ADVOCATING FOR THE VOICELESS AND DISADVANTAGED
CHILDREN IN WAR TORN AREAS IN UGANDA
THE VISION
In preaching the gospel of the two hands, Life Line Ministries exists as an advocate in the society and we decree to reach all the unreached in every area and for children, to release them from their spiritual, economic, social, and physical poverty with the divine power of the cross.
Breaking the cycle of poverty
Life Line Child Sponsorship will seek to support education and reintegrate 10,000 Children in Gulu, Kitgum, Pader, Lira, Apac, Soroti, Katakwi and Kumi districts. The project will augment the efforts of local people and other district Non Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and Community Based Organizations (CBOs) to handle the intricate issues of children left orphans because of HIV/AIDS and the war.
Country Overview
Uganda belongs to the intersection of the Great Lakes and the Greater Horn of Africa Regions, and therefore shares the misfortunes that have plagued the two regions. Despite Uganda being a peaceful nation immediately after independence in 1962, conflict has persistently blighted Uganda's post independence history, with Northern Uganda ranked as the most affected region.
It is a landlocked country with total land area of 241,138sq. Km and a total population of 24 million people, the total populations are rural based. (Source: 2002 Population and Housing Census)
Northern Uganda Overview
Gulu, Kitgum and Pader Districts are about 430 kilometers north of the capital city of Kampala. It is the homeland of the Acholi people who are Nilotics by ethnicity. The Districts of Lira and Apac are also Lwo speaking people who have only a slightly changed dialect from the Acholi people. While the Districts of Soroti Kumi and Katakwi are Ateso speaking people. These Districts have a total population of approximately 3,527,402 people. Gulu population is 468,407; Kitgum 286,122; Pader 433,466; Lira 596,130; Apac 676,244; Soroti 371,986; Kumi 388,015; and Katakwi 307,032 (source: 2002 Population and housing Census).
Overview to the northern conflict
For the past 18 years the development of northern Uganda has been continuously disrupted by the effects of long term-armed conflict both in Uganda and across the border in southern Sudan. A rebel group known by the name “Lord Resistance Army” (LRA) has been terrorizing the local population and destroying every property on sight. Consequences of this conflict are:
- Loss of life, torture and mutilation of body parts of some people.
- Many children left orphans.
- The disruption of the psycho-social well being of people in the region.
- Abduction of over 14,000 children from districts in northern Uganda (UNICEF 1998).
- Massive displacement of people in towns and protected camps affecting over 300,000 people.
- Forceful abduction of children and recruitment of child soldiers.
- Loss of livelihood through loss of animals, properties, and disruption of agriculture.
- Food insecurity and poor health.
- Destruction, disruption and closure of most schools.
- Emotional distress in the community, social and family breakdown and a state of hopelessness.
- Lack of parental responsibility.
- Increased numbers of orphans due to war and HIV/AIDS.
- Widespread sexual exploitation of women, girls, and children leading into many child mothers.
This project will alleviate suffering of children and youth affected by war and provide them with psychosocial support rehabilitation, vocational skills and spiritual support that will empower them to make meaningful contribution to the development of their communities.
Today, Life Line Ministries helps more than 50,000 children and families in more than 10 internally displaced people’s camps in Uganda.
Life Line Ministries Commitments to you
- To touch the empty hurting lives with the divine power of the cross, we commit to honor Jesus Christ in all that we do.
- We commit to directly impact each child's individual development. We've seen over and over again that what happens in the life of a child is much more significant than what happens in the environment that surrounds the child.
- We commit to holistic development — developing the “whole man”. All of our child development programs provide opportunities that encourage healthy development in four areas — spiritual, physical, social and economic – “bringing healing to the whole man”.
- We commit to educate and challenge our sponsors about poverty and development. As advocates for children, we will help our sponsors understand the complex issues of poverty and the effects of poverty on children and their development.
- We commit to bring relief to Refugees in the camps and protected villages. Working through Partners, Churches and Government Authorities seeking to identify the acute need of the targeted group (e.g. internally displaced, refugees, prisoners, hospitalized) and then meet their needs appropriately!
- We commit to use money only for the purpose for which it was raised. Child sponsorship funds must be used to develop the children who are sponsored. Our child sponsorship program is completely focused on the development of these children and their communities.
- We commit to give every child in our program a chance to respond to the gospel. Every child who participates in Life Line Ministries sponsorship program will be given the opportunity to learn about Jesus and discover how to develop a lifelong relationship with God.
- We commit to being financially accountable. We take our role as stewards of God’s resources very seriously. We will regularly perform audits to ensure that our programs are being well managed and that funds are being properly disbursed and applied.
What your $1 a day can do!
