The Building for Christ Backstory
In the winter of 2011 into the early months of 2012 Miriam took a journey to Uganda Africa, to volunteer in an Orphanage. Miriam didn’t know the journey ahead of her, but looking back now, it’s a great reminder to follow the paths God lays on your heart, even when you question the “why”? During this trip she made a friend who later referred her to Pastor George Jabalani. Pastor George resides in northern Uganda in a town called Gulu. In the Fall of 2012 Miriam decided to plan a trip to return to Uganda in early 2013 but this time to work in the remote villages and really get to see more of the countryside. Miriam’s brother Joe decided on this trip to go along with her.
So in January of 2013 Miriam and Joe traveled 30+ hours to northern Uganda. They had never met Pastor George Jailani but were very excited to meet the man in person, after many phone conversations. Pastor George was going on faith believing in the funds being somehow provided for him to continue and already started construction projects in a couple villages called Pawell Aduk, and Pagik. Quickly the need for education in the remote villages of Uganda was made clear. The villages we entered into were made of mud hut homes, locals that had been offered no education due to lack of a school within walking distance of walking. The towns had created a building structure for a church and used it as a school house during the week. Dirt Floors, no doors, no windows, brick and mortar is all there was to this church/school building that was cherished deeply.
Miriam and Joe followed along as they set out to help build, hands on, throwing bricks to create a teachers home for the teachers serving their time at these schools. With the funds that were provided by Miriam and Joe those buildings were built and so the story begins. (POST LINK / Colleens column). Throughout the years since then Joe has carried on the mission of yearly trips, providing funds to support the now 4 villages with lots of school buildings. Providing a christian education for 1000+ students, 54+ teachers and staff on salary, and providing daily meals to those who attend. On these trips Joes has taken he has also been able to take teams with him, providing extra hands on site. One of the biggest rewards on these trips is always the medical outreach trips. Being able to serve between 500-700+ people needing medical help is something Praise God for.
Currently Building For Christ has schools in 4 different remote villages in northern Uganda. In the towns of Pagik, Pawell-Aduk, Agung, Palero. These schools and teachers are being supported thanks to your giving funds and to the kindness to local businesses supporting the mission. On the grounds we have a team board known as Shalom Christian School managing everything there in Uganda, as well as a team here in the US focusing on raising funds, and continuing the efforts of what God lays on our hearts. When we do projects in Uganda, we hire locals to come to the towns and
build, furthering allowing these funds to impact more families outside of our school familles. Allowing things to continue to carry on without us on the ground.
The problem/or the need:
In Uganda if you don’t have an education its extremely hard to get a job, without a proper degree it’s nearly impossible. In our Shalom Christian Schools we offer a christian education, but also instill the English language to help encourage education, as English is used outside of the remote villages. The villages are so remote there’s no opportunity for education.
With your continued support we can keep these schools low tuition, and serve these beautiful souls a warm meal a day, where if they don’t attend school they might not eat that day. Jobs, food, clean water sources are scarce in these villages without us making the change one school at a time. We’ve been blessed with the funds to be able to install two clean water wells in towns where there was no clean water source. The day the wells are opened is a good day, with ladies, and children waiting patiently in line to fill their jerry cans.