Before I knew Karen, and before my dad met Karen, she lived in South Africa for many years with her late husband. Unable to ever have biological children of her own, she fell in love with Africa and adopted its many children into her heart.
Going through old photos on Karen’s Facebook profile of her time in Africa, I deeply regret not talking to her more about the work she and her husband did to support vulnerable children there.
Karen with mama and her child, who needed procedure for bowed legs
Karen with kids at Lake Tanganyika in western Tanzania
A few months back, my MOPS friend Kristin let me know that her mom had mailed a bunch of my #texasstrong flood relief shirts to her friends in South Africa. Of course, I was overjoyed and immediately thought of Karen watching over this project.
I knew that I wanted to do a special fundraiser with a more global reach for the holidays, and God kept putting Africa on my heart. But I just wasn’t sure what Texas had to do with Africa.
As it turns out, Texas has everything to do with Africa.
Karen’s body may have left Africa but I’m not sure her heart ever did. And when I asked a dear friend of hers (and mine) if she knew of any Texas-based ministries in Africa that we could support this Christmas, she told me about Rafiki Africa Ministries.
Serving the children of Uganda
Rafiki Africa Ministries, a 501(c)3 nonprofit in the state of Texas, was founded by husband and wife team, Joseph and Sara Hamilton Kiwanuka.
Joseph grew up in western Uganda and earned an advanced diploma in project planning and management from Makerere-University Business School in Kampala, Uganda. Sara grew up in central Texas and earned her nursing degree at the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor. Together, they created Rafiki Africa Children’s Home in Kampala, Uganda:
Our goal is to provide the love of Jesus, education, medical needs, food and shelter in a family-style home for orphaned, destitute, and vulnerable children of Uganda.
Why Uganda?
Uganda, East Africa, is a nation of children, with one of the highest population growth rates in the world.
Half of the population of Uganda is under 15 years of age, and it is home to over 3 million orphans, due to civil war, malnutrition and the prevalence of diseases like HIV and malaria.
Uganda is also “one of the world’s poorest countries, with one-third of the population living below the poverty line and a per capita income of approximately $250 per year (rafikiministries.org).”
Current expansion goals
Currently, Rafiki Africa Ministries is working to expand its facilities to accommodate more children.
Joseph, pictured above in the purple shirt, sent me this update about their building campaign:
We have already bought 6 acres of land. Our goal next year is to construct homes, a school and a clinic, permitting us to house more vulnerable, orphaned and abused children of Uganda. This being a big piece of land, it will avail children with a wide range of opportunities like showcasing their natural talents such as music, sports, arts and crafts, dancing, acting and farming.
These flowy long sleeve tees and tanks and slouchy tees and sweatshirts, printed with gold foil, make very special Christmas presents for the ladies on your list.
Thank you so much for your support, friends, and, as Karen liked to say, “Blessings!”
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