March 3, 2021

Dear Sponsors and Supporters,

Greetings in the name of the risen Lord Jesus Christ. I welcome you to the New Year and praise God for He has kept us since my previous update, and it’s therefore with great pleasure that I convey my greetings and the staff to you. God has been faithful and He will be to the end of time.
 
I previously gave an update about the fairing of our children and the staff in the ministry since we have been operating in an unusual way, especially with the education of our sponsored children and, of course, the entire country.

Here's an update on our students.

PRIMARY & SECONDARY SCHOOLS
(Our schools follow the British system, Primary 1-7 then Senior 1-6)

Candidate classes (Primary 7, Senior 4 & Senior 6), were allowed to return to school last October. P7 & S4 students are taking their end-of-year exams this month, while S6 students will complete their end-of-year exams in April. (These exams are similar to our college entrance exams and determine scholarships and university placement - so they are very important.)
 
Pre-candidate classes (P6, S3 & S5) returned to the classroom this week.

P1-P5, S1-2: After a long period of waiting, the government has now set a phased opening of all remaining classes, with everyone returning to the classroom by July. We are extremely thankful for this!

UNIVERSITY STUDENTS
University students in their final year returned in October and have now finished their exams and are looking forward to their graduation - which will take place in March and April! 

All other university students began their semester studying online in February.

STAFF
Our staff is doing a great job in their different places of operation. They are helping children both in school and those still in their homes. They are providing counseling, assessing and providing critical needs, and praying with their families.

Your donations are making a difference every day in the life of your sponsored child and their family.
 
JOIN US IN PRAYER
  • That God will continue to shield the staff, children and caregivers against COVID19 and also the individual sponsors and all supporters of the ministry.
  • That God will provide the concentration and knowledge needed for our children to excel in their tests that determine their next level of education.
  • For the continued support and growth of the ministry, that we can add more sponsorships for the children who need support and extend a hand of support to the communities we have not yet reached.
  • For patience and grace for the caregivers, the guardians and caretakers, of our children as they care for the children during this very lengthy stay at home and the difficulties this may cause.
 
We want to thank you for the continued support and partnership in carrying on the noble responsibility to reach the needy and vulnerable. Your work in the Lord is not in vain (1 Corinthians 15:58).
Blessings,
 
Herbert Ainamani, PhD
Chief Executive Officer 
Hello, I am MUTUNGI EDSON...
When Juna Amagara brought me in, my life changed! They have given me a reason to live and to keep working hard to make my life better.

Hello, I am MUTUNGI EDSON, I was born on December 26, 1993, the seventh child into a family of eight children. When I lost my dad in 1999, we remained with our mom, who was also ill. We sold our land to support ourselves and to get treatment to save her life, but she passed in 2002. After that life became complicated without enough land to support the entire family. When my two older sisters married at an early age, the family was scattered and only four of us remained at home. We would go to dig for food, and sometimes I would go with my brother to request food from family friends. Life was hard and there were days without eating anything. When I was in primary two, my youngest brother went to live with a family friend, but I remained.

God was watching over me. Through the connection of a family friend, one day I was picked up and taken to Mbarara. My sisters sent me with my paper bag, barefooted, and with torn clothes. It was my very first time riding in a car. The next day our friend took me, with my paper bag, to Juna Amagara Ministries. It was 2004 and I was 11 years old. I was so surprised that the lady there already knew my name. She welcomed me, showed me my room, and told me to rest and then bathe. I never rested, just went to bathe and found new clothes and sandals on my bed. She told me they were mine. She also gave me food and later in the evening other children came with Uncle Herbert. There were 14 of us at the house. Since then, I was treated as a son. They gave me food, clothes, shelter, education and health care; they gave me everything I needed.
When my education started, I was able to finish primary seven, then later secondary school at Kishanje Highlands High School for my ordinary level. I passed and went back for senior five and six, which I also passed. In 2016, I joined Bishop Stuart University for a Diploma in Business Administration and then went back for my Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration with an accounting option, which I completed this year. I have successfully passed and will graduate on March 26, 2021! God used my sponsors in mighty ways to provide the financial resources, the prayers, and the encouragement along the way to make this possible. (THANK YOU!) 

Juna Amagara Ministries groomed me into a God-fearing young man. This has helped me build my dream to venture into different businesses and also to become an accountant as my profession.

I thank God for everything that has happened to my life because of JAM and the caring and loving people that I have passed through their hands and that they have kept on trying for me to make sure that I achieve my dream. Great thanks to my caretakers, teachers, and sponsors for the love.