Did you know that Redeemer students raise more than half of all the support for the Kwagala boys’ home in Uganda?
Kwagala started small and continues to rely largely on friends and family and the generous support of the Redeemer community.
How did it start? It came about when Redeemer alumnus Robbie Palmer (2010) went over to Uganda to see what he could do to help. A cousin from Alberta had been there earlier and put him in touch with local youth pastor Raoul Mugosa. Raoul had a heart for street children he had befriended. He spoke with Robbie about starting a home for vulnerable children.
So they rented a home and in February 2013 took in their first boy, Emma, who was living on the streets of one of the poorest slums in Uganda at the age of just 6. One by one Raoul and Robbie invited other boys to join them, sometimes with literally just a t-shirt and maybe a pair of shorts. Currently 10 boys live there.
Kwagala feeds them and clothes them, and provides for their schooling and participation in their local church.
The boys started in early grades in school but have made swift progress. This month Daniel, Bosco, Living and Ronald, pictured, started vocation education courses. Such an extraordinary 180-degree turn from where they were four years ago is due in no small part to the support of Redeemer. Kwagala has also supplied work for a number of Ugandan staff, including social workers, a house parent and a cook.
Robbie has now taken a full-time job in an Ottawa company while continuing, with his wife Malia, to be responsible for Kwagala, promoting it and looking after Kwagala’s accounting and financial needs.
To learn more:
Ugandan Mile Fundraiser, March 2-3, 2018
To donate online visit CanadaHelps
under Fund, select “Ugandan Mile”
if you wish to sponsor a particular Redeemer student, enter the name of the student in the Message Box
complete online donation form