By Missy Ward-Angalla

March 2023 marked 10 years since I moved to Uganda to begin trauma healing and empowerment programs for the most vulnerable refugees in Kampala. I am deeply grateful for the ways that members of the CBF community have come alongside of our family and ministry team over the last 10 years.

Our ministry now serves more than 500 families (2,000+) people per year. Francis and I serve alongside a team of 38 East African staff, half of whom have graduated from our programs.   Your partnership and prayers empowers our team to provide refugees access to safety, wholeness and empowerment so that they can heal, re-build their lives and begin living into their full potential. We are dedicated to walking alongside refugees during the most difficult situations through providing emergency services, safety and in-depth holistic care through our shelters for both refugee women and children and men, vocational training, discipleship, counseling and nursery and scholarship programs for children.

Your partnership with Amani Sasa not only impacts the lives of our participants but their entire families. They graduate filled with hope and a deep sense of purpose. They also are empowered and passionate to share this same hope and love with their friends and community.

Irene is a 2018 graduate of our basket-weaving program, which gives untrained women job skills that can lift them and their families out of poverty. Irene currently serves on our staff as a vocational trainer. Like many other shelter graduates, we helped her transition by providing her a rent down payment for her new home.

Soon after moving in, she met her neighbor, Alyse. At the time, Alyse and her six children were all struggling to survive. Alyse never went to school and had her first child at the age of 16. After enduring years of abuse, her husband left and she was on her own, with six children and her seventh on the way.

She had no skills to support herself. She was earning 80 cents per day for 10 hours of hard, manual labor. Her children often went days without food. “I often didn’t change my clothes because I didn’t have enough money for water or soap. With all the money I had, I bought food for my children,” she said.

Irene shared her food with Alyse’s family. Each day after work, she would check on Alyse and her family. She showed them love by sharing whatever food she had. In some of Alyse’s most difficult moments, Irene provided a reminder of love and hope.

Then, Irene brought Alyse to Amani Sasa. Your partnership allowed us to walk alongside her during her pregnancy and later provide food during the difficult COVID lockdowns.

When she was ready, Alyse enrolled in the basket program. Alyse arrived hopeless and in despair. She was deeply sad and desperate. In the basket program, she found hope, healing and comfort through community.  And she developed a deeper connection to God. Alyse rejoiced, “I finally found peace!”

Missy Ward-Angalla serves as Cooperative Baptist Fellowship Field Personnel in Kampala, Uganda. Missy and her husband Francis serve as the co-founders and Directors of Amani Sasa. Together, they minister and co-lead alongside of a team of 38 East African staff.