At the end of this year, our staff member Prossy Akao is writing the newsletter. As a teenager, she was supported through a sponsorship by Amuka and received medical assistance because of her physical disability. Today, she herself works as a psychologist and coordinator in various programs at Amuka. We wish you much joy while reading and extend our heartfelt thanks for all your faithful support throughout 2025! We wish you all a blessed Christmas season, Orge & Antje
Dear friends! Warm greetings from the AMUKA team in Uganda! We are very grateful for your support for all the activities here on the ground. The work is going well, and we see many positive changes.
Prossy in the Amuka office
Our “Family Group” (adult education) is developing wonderfully, with growing numbers of participants in our weekly meetings. A key focus of our teaching is on health, marriage, and our relationship with God, as these are areas of life where there is much suffering in the villages here. God bless all supporters of the food aid, which was such a great help during the hunger season. The recipients were so happy and are praying blessings upon you.
The Bible Club is also doing well, with new children joining every week. Many of these children come from broken families and live in harmful environments. For example, they experience domestic violence, or their parents or neighbors run a bar and they are exposed to alcohol consumption day and night. Many experience rejection or neglect or live in constant fear of witchcraft and curses. Too many grow up in the complicated environment of polygamous relationships. Therefore, we make a special effort to create a friendly atmosphere where they can share, make friends, discover their talents, and above all get to know God as their most important friend. Every Saturday we have Bible lessons, skits, dance, counseling, and also train life skills. In addition, we distribute school supplies three times a year at the beginning of each new term. Every Saturday after the Bible Club, there is always football training, which many truly love. We are constantly planning new activities to make the children and youth as happy as possible.
Children and youth aged 3–18 in the Bible Club
Our kindergarten children attended classes more regularly this year than before. In addition, thanks to the help of our new assistant Ritah, we were able for the first time to enroll children with disabilities. On November 28, we held the parents’ visiting day. Parents came to watch performances by their children, get to know the facility better, and be informed about new developments. The children did an excellent job and presented poems, plays, songs, and dances. It was truly amazing!
In the case of one child in particular, neither the parents (who had separated shortly beforehand) nor other relatives came. The girl was so disappointed, especially since she was even a lead dancer. We all did our best to make her feel seen and valued.
As a team, we worked this year on improving ourselves so that we can serve the people here better. For example, our teachers and I attended a “Stoplight” training in central Uganda the week before last. It focused on emotional intelligence, especially on how we can help the people around us (e.g., the kindergarten children) feel seen, heard, and valued. The other event took place in Jinja on the Nile and focused on our relationship with God, our Father. All of this is so beneficial for our growth as a team and as servants of God, and we do not take it for granted that we had these opportunities for further training.
Tracy and her mother
Many positive changes can also be seen among our Barikiwa children (children with disabilities). Our physiotherapy, hospital visits, and counseling have greatly impacted the lives of the children and their caregivers. There are still children who are hidden in houses because their relatives are ashamed of them, but we hope that through our program these children will also come to be valued.
Furthermore, we were able to help many sick people this year. Some suffer from epileptic seizures and require continuous medication and monitoring. Our cancer patients are still undergoing treatment. And our two children who had heart surgery are attending follow-up checkups. In addition, we treated some children with bone fractures and two boys who received leg prostheses. We trust God to bring healing to all of them!
I send you warm greetings with my favorite Bible verse, Matthew 25:40:
Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.
Matthew 25:40
For me, this verse means that every person belongs to God and that God has given us the opportunity to treat others with kindness and compassion. Sometimes simply with a smile or a hug, sometimes with our time and money. But we should never forget that we are doing it for Jesus. Warm greetings and a blessed Christmas,
Prossy Akao
Christmas shopping in Uganda – new clothing for the celebration is very important!There are so many projects in which one can invest money, for example for preserving the Equator line! That makes us all the more grateful that you have decided to support the work of Amuka!
Another year is almost over and so much has happened in Amuka’s work in Uganda that it is impossible to summarize everything in one newsletter.
Many things were really good, for which we can only thank our father! Other things are still difficult, such as the disputes with our former employee about our house or the urgent need for more volunteers for the work on site. In these things we can only trust in God’s intervention.
Practical exercise for the treatment of fractures
This year, we were able to offer several training courses for different target groups. Since October, our umbrella organization JENGA has been offering weekly training courses for pastors and children’s and youth workers from around 26 surrounding churches.
In November, we offered training sessions for about 30 village health workers on four Fridays. These village health workers are volunteers with no medical training who, for example, take part in vaccination campaigns or educate the population about the use of mosquito nets. Since their position allows them to have a significant influence on their neighbors, we wanted to provide them with knowledge about common diseases.
