January 11th 2013
I am in awe of what our Ugandan leaders have done in a few short months after returning to Uganda from spending a year-long fellowship with UrbanPromise International.
The UPI vision has always been to support young leaders who have a dream to start an NGO in their own countries. It's not easy. Funding needs to be secured, volunteers recruited, trust built in the community, dynamic programs designed, children recruited, political leaders patronized, partnerships built, board members discovered, vision articulated...the list of tasks is endless. The work is never-ending. Perhaps that's why so few people start their own non-profit.
But that's exactly what Ernest Matsiko and Sarah Atai are doing in the Mukono district--about an hour outside of Kampala. They are doing the hard work of laying a foundation for a youth ministry that will bless hundreds of children over the next few years and will transform a community riddled with poverty, AIDS, and despair.
Yesterday I met with their board of directors--an impressive and amazing group of professionals committed to holding our leaders accountable, supporting their vision, and helping them secure funding and resources. To find such a group of people is no easy task. It speaks to the leadership abilities of Matsiko and Sarah. But to hear the board members speak of their respect for Matsiko and Sarah was assuring and invigorating. "These are remarkable young people," shared the board chair. "They are humble, transparent, and eager to learn."
Mukono is off to a great start. Please keep them in your prayers.
--Bruce Main
