For an entire month in the summer of 2007, Mafubira was a gracious host to eleven eager visitors. Though each of us muzungu had varied expectations for Tusubira’s Vision Trip, it is safe to say that during our time in Mafubira, we were all met by beautiful individuals, breath-taking landscapes, and above all, by an overwhelming sense of God’s vast love for His people all over the world.
While in Uganda, we met amazing individuals with inspiring stories. Though filled with tragedy, illness, and loss, their stories were also overflowing with hope and conviction. Partnering with the staff and the children at STAO allowed us all to exchange our own narratives, draw from each others’ experiences, and begin to grasp a unique understanding of each other across cultures, borders, and vastly different life experiences.
Through this collaborative effort, we were able to partner with STAO in a number of projects:

Healthcare

* HIV Testing
Testing for HIV is an emotionally trying, but important need in much of Africa. The people of Uganda who know their status can receive free Anti-Retro Viral medicine to fight against HIV. During our stay in Uganda, we hired doctors to test 280 kids and adults at STAO, in the village of Mafubira, and at a neighbouring village, Bugembe.

* Clinic Visits
We made two visits to the health clinic to seek care for several STAO children. Their ailments ranged from Tuberculosis, to chiggers (parasites that entered their bloodstream through their feet), to severe stomach pain. All the children taken to the doctor were doing much better by the time we left Mafubira.

* Clinic Surveys
STAO’s vision is to eventually set up a health clinic at the STAO site as well as a mobile clinic for the village. STAO’s hopes are to provide free medical services and to charge only for medicine and vaccinations. We visited and surveyed over 50 neighbouring households on topic such as their health needs, lifestyle, and HIV status. The results from the surveys will help STAO determine what services and medicine to provide in their clinic. The Uganda District of Health Services recently asked to employ the results of the survey for official use!

Education

* Teaching
We were extremely blessed with opportunity to spend much of our time with the kids at STAO! We practiced conversational English with them, as well as held English classes to teach reading and grammar. What a joy it was to teach kids who were so eager to learn. During our time at STAO, some of the children learned how to write in letter format and used their newly learned skills to write letters to our friends back at home! STAO currently runs a primary school and hopes to have the funds to eventually open a secondary school as well.

* School Materials
STAO was in dire need of new school materials. With a portion of the budget, we were able to buy new chalkboards, workbooks, exercise books and pens for the advancement of the children’s education.

Sustainable Income Generation

* Pigs!
We had the amazing opportunity to work hand-in-hand with the locals to build a pigsty for STAO! With the help of STAO Norway – a partner of STAO Uganda – the orphanage was able to purchase 5 pigs and a cow to start the project. As the pigs reproduce, STAO will be able to sell the pigs for income.* New Building
STAO has been working on a second building for three years now. We were able to use your gifts to help finish the building – adding cement floors, windows, doors, ceilings, and electricity. The new building will serve as a space with multiple purposes: a space for sewing machines for widows’ use, a lab for computer classes, administrative offices, a children’s reading room, and hopefully a health clinic in the near future.

Reflection…

As a team, us muzungu were incredibly blessed not only by our interactions with the Mafubira community, but also in our relationships with each other. Besides sharing the use of a single bathroom, we were also able to share our incredible experiences as a single body! In daily devotions each morning and debriefing sessions at night, we processed our frustrations, our doubts, and our joys together. Whether in rejoicing or in mourning, we worshiped and prayed collectively.
Together, we also experienced the miracle of God’s grace as we carried out HIV testing on the STAO children. The night before the HIV/AIDS testing, we had gathered as a team to pray for God’s wisdom in dealing with the emotionally difficult time we were anticipating. We prayed for the ability to show love to the kids in spite of their status, for hope to comfort the kids, and for His peace to prevail. Little did we know that our tiny, human- sized prayers would be met by a God-sized miracle! In that first day, there were ZERO positives in HIV/ AIDS testing among the STAO kids. Those results blew us away especially since most of the STAO kids are AIDS orphans and because the simple reality is that over 60% of Uganda is HIV positive. In the following days, we would test about 280 children and adults in Mafubira and in neighboring Bugembe. Of those, only 6 were HIV positive.
Our visit to Mafubira was altogether an experience of God’s beauty and blessing even in the midst great difficulty. There, we experienced miracles, witnessed unbreakable faith, and encountered a joy like we never had before. If we didn’t know it before, we know for certain now that our God is one for defies borders and situations, and that His love overcomes everything. He is all- powerful, and He is Love. Mukamaye bazibwe!

Links

Read our team’s Trip Blog during the time in Uganda!

Here are team members‘ blurb before the trip!