Dr. Risper covered malaria, diarrhea, urinary tract infections, hygiene, first aid and other relevant topics. Participants’ contributions also highlighted the role of superstition in the treatment of diseases – for example, using coins and milk for snake bites or urine for eye infections. It was great that the participants were open to asking questions on this topic.
The younger children in the Bible Club with their coloring pictures
As usual, the “Family Group” continues to meet every Thursday, where we discuss various topics that are important to the daily lives of the women and (a few) men who attend. Here, too, there was a medical topic each month, but also the 10 commandments, agriculture and more. It is a great pleasure to teach here, because many visitors make good contributions and we hope to give the participants something that they can implement in their everyday lives.
The Bible Club on Saturdays is very well received by the children and young people. The classes take place in three groups, with the group of younger children now numbering over 100 participants. Prossy has started using committed teenagers as group leaders, which works well.
We had 70 children in four classes in nursery school this year. Our “old” teachers, Marsden and Annet, are excellent with the children. They have learned a lot during their time at Amuka and are loved by the children. Justine is active, but has not yet built up the same relationship with the children as the other two.
Rebecca left her parents’ home and her class in September. She has since re-established contact with her parents.
Then we hired Joyce to concentrate on the children. Now we are hoping for Sylvia, who did an internship with us in November. She could train as a nursery school teacher and complete the practical part with us.
With 21 children at the zoo on Mount Wanale
On November 19, we took 21 kindergarten children on their first trip to the zoo on Mount Wanale near Mbale. This was a significant event for the children, many of whom had never left their village or been in a car before. They were very excited about everything: the trip, the many different animals – especially the monkeys – and the lunch afterwards. We are grateful that everything went so smoothly and that they had so much fun!
The costs were covered by Amuka, as otherwise hardly any children would have attended. It is already difficult to collect the equally low school fees. As only children whose parents have paid the school fees are allowed to take part in the excursion, this will hopefully serve as motivation for the future.
Joel – he brings us much joy!
Our Barikiwa group for children with disabilities continues to give us great pleasure. We are seeing good developments in many of them, albeit in small steps. We support some malnourished children with nutritious porridge powerder prepared by Agnes, and we are grateful when they gain weight.
We also urgently need professional support in this group. Last month, Lucy from Switzerland came to us several times; she has experience in this area and was visiting near our village. She blessed our children, mothers and grandmothers with her warm manner (and her guitar).
Shenay with little Grace
Unfortunately, some children stay away if their mothers or grandmothers are under too much pressure or do not understand why they should invest so much time in a disabled child.
In our devotions, songs and conversations, we repeatedly emphasize the value of each individual child in the eyes of God and help the relatives to see the positive things about their children – their strengths and not just what they cannot do. It is also nice when all mothers and grandmothers share in the development of the individual children.
Medical challenges:
I (Antje) have also spent a lot of time with sick children in various hospitals from Mbale to Jinja to Kampala. It is often shocking how late (or too late) parents come to us for help. They have usually been seeking help from the local health facilities for years. However, these often try to go about their own business and usually do not tell them that they do not know what to do next. Or the patients are referred to “witch doctores” who then use up the last of the family’s money.
Risper had an open leg for 13 years
Risper (15) was brought by her mother with an open wound on her leg, which she had had for 13 years! At the Joy Hospice, a small hospital in Mbale, we were able to identify the pathogen through laboratory tests and determine the appropriate antibiotic. The wound has now closed – hopefully permanently!
Bridget (13) has been suffering from swelling in her foot and severe pain in various parts of her body for two years. Her parents had sold land and goats to have their daughter treated locally – but to no avail. Even for the British doctor at Joy Hospice, this illness was a great mystery.
We took Bridget to various hospitals for many examinations. Unfortunately, a tissue sample had to be taken at the state hospital, where the doctors and nurses are highly corrupt, hardly do their job and take the last money out of the mother’s pocket. In the end, I had to send the sample myself to Kampala, where our neighbor Moses works at Mulago Hospital, the largest hospital in Uganda. He took care of everything and then Bridget was diagnosed with bone cancer. Chemotherapy was started this week, but unfortunately the cancer has already spread through her body, so it will take a few more miracles to cure her.
Visiting Bridget in the hospital with Rosie and Harriet
I was at the Mulago Heart Clinic with three patients at the same time: Abraham was there for a follow-up examination after his heart operation in July. Everything looks good and he is doing really well! Little Grace, who has Down’s syndrome, was initially suspected of having a heart defect, but this was not confirmed. Her mother brought Grace to Amuka when she was one year old and weighed only 5 kg, and no one had previously told her mother that her daughter had trisomy 21. Now we hope that she will gain weight and develop well with the daily breakfast porridge.
