Food Security Uganda Project #59678

Empower, Educate, Sustain Uganda's Rural Orphans

by SAVE CHILDREN OF MBALE

Project Report | Feb 10, 2025
Building Hope: Progress, Challenges, and the Path Forward for MCCF

By Victoria Geurts | Founder and President/ Project Leader

February is back to school and a new year for MCCF

Dear Donors,

Since our October progress report, Mbale Child Care Foundation (MCCF) has continued its work in sustainability by growing its own vegetables. Our eggplants, beans, and maize have come to harvest, supplying our orphanage with essential vitamins and promoting healthy eating. This marks a significant improvement from our early days when the children had only one meal a day consisting of a cornmeal mixture without vegetables.

MCCF has been collaborating with Brenda, another Rotarian, as well as Tony and the Director of Ethical Vegan’s Community. Brenda provides valuable guidance on food cultivation and nutrition, helping us further our goal of self-sufficiency.

Tony also participated in the fight against polio in the Mbale area, raising awareness and ensuring that MCCF’s children received immunizations. His efforts extended to nearby communities, contributing to broader public health initiatives.

In addition to healthcare efforts, we have continued renewing mattresses and blankets for our children’s beds, which unfortunately deteriorate quickly due to the humidity within our current mud hut.

After the rainy season, we also reinforced our hut by repairing the damage and adding a cement base to strengthen its structure. This will help maintain it until we have enough funds to build a brick house on our new land.

The school year ended in December, bringing a well-deserved long vacation break for the children. Many of them were promoted to the next level, and we are especially proud of Beatrice, who became the first MCCF child to complete high school. We are currently awaiting her exam results and, if successful, her graduation. Beatrice aspires to become a teacher, which would be a great advantage for MCCF when we build our own school. However, furthering her education is beyond our limited budget, and we hope to find a sponsor to support her dream.

Similarly, Asina, our blind child, requires specialized education. We aim to enroll her in a private boarding school for the blind, but the tuition fees would place a heavy financial burden on the orphanage. We are seeking a sponsor who can support Asina by covering her tuition and providing essential materials for her schooling.

The new school year resumed in early February, but our entry was slightly delayed when Tony was hospitalized with a severe case of malaria, collapsing while in town. Fortunately, we were able to provide for his medical needs. In the previous month, two children were also hospitalized for malaria, and we had another case of yellow fever. These medical emergencies significantly impact our projects, but we are grateful to have been able to provide assistance. Malaria, if left untreated, can be fatal, and in Uganda, those who cannot pay for treatment go without care. Your support is truly saving lives.

This year, we also ensured a safe return to school for Sharon, our albino child. Initially, she suffered aggression from a teacher due to her albinism, a condition that is still heavily discriminated against in Uganda. To protect her, we decided to enroll her in a private school in Mbale, where other albino children are treated equally.

We are deeply grateful for your faithfulness and continued support. Thank you for standing with us in making a difference.

Warm regards,

Victoria

Sharon attends a school with albino awareness

Asina needs a sponsor for specialized education

Beatrice needs a sponsor to become a teacher

Eggplants from the MCCF garden

MCCF children in school

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Oct 15, 2024
Ensuring Education and Growth for Our Children

By Victoria Spencer Geurts | Founder and President

Preparing our kale for consumption

Dear Donors,

Since the submission of our August project report, MCCF has focused primarily on preparing our children for their return to school in mid-September, following a break before their final semester of 2024. The children diligently reviewed their schoolwork, and any necessary materials were purchased. We also ensured that tuition fees for the upcoming semester were fully paid.

Unfortunately, one of our children, Sharon, who has albinism, experienced a distressing incident. She returned home from school with burn marks on her face, which we believe resulted from abuse by adults who targeted her due to widespread misconceptions and ignorance about albinism in rural areas. As a result, we immediately withdrew Sharon from that school, and no other MCCF child will be sent there. For her safety, Sharon will remain with us at MCCF until the new school year in January 2025, when she can be enrolled in a more supportive environment alongside other MCCF children.

Despite this challenging situation, we are encouraged by the interest shown by a kind American family in adopting Sharon. While the process will be long and complex, it has the potential to greatly improve her future. We are working on registering her birth and obtaining the necessary legal documentation, as many children in rural areas, like Sharon, often go unregistered at birth.

On a positive note, your generous donations have greatly supported our agricultural initiative. We’ve planted a variety of vegetables for MCCF’s consumption and successfully treated our crops to prevent diseases that could have hindered their growth. We recently harvested protein-rich green vegetables, similar to kale, as well as beans. The children participated in the entire process, from planting to harvesting, helping them acquire important skills for their future self-reliance.

In addition to these developments, we purchased four new mattresses to replace those damaged by humidity, along with new blankets. We also faced an unforeseen expense when Tony's motorcycle was involved in a minor accident, requiring the replacement of a wheel and rim to restore its functionality.

Earlier this month, two of our children were hospitalized due to malaria and yellow fever. Both received intravenous treatments and have since fully recovered.

We are deeply grateful for your continued support and belief in the MCCF family. Your contributions are vital to meeting the needs of our children.

We kindly ask for your help in spreading awareness about our mission. Please consider sharing our story with your friends, family, religious groups, or other organizations. Your faith in us allows us to reach more people and gather additional support for our cause.

Warm regards,

Victoria

https://www.globalgiving.org/projects/sustainable-solutions-for-orphans-in-rural-uganda

Harvesting our beans

Harvesting our high protein green kale

Back to school with new materials

Revising before school begins

Sharon is home schooling until January

Links:

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Aug 9, 2024
Exciting Milestones: Land Acquisition and Future plans

By Victoria Spencer Geurts | Founder and President of Save Children of Mbale

Sharon after her hospital stay

Since our last progress report in April, I’m thrilled to share that MCCF now owns land, which will allow us to build a strong and permanent home on solid foundations. Save Children of Mbale used savings to purchase the land and complete the legal paperwork in Tony’s name.

We also plan to build a vocational school that will enhance MCCF’s self-reliance by teaching practical skills in agriculture and trades, benefiting both our children and the wider community. To fund this vision, we are now focused on fundraising and exploring grant opportunities.

As a result, we have decided to halt further investments in our temporary compound, as we’ve already completed the necessary work to ensure the children’s safety. Continuing to invest in the temporary site would detract from our long-term goal and has already strained our savings.

The funds from our May Little by Little fundraiser were used as planned, allowing us to rent land and plant vegetables for MCCF’s consumption. The nursery beds have been transferred, and we expect our first harvest in 3 to 6 months.

We’re also excited to welcome a new member to the MCCF family—Sarah, a single mother who has joined us in caring for the children and assisting with daily errands around the MCCF home.

Tony is now a proud member of the International Rotary Club, and we hope this membership will bring international recognition to MCCF.

On a more challenging note, two of our children required hospitalization: Sharon needed a procedure to remove a bean lodged deep in her ear, and Asina received treatment and isolation for a contagious fungal infection.

Currently, our children are enjoying their school vacation with a variety of activities.

The funds from the July Bonus Day Fundraiser will be used to expand our agricultural projects for food sustainability and saved for the construction of our permanent home.

Thank you for your continued faith in us. Each of you plays a vital role in building up MCCF. As I reflect on our progress each year, I’m deeply grateful for the steady advancements we’re making. Thank you for being part of this journey.

Our MCCF Director Tony with children

Making sure water is clean is a priority

Making sure our children aren't infected with lice

Tony is a proud member of international Rotary

Sarah is a new member of MCCF childcare staff

Links:

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