Thinking out loud

Let us stand up together. Who are my adversaries ? Isaiah 50:8 In the 1980s in Uganda, more than 18% of the population was infected with the HIV/AIDs virus. Today, that percentage is less than 7%, but still higher than in most other countries in Africa. In eastern Uganda, the AIDS Education Group for Youth (AEGY), an MCC partner, educates students and families about HIV/AIDS and provides treatment and support for people living with HIV/AIDS. In Kamuli, fishermen are especially vulnerable – fishermen say AIDs will kill you slowly but the currents in the ocean can kill you much more quickly. HIV still carries a stigma. Most men are reluctant to participate in testing. “When I got sick,” one woman tells us, “I lost all hope and I thought I would die, but now I am stronger thanks to AEGY, and with the training I received, I will be able to live longer.” AEGY combats the stigma of AIDS with a popular weekly radio show. It provides HIV testing and counseling f

Where, O death, is your sting? . . . Thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. - I Cor. 15:54-57 In northern Uganda, on the way to Kotido, we stop at a memorial honoring hundreds of people who died during the conflict between government forces and the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA). Decades of armed conflict in Uganda resulted in the massive displacement of people, as well as rampant sexual violence and child abductions. In Karamoja, MCC is working with the Diocesan Community Development Services (DCDS), an arm of the Church of Uganda, on a conservation agriculture program to help communities rebuild their sources for food and water and increase their economic livelihoods. In addition to the decades-long conflict, the communities DCDS is working with are combating drought, famine, deforestation, overgrazing and interethnic conflict. Seven farmer groups are growing kitchen gardens with plentiful harvests of maize, sorghum,

The earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it, the world, and those who live in it. – Psalm 24:1 In eastern Uganda near Soroti, Action for Peace and Development (APED) is empowering youth who are living with trauma from war, poverty and natural disasters. Bishop Sam Eibu of the Baptist Union of Uganda has a vision for economically sustainable communities of peace. Through MCC partner APED, he is helping youth become agents of change. Bishop Sam believes that peace is tied to economic well-being. When unemployment is high, he believes youth are more likely to turn to idle activities. Whether it is teaching these youth about beekeeping, candle making, carpentry, agriculture or caring for livestock, Bishop Sam believes that faith in God, an entrepreneurial spirit and peace building are keys to a better future. APED is working with five groups of young people in several communities. We are shown beehives where youth demonstrate caring for bees and harvest