With Grace, Abraham, Jemima, and mothers at the heart clinic
Jemima (5) has a congenital heart defect that her parents have known about for a long time. Now it is almost too late for an operation, as the pressure in the heart increases with age. Jemima’s mother works in the district administration, so she should cover at least part of the costs.
The Mulago Hospital in Kampala can be reached from our village after a very strenuous journey of around 9-12 hours by public and unreliable transportation. That alone is a major hurdle that has to be overcome before any treatment. Added to this is the often incredibly arrogant behavior of the doctors. We had to wait around 4 hours before our patients were even seen. Then they said: “We need to do an echocardiogram, but it’s too late today. Come back tomorrow.” With a lot of prayer and persuasion, the examinations were finally carried out on the same day.
For most people from our village, it is impossible to find their way around on their own and even understand what it is all about. In addition, the doctors in Kampala and our patients often speak different languages. (There are over 40 languages in Uganda, and people in rural areas rarely speak sufficient English). They are also often simply dependent on financial support.
Simon with his little daughter
In November, Ruth, the wife of our security guard Simon Peter, was expecting her sixth child. It was a difficult pregnancy that ended in a caesarean section. We are very grateful that little Mercy is doing well, because unfortunately caesarean sections are often performed far too late. As a result, there are many children with brain damage that occurred during birth.
Orge and Shenay were in Uganda in October – an intensive and unfortunately far too short time together. Orge was able to repair some things on and in the project buildings, and Shenay met many friends.
As Rosie and Harriet have been going to school in the next largest town, Mbale, Daphine lives with us in our ‘city apartment’ (sublet from our friend Aaron) so that someone is always with the children when we are in the village in Amuka or in Germany. Daphine has been with us for two years now and we are very, very grateful for her. She started her training as a pre-school teacher in January 2024 and is completing the practical part at the girls’ school. Harriet and Rosie are developing well. They enjoy going to school and have fun learning. Unfortunately, Harriet struggles a little with reading due to her dyslexia, but she is still motivated.
Daphine distributing lunch to the preschool children
During the two-month Ugandan holidays, we are now together with them in Wedel and are looking forward to Christmas with our parents, children and grandchildren.
We thank you very much for your faithful (or new) support of the work in Kimaluli, through which many people are reached with the love of God in word and deed. Please remember the people there in your prayers. They are often deeply entangled in the traditional religious systems and it is incredibly difficult for most of them to completely break away from them and begin a completely new life in Christ.
We wish you all the peace of our great God for the New Year!
How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!
Psalm 133:1
Dear AMUKA friends!
Recently, we experienced how beautiful it can be when “brothers live together in unity” when Christian Dumke and Lars Offe visited Uganda and spent a lot of time with our team there. This was also a great enrichment for our Ugandan colleagues. Below is Lars’ report; Christian’s contribution will follow a little later to avoid too much information at once.
Our journey to Uganda to visit the Amuka project was a fascinating adventure full of new experiences and unforgettable encounters.
Arrival and First Impressions
Evening atmosphere in Kampala
The journey began at the end of May when I (Lars), together with Antje, the children Rosie and Harriet, and Christian Dumke, visited the country to explore the Amuka project. After a long flight via Brussels and Kigali, we landed late in the evening in Entebbe, where the tropical climate greeted us immediately.
In front of Sam and Monica’s apartment in Kampala
Our arrival was marked by the warmth and high humidity. Sam and a friend picked us up with two cars to take us and our luggage to Sam and Monica’s apartment. The many unfiltered exhaust fumes from motorcycles and cars were noticeable.
In Sam’s apartment, we were greeted with a hearty dinner of local delicacies such as avocado and beetroot, prepared by Monica, Sam’s wife. Their little son Genesis also helped to welcome us.
We spent the night under mosquito nets in Sam’s cozy apartment on the upper floor.
Antje with Harriet, Rosie, and Christian on the Nile bridge
The next day, we continued to Mbale in the east of the country. The reckless taxi ride took us through areas where a lot of poverty was visible.
On the way, we crossed the Nile, an impressive experience.
Harriet and Christian in front of the apartment in Mooni
In the Mooni district of Mbale, we moved into a simple apartment that served as our base for the next few days. Near this apartment is also the school of Harriet and Rosie.
Showering was done with a 2-liter vessel, electricity was not always available, and the drinking water had a slight chlorine taste. Nevertheless, I quickly got used to these conditions. Meanwhile, I had also gotten used to the tropical climate and found it very pleasant as long as I didn’t move too much.
