The Widow's Project

In Uganda, it is not customary for a woman to remarry when her husband dies. Men take on another wife to help with the children and to tend the house and property, but for a widow life becomes challenging. It is not uncommon for them to loose their property when their husband’s relatives force them off even though they have rights to stay. Many have never received a basic education and they have no means of support or skill to begin again. Over and over again their rights are denied, hidden and stolen from them.

The Widow’s Project in one of several socio-economic outreach programs supported by Nserester. In a small village outside of town of Jinja, 40 widows have gathered. With start up funds from Nserester, they have built a building, acquired manual sewing machines and have been trained as tailors and are now gainfully employed making school uniforms.

As the women begin to make money they are able to pay their children’s school fees at Nserester, buy their books and clothe them. This creates a fountain of sustainable income for the widows and the orphanage. Two teachers work with the women teaching them basic reading, math and business management skills. Rev. Isaac is able to do for them what no other man has done for them in their lives: educate them and teach them a skill. The women are THRIVING on this new found power and independence.

I had a chance to travel there and it was my one opportunity to see the REAL Africa where the land supports subsistence farming, where people are gathered into villages, where children stand with distended stomachs and where even here the spirit of hope thrives through song and dance.

We ventured down this eroded dirt road travelling in our 4-wheel drive vehicle. Near the end, the road became impassable, not because of its condition but because of the over 500 villages that began to crowd the roadway. Men, women and children waving banana branches happily greeted us with their HIGH pitched zagroota chanting. They escorted us to the training building where the widows, the children, the dancers, musicians and singers greeted us with celebration. WOWSER DOWSER!

After each of us gave a little speech and prayers were said, Bro. Leong offered them healings transmitted by his touch on their brow. It was utter chaos at that point. Everyone was shoving for attention. As Bro. Leong went about his God-given work, while Rev. Isaac, Rev. George, Rev Augustine, and the two architects from Singapore carried on crowd management. One woman sat with me and held my hand.

Hope is hope. Many are infected with HIV and AIDS. Children are sick and men are lame. Rev. Isaac shows up with Bro. Leong with healing powers to cure and you bet they want a piece of him. Slowly we inch our way back to the car having to push away wanting hands clamoring for more. As a final send off, one woman hands over a live chicken with its legs tied to a stick in gratitude and thanks. It ended up in the back of the vehicle, but I do not know what happened to it.