ACT Uganda Blog

It is somewhat startling to me (Sue Waechter) to reflect this week on all our preparations in the US for our traditional Thanksgiving celebration and the food involved. In the US, this is a holiday about giving thanks and sharing a VERY large meal of (typically) roast turkey, mashed potatoes, vegetables, salad, pies, etc. There is typically a shared groan in our culture from overeating during this annual meal together. Another reminder to me just how different the two places are that we live in: Muko Sub County, Uganda and the US. Generous, the ACT Uganda Director, shared with us a several years ago that folks in Muko sometimes eat meat just once per year on Christmas Day. Others only occasionally eat meat.  So, as those of us in the US prepare for our Thanksgiving meal, let's be reminded of our Ugandan friends and what meals they share together as families. The following is a blog post written by Onesmas Arinda, our HANDS (Agricultural) Manager: " In February of 2021, the US...

  It is so fun to share with you the successes of ACT's programs! JohnBosco is one of ACT's beneficiaries who joined our MukoHOPE sponsorship program in 2009. JohnBosco grew up in a child-headed family (both parents had died) and was one of four children. He grew up under some support from his poor and elderly grandmother until he was sponsored by Jim and Barb Ostler (from Michigan. Sadly, Barb Ostler has passed away) through the ACT program. He started receiving lots of support when he was 14 years old and still a primary school student (primary school is grades 1 - 7). Older children are often in primary school because their families cannot afford to send them to school every year. In the ACT program, JohnBosco received physical, psychological, social and emotional support. JohnBosco held onto a dream of becoming a teacher. He worked hard in school and qualified to attend teacher training at Primary Teachers College. John Bosco, still caring for his siblings along the way, gr...

  As part of the ACT US Strategic Plan, we have made a commitment to do cultural sharing with our Ugandan partners so that we can learn more about each other's lives and cultures. This last trip the Travel Team decide to hold a typical American baby shower since 7 of our staff had babies since before COVID and our last visit! We included the typical components: a cake (which Karen and Sue baked in a pizza oven behind our hotel at 7,000 elevation. It required math which Dick helped us with!), snack food, decorations, gifts of each of the children and of course those dumb shower games!  Our ACT US Board all donated toward the baby gifts and Suzanne Greenberg purchased around 3 items of clothing for each child. One of the games played were Guess How Many M&Ms are in the baby bottle. Diana Stubig ran the games and did a presentation of prizes to the winners and Dick Dolinski even gave a short presentation about early childhood development. We then served the cake and were curi...