50 children identified by community leaders as extremely vulnerable. She was just three years old at the time, and her family didn’t yet own any farmland. She was invited to enroll and was welcomed into the school with open arms.

Today, Nusura is thriving.

When she first arrived at the school, she was extremely shy, fearful, and sad. But after only 8 months in her class, she became a happy, joyful little girl.

In 2018, Nusura placed her faith and trust in Jesus Christ. 

Today she dreams of her future as a midwife, loves singing in the children’s choir and reading her Bible, and shares her faith with other children. She’s a strong leader, cares for her friends, and will serve her family and community well as she continues to grow into a young adult.

Nusura is also one of a number of children who live in a safe house on the Global Hands of Hope campus. In this secure home, she receives all her daily meals, protection, and consistent discipleship from Christian houseparents.

By the grace of God—and with your help—students like Nusura can gain the tools they need to transition into adulthood with confidence in God and practical skills for a brighter future.

Our hope and prayer is that Nusura and hundreds of students like her ultimately grow up to achieve their goals and reach their community for Christ. Thank you for being an important part of this story.

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Reach more students like Nusura in Uganda.