March 19, 2020
Friends of Lulwanda,
Each day we wake up to news about the coronavirus that is sweeping across our country and the world. Today is no different in that urgent messages were relayed to us from our friends at Lulwanda Children’s Home just yesterday morning. While Uganda has been spared cases of coronavirus at this time, the Ugandan government has announced measures they expect to keep the virus out of Uganda.
The government of Uganda is following the social distancing practices that many countries are recommending with the following action:
- All schools in the country will close on Friday, March 20th for 30 days.
- Religious gatherings will be suspended throughout the country for 30 days.
- All gatherings and all entertainment venues will cease immediately for 32 days.
- Markets for beef and fish are to be shut down immediately.
The leadership of Lulwanda made a special request to fund a purchase of food for the next 3 months as rumors in Uganda are that the border between Uganda and Kenya is soon to be shut down. If this occurs, the impact to Uganda will be a shortage of food and energy (fuel) supply. And what is to be found will increase tremendously in cost!
As a response, GICF USA has wired emergency funds to Lulwanda today with more
being sent tomorrow so that a long-term food supply can be purchased in order
to feed all children, secondary age kids as well as our youth who have moved
off campus. They will all rely on the
home they know, Lulwanda Children’s Home.
I know that each of us in our home
cities and states are facing the same thing with grocery stores with eye
popping empty shelves. Being told to
stay home from work and not to go to church.
These are truly remarkable times that post WWII generations have never
seen. But we know one thing…this too
will pass.
The best remedy for us today is to stay calm, be diligent, and petition the creator of the world to intervene and show His glory. The kids at Lulwanda are scared. Please lift them up in your prayers this day. Pray for wisdom for Administrator Paul, Treasurer Osama, Missionary Ryan and the Ogengas as they navigate the days/weeks ahead. Provide our GICF USA leaders the resources to cope with life in a coronavirus era in the USA while supporting the needs at Lulwanda Children’s Home. And may the Lord look after each of our donor family such that their health will remain strong and their livelihoods will be only temporarily impacted.
Larry Hoelscher
Chairman-GICF