For just $30 a month, your sponsorship helps provide:
- Regular Christian training
- Educational opportunities
- Treatment & training to maintain child health
- Development of self-confidence & social skills
- Key life skills & vocational programs
- The communities where the child lives with clean water
- Public hygiene though enhancing personal hygiene standards, sanitary education, construction of waste disposals-pit-latrines, rubbish pits etc
- Relief to Refugees in the camps and protected villages (internally displaced, refugees, prisoners and the hospitalized)
This sponsorship will open up new worlds to you, such as:
- The joy of helping someone in great need
- Learning about different parts of the world
- Discovering political & economic realities your sponsored child faces
Benefits
Every child is given the opportunity to develop mentally, emotionally, spiritually, economically, socially and physically. Some specific benefits include:
- Education. In some cases, the cost of school fees, clothing and supplies are provided. In other cases, it means providing tutoring, help with homework, encouragement and, if necessary, participation in literacy program outside the classroom. Children also learn a vocation that can later provide them employment.
- Health. Children are taught about hygiene and how to maintain personal health; care is given as needed. The sponsored children living in internally displaced camps will also receive supplementary food.
- Physical Activity. Children participate in sports and exercise where they can develop their God given potentials.
- Self-confidence and social skills. We link each child to a local Life Line Center where Christian adults offer love, guidance, personal attention, guided recreation and safety. Children also learn life skills.
- The opportunity to hear the gospel and learn about Jesus. Children receive regular Bible training and encouragement through Life Line Centers. This is the greatest benefit that we offer each child Sponsored by Life Line Ministries.
Development through sponsorship
Child sponsorship leads to a lifetime of learning. It's a powerful approach to Christian child development, providing children with a broader view of the world and educating sponsors about the political and economic realities sponsored children face. This relationship provides both children and sponsors with a concrete example of how God works around the world.
Life Line Ministries sponsorship program focuses on a child's life from school age until program completion, aiming to prepare each sponsored child with the skills and knowledge required to assume adulthood, including those activities that will make the community a better place to live. We focus on preparing children to:
- Follow Jesus Christ in faith and deed as part of their spiritual training
- Support themselves and share with others in need as part of their economic training
- Be responsible members of their family, church, community and nation as part of their social training.
- Maintain their own physical well-being the knowledge and skills gained through these various activities contribute to the quality of life children experience throughout their whole lives.
"He who is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, and He will reward him for what he has done."
(Proverbs 19:17)
Frequently Asked Questions:
1) May I send gifts to my child?
Yes. Life Line Ministries encourages sponsors to give additional monetary gifts to their sponsored children for special occasions, to address specific needs or simply as an act of love. These gifts are another effective way for you to reinforce your care and commitment to your child.
2) How can I communicate with the child I sponsor?
Once you've become a sponsor, we provide you with a special correspondence packet that includes stationery, an envelope and the brochure Letters, Gifts and Your Sponsored Child with practical suggestions about writing the child you're helping.
We encourage you to send your sponsored child a personal or family photograph and a short letter of introduction. Life Line field staff will translate your letter and deliver it to the child you support.
You may write to the child you sponsor as often as you like. When you write, your sponsored child will benefit from knowing that someone in addition to his or her family really cares. Your words of encouragement will make a big difference to your child.
3) What specific benefits will the child I sponsored receive?
The child you sponsor through Life Line Ministries will receive opportunities and services that most of the world's poorest children will simply never see. These opportunities and services include the following:
- The opportunity to receive an education: In some cases, this means providing the cost of school fees, clothing and supplies. In other cases, it means providing tutoring, help with homework, encouragement and, if necessary, participation in literacy program outside the classroom.
- The opportunity to be healthy: The health of the child you sponsor will be monitored and care will be provided as needed. Children are taught about hygiene and how to maintain personal health. In addition, and according to their needs
- The opportunity to develop self-confidence and social skills: The child you support will be part of a Life Line Center where Christian adults offer love, guidance, personal attention, guided recreation and safety.
- The opportunity to hear the gospel and learn about Jesus: Most important, your sponsorship will provide the child you sponsor with regular Bible training and encouragement through a local church committed to Christ and the children in its community.
- The opportunity to witness to other children: Life Line Ministries is a strong outreach ministry that conducts Salvation and Healing crusades around the world. You sponsored child could be taken during holidays or after school program to witness and fulfill the Great Commission.
- Developing the Spiritual Gifts: With our International connections and emphasis on the Gifts God has given to the Church, your child will surely be mentored and raised to fulfill the Destiny God has put in him/ her.
4) How much does it cost to sponsor a child through Life Line Ministries?
It costs $30 a month to sponsor a child through Life Line Ministries. It's a pretty big commitment but not too big when you think about the incredible difference you can make in a child's life and his/her community.
5) If I must discontinue my sponsorship, what happens to the child I'm helping?
If you need to discontinue your support, we will immediately look for a new sponsor for your child and continue the child's support. However, we would want to pray that God who starts a good work through you will be able to complete it.
6) Will I be the only person sponsoring the child I'm helping?
Yes. The child you're helping has just one sponsor: you. That's why your prayers, letters and support mean so much to your sponsored child. Even if you choose to sponsor a child as a family or a group (for example, a youth group or a Sunday school class), the child you help will still be relating to your family or group as his or her only sponsor. No other group or individual will also sponsor the child you help.
