MERRY CHRISTMAS AND THANK YOU FOR PRAYING.

I thank all of you for Identifying with us in the trying moments of Ebola fever,Cholera and Meningitis. The spread of Ebola has reduced so much and many people have volunteered to help the needy who are infected. By yesterday only six new cases in Bundibugeo were reported other cases of alert in other parts of Uganda are not Ebola cases thank God.
As of now there are only 5 patients of cholera unlike of last week where 30 to 40 cases were treated every day. The government has taken initiative to cause home owners without pit latrines to dig and if you are not able,government takes 5 goats from you to hire labor to dig and build a house on top for you. If you don't have goats,your neighbours goats will be taken to sink latrine for you and you will pay your neighbours. This is a very seriuos exercise which is possitive towards combating diseases like cholera.
Keep praying so that the land will be free from ebola, cholera and meningitis. God bless you for your labor through prayers.

EBOLA,MENINGITIS AND CHOLERA LIKE INFECTION

It is worthy to praise God in time of joy and challenges for He knows every thing that happens and why. In 1st Sam 2:6-8 it says the lord brings death and makes alive, he brings down to the grave and raises up. The lord sends poverty and wealth, he humbles and exalts. He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap; he seats them with princes and has them inherit a throne of honor. A time of challenge caused by sicknesses is shaking the western Uganda from south to the north. In the south west is Ebola fever that has killed over 20 and infected over 50. In the midwest is cholera like infection with meningitis and extreme north is meningitis and cholera like infection.
In Aringa where our Evangelical school of technology is 7 people were sick from cholera like sickness in Iyete village. It has not been confirmed wether it is cholera or not but the sick are getting treament in the hospital of yumbe.
This found we had already closed the term, our students have gone home already. As we continue praying we ask you to join us in the prayers wishing you God's blessings.

PILGRIM CHURCH IN YUMBE ISLAMIC TOWN

This Pilgrim Church is located in the heart of Aringa (which is 90% Muslim). The Muslims do not want to see the Church existing in Yumbe. Yet I thank God that the few Christians in the town are really committed to be known as Christians.

I can see serious spiritual attack on the Christians and I am believing it to be true because last month in Yumbe district the Muslims announced that they must call all the evil spirits around the world to fight the Christians because physically they can't manage to fight Christians.

We have been praying in the existing grass thatched church building, but heavy rain caused the roof to break so we cannot use it any more. We have managed to build the wall of a new church building, but we need $20,000 to finish the building. We organised local fund raising for the church, but we ended up getting less than $1000. A friend has promised to support us with $10,000 but we don't know when it is coming. Now our greatest need is to finish the permanent wall on the new building.

Please join us in the fight so that together we can succeed. God bless you all as you keep on supporting us.

ARCHBISHOPS VISIT TO ARINGA.

The ArchBishop of church of Uganda is on a pastoral tour of westnile region. He was in Aringa on 29th november 2007 he met civic leaders and religious leaders in the District. He talked about leadership and love,development,corruption and vision leaders must have to take the people they lead to achieve the desired goals in life. He said if leaders donot have vision, they will not know where to go causing confusion in the followers who will ask the guestion where are we going? All the leaders who were present in his speech asked him to come again because he is the first religious leader who has spoken clearly to the leaders.
The Islamic leader for the district was asked to thank him and after thanks he ended with peace be with you in arabic expecting the fellow moslems to respond but the room was quiet. Then the chief administrative officer for the district who is a moslem stood up and said the archbishop has spoken clearly nobody should contradict his message. Amazingly one lady in Bishops team stood up to say praise the lord and every body in the room responded amen.
Archbishop was asked by the same officer to close the meeting with prayers.Many of the leaders followed him up to church to hear his preaching to the christians.

Pilgrim Church News

Pilgrim church is a church for Christ in the heart of Yumbe Town, which is 90% Muslims. We thank God for the few Christians for their faith they have shown to stand for Christ in this Muslim town. The Christians here desire a good place in which to worship, and to be a witness for Christ in this town. The God we serve is not a poor God but unfortunately you cannot see the rich God in the life of the Christians. The Christians are contributing to build the New church out of their small resources. Mr. Graham Scharf who lived with us in Yumbe is a witness of the situation. The Christians have the highest hope and through this hope and faith we are moving on and we want to be a witness to the Muslim majority town.

The Christians have built the church wall and are planning to finish the remaining wall that can help them to put up the roof. They have been using the small grass thatched house. Due to heavy rains on November 17, 2007 the roof structure of the building broke and we think that it is God's timing and we want to trust God for the resources to complete the house that is going to be a Christian testimony. Join us to be part of this testimony.

The picture of the broken roof which is what appears like a curve on the grass roof and we cannot worship in the house because it could collapse at any time.

We have begun to build the permanent wall of a new building. Please pray with us so that the building can be finished. You can also contribute towards the building and be part of the persons extending the Kingdom of God in Yumbe town in Uganda.

If you are touched to be part of the testimony contact Graham Scharf (leavened@gmail.com) who knows what we doing and can help you.

