Newsletter December 2024

You are the light of the world

Matthew 5:14

Dear friends 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!

Orge & Antje Balack and the team in Uganda

Newsletter July 2024

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.

Many greetings,
Lars