Life in the Amuka Project
Shared lunch in the staff room
After a few days in Mbale, where we explored the city and the surroundings, we continued to the village of Bunamukheya to experience the Amuka project up close. Here we moved into the project house of the Balacks, which was much more spacious than our previous accommodation in Mbale and provided each of us with our own room. During a tour of the site, I got to know the staff and got a first impression of the work on site.
Our daily routine began early, often at 6:30 am with a delicious breakfast.
The daily routine included prayer groups, Bible studies, helping with Harriet and Rosie’s homework, playing football with the school children, and doing manual work, such as floating cement floors, sealing valves, or attempting to repair a toilet seat.
The tea break is ready
At lunchtime, we shared traditional dishes like Ugali, rice, beans, and avocado. On special occasions, there was even chicken and beef.
What was particularly impressive was the sense of community we experienced there. Everyone helped each other, whether it was preparing meals, looking after the children, or maintaining the grounds.
Community and Culture
An enriching experience was participating in the community life. On Sundays, we attended the Bethel Baptist Church in Mbale. The service was marked by loud, joyful worship –
an impressive experience. The music and joyful singing of the congregation left a lasting impression.
Mother-child group
In the project itself, I led an initial Bible study group with the staff, which had the character of a home group. I also participated in the weekly “Family Group.” Here, up to an estimated hundred visitors of all ages gathered, almost exclusively women. The topics directly addressed the problems of the people in Uganda, giving us an interesting insight into the local culture.
Equally fascinating was the mother-child group at the Amuka project, which lovingly cared for the disabled children. At these moments, the warmth and solidarity of the Ugandan community became particularly evident to us.
Especially memorable were the dinners with the project staff. At Agnes, Simon Peter, and Mary’s homes, we were warmly welcomed and treated to traditional dishes. These encounters provided valuable insights into the family life and hospitality of Ugandans.
Overall, I was very impressed with how comprehensively the Amuka project has developed and how much the work areas are oriented to the needs on site. We can be very grateful for the people who have contributed with donations. Without you donors, none of this would exist!
Everyday Experiences and Challenges
Numerous children playing football during the big break
The simple living conditions presented us with minor challenges. Showering with a small water vessel, frequent power outages, and the fact that waste was simply burned in ground pits took some getting used to. But over time, we learned to adapt to these circumstances. The work in the project was fulfilling, sometimes a little challenging. We helped with various tasks, played with the children, and supported the organization of events.
Once, I took an adventurous ride on a bodaboda, a motorcycle taxi, to get a SIM card. Without a helmet or protective gear, we sped over bumpy roads at over 50 km/h – an experience I won’t forget anytime soon.
Excursions and Nature Experiences
Harriet at one of the waterfalls
A highlight of the trip was the excursion to the Sipi Falls, a series of breathtaking waterfalls in the mountains. Accompanied by a teacher of Rosie and Harriet, we drove a good hour from Mbale to this excursion destination. Together with a colourful group, including a high-ranking politician and a Dutch app developer, we explored the impressive waterfalls. We enjoyed a picnic on a meadow and filled our water bottles with fresh spring water.
In many other places, too, Uganda’s nature showed itself at its best: lush vegetation, impressive mountains, and fascinating wildlife. Particularly memorable were the delicious physalis fruits we picked directly from the bush in the garden in front of the Amuka project house.
The travel group at the pool of the Mount Elgon Hotel
At the end of our stay in Uganda, the visit to the Mount Elgon Hotel with its pool was a welcome change. After more than two weeks without a warm shower, it was a luxury to swim in the pool and shower under warm water.
Farewell and Return Journey
It was hard to say goodbye to the Amuka project, as we had had many heartfelt encounters and valuable experiences. We spent the last few days playing ball and talking with the project staff. The staff had taken us to their hearts and said they would miss us very much.
Christian and I (Lars) with the old and new flight tickets
The return journey turned out to be more adventurous than planned. On the way from Kampala to the airport in Entebbe, we were stuck in traffic for three hours. Despite the fast drive Sam provided us, we missed our flight and had to book a more expensive flight via Istanbul at short notice. After almost 40 hours of travel without proper sleep, we finally arrived exhausted but full of impressions in Hamburg.
This trip to Uganda was not only an exploration of a foreign country but also a deep encounter with the culture, people, and challenges of everyday life in a development project. The experiences and the warmth of the people on site will remain with us for a long time.
We are very grateful that our heavenly Father protected us all the time and blessed us so richly.