7) Who is a Life Line Ministries’ Sponsor?
A Life Line Ministries’ sponsor is someone like you who has made the decision to personally invest in the life of a child in need. As a Life Line Ministries’ sponsor, you enable your sponsored child to participate in a church-based program that offers life-changing benefits- thus “Making a Mark that cannot be Erased!” including help with:
- Education,
- Health care,
- Social skills development
- And Christian training.
And more than this, you can help your sponsored child develop a sense of confidence and self-worth with the love you express through letters and prayers.
As a Life Line Ministry Sponsor, you are assured that there is a real connection between you and the specific child you support. The child you sponsor will know your name, write to you and benefit directly from your monthly sponsorship.
Your relationship with your sponsored child makes you a very important person who has a significant role in his or her development. You stand alongside parents, pastors, teachers, family and friends who are taking an active role in encouraging and developing the child.
8) How long should my sponsorship last?
Life Line Ministry sponsorship offers you the opportunity to stay with a child for a number of years, usually through the school year in which the child reaches the age of 22. While we hope that you will be able to continue in your support of your sponsored child until he or she completes the program, we recognize that sponsors' circumstances sometimes change. You may discontinue your sponsorship at any time.
Please understand that a sponsored child's circumstances may change, too. For example, sometimes families move beyond the reach of any Life Line Center that means they have to leave the sponsorship program.
We will inform you as quickly as possible if any such circumstance affects the child you sponsor, and we'll offer you the opportunity to support another child in need of your help.
9) Will my child write to me?
Your child will write to you at least 4 times a year. A teacher or staff person will help children who have yet to learn how to read and write. Letter writing is developmental for children as it improves their basic literacy, self-awareness and ability to put thoughts and feelings into words.
As you share your own family and personal concerns with the child you support, you'll probably discover that he or she is consistently praying for you. As your exchange of letters with the child you sponsor grows over the years, you can build a scrapbook of letters and photos from your child. Your scrapbook will serve as a constant reminder of the relationship you've developed with the child you're helping and of how you've contributed to his or her growth.
10) What other opportunities will I have to learn about the child I'm helping?
In addition to letters from your sponsored child, Life Line Ministries will send you periodic updates about your child's progress, a biannual publication about Life Line Ministries’ work worldwide and annual newsletters about your child.
You'll have a better understanding of your sponsored child's culture and life and it's quite likely that your vision of God's Kingdom will expand, too. You may even decide to visit the child you sponsor on a Life Line Ministry Sponsor / Partner Tour. It's an unforgettable experience. You can find out more about sponsor / partner tours by calling us (256-41-257836 or e-mailchildsponsorship@lifelineministries.or.ug
11) Is Life Line Ministries affiliated with any church or denomination?
Absolutely yes. Life Line Ministries in Uganda is a member of National Fellowship of Born Again Pentecostal Churches of Uganda (NFBPC). This is the main Governmental authority that brings together over 98% of all the Faith filled Churches in Uganda. Apostle Julius Peter Oyet, the Founder & President of Life Line Ministries is The General Secretary of National Fellowship of Born Again Pentecostal Churches of Uganda. The Government of The Republic of Uganda who has put NFBPC under Government Protocol recognizes NFBPC.
12) How does Life Line Ministries ensure that my support actually benefits the child I sponsor?
We believe that integrity is not just spoken but proven. Life Line Ministries’ commitment to be faithful to our partners is firstly to God. We believe that the Lord who searches our hearts and knows all things will demand accountability from us at the end.
Secondly, we will make the child write to the sponsor each time his/ her school fees are sent and paid.
Finally, each child has a “spiritual father” who is a leader in Life Line Ministries. This person will from time to time be communicating to the sponsors in lieu of the child (they) sponsored by each sponsor.
13) Can I see a copy of Life Line Ministries’ most recent audited financial statement?
Yes. Life Line Ministries is audited each year by an independent accounting firm. We publish this report in its entirety and make it available to anyone at any time. Accountability is a commitment and a value that drives our whole organization. We are totally committed to earning and keeping your trust. (So to get our most recent audited account, please send you request to us today).
If you have any questions about financial issues, please call us (256-41-257836 or e-mail childsponsorship@lifelineministries.or.ug) Our Sponsor Relations representatives will gladly respond to any questions you might have.
By becoming a sponsor you can make an immediate difference in a child's life and see tangible results. When you decide to sponsor your child, you'll get…
- A fact-filled letter describing the current conditions in your child's life and community with photos attached.
- A bi-annual update from the Project Director in your child's community with a current information of how your child is benefiting from the sponsorship program
- A complimentary subscription to Sponsorship News, Life Line Ministries’ special newsletter delivered right to your home.
- The opportunity to write to your child as often as you like, as well as send birthday, Easter and Christmas gifts and cards.
Your sponsorship will make a miracle happen for a very special child! It will make a difference and help break this terrible cycle of poverty especially in the lives of these little ones who have never known what a true home /family looks like and how it feels to have someone who cares.
Please fill out this form or mail this information back to us today.