Investment Year Update

The participants in Investment Year for 2016 are steadily making their way through the program! They completed their first internship placements at the end of April. Thankfully many of the sons and daughters had very positive experiences! Below are reports from a few of the students about their first internships, as well as a report on the second training session which took place last month.

DSC_0737Mayombwe Kenneth

Kenneth did his first placement at Kiwoko Hospital, just a few miles from Kasana Children’s Centre. He worked in their HIV/AIDS department. He helped with filing/data entry work, as well as helping to counsel some of the patients.

Kenneth said his biggest challenge “was to educate old people on how to live a positive life. They really had challenges in life like disclosure” [telling other people they have AIDS].

“I learnt that most of the people did not spread the disease to themselves but some acquired it from their parents. And those who acquired it never knew that they would end up in that mess.”

DSC_0055Ssali David

I am happy for having successfully completed my first Investment Year internship. I did my first internship in the education field where I recognized, developed, and gained a lot of skills through experience. I was given a secondary school which I chose myself and I taught science subjects. That’s physics, chemistry, mathematics, and biology.

I got an opportunity to interact and work with big men who have gained experience, taught for many years in big schools and have contributed a lot to the National Curriculum and some of them are authors of science books.

I was also at the same time challenged as I was working to teach students who were younger, age mates, and some of them were older than me. I got an opportunity to take on very many lessons, led revision [review sessions], led them in devotions, setting and marking many exams and also led the boys to maintain order in their dormitories.

I have above all got an opportunity to experience adult life and watch the life of the child the way they behave which gave me a mature sense and pushed me many years ahead. Even when am at school or home at least I know how a son and a student would behave in order to grow and learn.

I excitedly want to thank New Hope Uganda for the Investment Year program.

Nakacwa Mercy

DSC_0035

I had my placement at Nakasero Blood Bank and I was put to work in a laboratory, where I was taught all the processes of blood before being transferred to the victim/patient.

This was too much for me as just am S4 leaver [having completed 10th grade], because many were new to me like scientific words which were above my level and yet they expected me to do I know it. It was also difficult to get lunch because it wasn’t easy to find a place that could provide food worth my money.

The employees were social, loving and so ready to help and teach me anytime. Sometime they could share their lunch with us. I got more knowledge about blood and skins which really contributed to my future career “midwifery,” because I now have an idea on how to help a burnt person, and so on.

I enjoyed the togetherness and help we got from these people and this helped me learn to be social to any type of age because these people respected us though we were younger and unskilled. It so much made sense to me to keep time [be punctual] because we could save the energy and make work simpler, then we could even get time to rest.

Walugembe Ronald

DSC_0064

Ronald interned with the National Water and Sewerage Corporation. He worked on the natural water pipes, traveling around the capital with one of the workers to help connect and disconnect homes as well as fixing other water-related problems.

“Working in water was interesting. I enjoyed meeting new people, visiting town, provision of lunch at times, learning how to fix water taps, and the good time with my boss who was lovely.”

Ronald said he learned several things:
–To keep time [be punctual]
–Good ways of communication to people
–To do work wholeheartedly
–That hard work pays as the boss gave me some money to top up my lunch
–The names and prices of most plumbing materials

At first, Ronald said he found being a physical laborer challenging since he was accustomed to sitting in classes, but by the end of his internship he was more used to the work.

DSC_0067Kizza Wilberforce

I am grateful that I got to work with Teen Challenge. It’s called Teen Challenge, but its vision is broad and it extends its services to all ages. It is an organization that reaches out to people who are struggling with drugs to overcome the addiction. Teen Challenge deals with the problem at its root, which is identity.

These men and women have been controlled for years by drugs, but it is so amazing to see the amazing power of Jesus Christ transforming lives. I really got the chance to see how people can be disturbed and controlled by drugs for lack of guidance. My research proved that the root cause is lack of parents who are busy making money and ignoring their role and responsibility as parents.

I am thankful for New Hope Uganda that I have received full attention and parenthood as a young boy and as a young man.

When family is disturbed the nation falls. Thank you, family. But still God has a way of redeeming His own. Teen Challenge has testimonies of men and women who have overcome the addictions and are now causing damage to the devil’s kingdom as living testimonies.

I also got a chance to work with Victory City Church, which was a blessing and pleasure. Thank you God.

Wilber and other IYs enjoying a break in the training session

Wilber and other IYs enjoying a break in the training session

IY Second Training Session Report (May 2-13)

By Robert Ayola, IY Coordinator

This has been another good opportunity for our young adults to be challenged by different teachings and tasks assigned to them during different sessions. Among the challenging topics were:

Uncle Robert teaches one of the sessions at the IY house in Kampala

Uncle Robert teaches one of the sessions at the IY house in Kampala

Fallacy Detective that helps in the development of critical thinking
7 Habits of Highly Effective Teenagers that challenged students to be proactive, prioritizing things in their life time as they grow as men and women who are going to be change agents in different communities
–The teaching on world view encouraged students to learn to discover, develop, and implement different skills and values they learn in life with the awareness of the motivating factors in life
–Going through the Bible’s story challenged students to be reading the word of God and seeking for answers from it, not based on human understanding
–Teachings on the interview, CV [resume], and application letter writing helped prepare students for employment opportunities in their different career fields as they grow and seek to serve in different areas of life/ministries
–Lessons from What Color is Your Parachute have continuously helped students discover and identify their gifting and abilities

The outstanding question in this training has been ‘what motivates you to do what you do?’

Godfrey Kyazze leads another session

Godfrey Kyazze leads another session

Trainings held away from Kasana have given students enough time to process what they are taught. They are also good for follow ups, students learn to stay together in a group setting and be involved in daily activities in the house. The time together in the IY house has also enabled the staffs who are involved in the running of IY to have enough time with students, answering questions and getting to know them.

Please continue praying for our sons and daughters in Investment Year. During the last week of May, they started their second internship placements which will go until July 22.

Please also pray for the Investment Year staff, that they would have wisdom as they continue shepherding these young people. Especially pray for a new staff member to fill a needed position at the IY house.

Photos submitted by Robert Ayola and the Sponsorship Office