God bless you in Christ,

Elly.

Where is Aringa?

Aringa is located in the Northwest corner of Uganda, bordering Sudan and Congo. You can see it here!

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Current Projects

Here is Life has many current community development projects:

1. Evangelical School of Technology in Aringa (ESTA) has graduated over 70 students since it began in 2000. These students have gone on to plant churches, start small businesses, and contribute to the community. There are currently 63 students. ESTA promotes:
   
1. Spiritual Development through
   
1. Leadership development
2. Biblical training
3. Evangelistic outreach
2. Skills Development through
1. Agriculture
2. Construction
3. Carpentry
4. Tailoring
5. Welding
6. Computer training
7. Accounting
   
2. Voice of Life FM 100.9 radio station broadcasts Christian, health and educational programming 18 hours daily throughout the West Nile region.
3. Kei Health Center is a Grade Three Health Unit with 20 inpatient beds. The center provides:
1. Primary health care
2. Health education
3. HIV/AIDS testing, treatment and education
   
4. Language and Literacy Services assist in:
1. Developing the local orthography
2. Training teachers to teach the local dialect in the primary schools
3. Translating the Bible into the local dialect, and confirming accuracy with local residents
   
4. Providing access to books in English for local residents
5. Developing books in the local dialect for primary education
5. Social Welfare Services assist communities to start income-generating projects and help in relief during disaster.
6. HIV/AIDS Prevention program. With funding from USAID, Here is Life is implementing HIV/AIDS prevention interventions in the 42 parishes of Aringa county in Yumbe District. Thirty religious leaders (both Christian and Muslim) work together to address behaviors of transmission in their local congregations. In addition, 50 volunteers collaborate to mobilize 30 people in each parish (over 1200 involved total) to:
1. Discuss risky behaviors that lead to HIV/AIDS in that particular parish
2. Identify methods to deter such risky behaviors.
7. Research. Here is Life has received a two-year grant to research ways of developing stronger, healthier chickens in local communities to increase income for poultry farmers. This research will be carried out through ESTA.
   

Accomplishments

Since 1988 Here is Life has helped to establish the following:

1. Community income-generating projects in Aringa.
2. A vocational school called Evangelical School of Technology in Aringa (ESTA).
3. Community library services in Aringa county. (At present the library system has over 6,000 books.)
4. Grade Three Health Center at Kei. The center has a very strong primary health care (PHC) and HIV/AIDS program. With help from two German organizations (Christian Services International and Help for the Brethren) and one German missionary (Miss Birgit Klumpp) a very strong Primary Health Care Program has been established at the center. Its activities include community health education, and HIV/AIDS testing, treatment and education.
5. Voice of Life FM radio. With the help of a German NGO, Here is Life operates an FM radio station reaching the West Nile region.
6. Literacy development. With the help of Summer Institute of Linguistics (SIL) Sudan, Here is Life has collaborated to develop the orthography of the Aringa language, and literacy materials in the language. Here is Life has helped to form the Aringa Language Committee to encourage the writing and use of the Aringa lanuage. Aringa has been accepted as one of the minority languages in Uganda which can be used to teach in the primary schools. Recently Here is Life, with the Education Office, has trained 30 teachers in teaching the Aringa language in primary schools.

Management

1. Policy making body: Here is Life has a Board of Directors composed of nine members who form the policy making body of the organization. The Chairman of the Board is Lt. Col. John Onaah.
2. Secretariat: The Project Managers make up the Secretariat (day-to-day leaders of the organization), headed by the Executive Director.
3. Lawyers: Kiyimba-Kisaka & Co. Advocates
4. Auditors: Entreprenur Consultancy Services (ECOS)
   

Establishment

Here is Life was founded in 1988 and registered as a limited company, focused on encouraging physical and spiritual development in Aringa county (which was then part of Arua District in Northwest Uganda). Here is Life participated in charitable activities. In 2005 it transitioned into a non-governmental organization (NGO) and a non-profit company. This has enabled it to be involved in interventions which are not for profit.

Registration

Here is Life is dually registered as an NGO (Registration Number S.5914/5760) and as a Non-Profit Company (limited by guarantee number V5738). Here is Life's Articles and Memorandum of Association, staff policy, work manual and financial policy are available upon request.

Challenges

Aringa county (which is now Yumbe district) is one of the poorest districts in Uganda. Most of the residents live on subsistence agriculture. Tear Fund UK found that Yumbe was the eighth poorest district in Uganda in May 2007.

The causes of the poverty in Yumbe district are several:

1. The rebel activities that continued from the 1980's to 1998 have left effects on the people from which they have not recovered. Many people lost their properties during that time and have not recovered them.
   
2. The local subsistence agriculture that relies entirely on handheld hoes produces very little.
   
3. Most of Here is Life's staff are volunteers. Those who are paid often do not receive enough to support themselves. For example, the staff at Kei Health Center are funded by fees from patients and an annual governmental contribution. However, the patients often do not pay the full fees, and the health center receives only one third of the approved amount from the government - with no reasons given.