As we approach the New Year 2008, we are grateful to have the opportunity to share with you the story of AFH labour of love for disadvantaged people especially orphans and widows.

The Children

Children are a gift from God and they are the future generation of tomorrow. Abba Father's House heart's desire is to rescue disadvantaged children from the oppression and depression caused by poverty which comes as a result of the death of their loved ones. We have a passion to build homes where disadvantaged children can live safely and have the chance of a better life and we purpose to give the children and widows love, spiritual and practical care, skills training and the encouragement to hope for the future and the vision became a reality in March 2006.

This is a picture of what life means to disadvantaged children

The HIV/AIDS virus has claimed lots of lives in Uganda leaving many children orphaned. Life for such children means great emptiness as there is no one to look to for support or guidance of any kind. All children have needs in order that they can grow and develop but for an orphaned child in Uganda, the situation is dire. It means continuous hopelessness, deprivation, physical and emotional distress, enduring pain with no comforter and absolutely nothing to look forward to and most of the time, these young people end up becoming useless citizens or public nuisances as they resort to prostitution, thieving and drug abuse in their quest for survival.

This is how AFH is making a difference to children

1. In December 2004,Juliet purchased a 2 acre piece of land and registered the charity in Uganda and started putting things together. She started constructing phase 1 (a) in August 2005 and as the building continued, she started receiving some financial support from friends most of whom are here tonight and the building work for phase 1 (a) home which can accommodate up to 35 children was completed in February 2006. We also constructed 2 other buildings: one for the chicken project and the other for growing organic mushrooms to enable us to generate some income locally.

2. We have 16 children in placement with about 19 vacancies awaiting sponsors. The children under our care are now living in a safe environment and they receive all the care and nurturing they need to enable them to grow in every way. We are able to provide a safe, comfortable environment, good education, nourishment, skills training, medical care and a variety of staff who are able to meet their emotional and spiritual needs.

3. We help children to understand their needs and we encourage them to adapt and apply the skills and knowledge that we give them into their individual circumstances and that gives them courage and motivation for the future.

4. Our aim is to fully equip the children raised at AFH with knowledge and skills to enable them to live independent lives so that by the time they leave us we hope they are ready to become responsible adults who could also carry this vision to the next generation.

5. 90% of our services are offered voluntarily apart from the salary given to the 5 members of staff based at the children centre and that has enabled us to make much progress within the last year.

6. We have established connections with the local authority to ensure support for various children's and widow's needs and we recently had a visit from the Mayor of Jinja and he donated 15 mattresses to us.

7. We send school reports and letters from children to their individual sponsors letting them know of how the children they support are getting on.

Our purpose and plans for the Children

Life Aspects - God's way is our main mandate to build and base this charity on godly principals, to be the good Samaritans to our beneficiaries and neighbours, encouraging them to "fear not" but trust in God and He will save you. We bear witness that God is truly who He says He is, the creator of heaven and earth and everything in it. Although many religions have emerged and perverted God's truth into lies, the true nature of God is love and out of His love flows abundant life.

The founder of this ministry was inspired by God to proclaim the love and goodness of God and to testify His faithfulness through the word of God proclaiming of how God's word has turned her life round for good.

• Radical change is being achieved by the children/people choosing to take on board God's principals which entitle them to the promises of God as they apply them into their personal circumstances. Children are being set free from the bondage of fear, witchcraft and poverty which used to be the normal life style and the children are learning to trust in God.

• People/children are learning to put their confidence in God and not in money, education etc.

• The children are receiving emotional and physical healing and have began a new life, forgetting the past and positively looking forward to a brighter future and hoping for God to provide their needs.

• Our beneficiaries are benefiting from physical and spiritual prosperity, as they are beginning to see change in their lives through application of godly wisdom in their individual circumstances and overcoming them as and when they arise.

• Our beneficiaries are gaining prudence in their trust for God and they are seeing that God is greater than any problems that come their way, instead of falling apart with fear of problems and responsibility which turns many people in the world into depression.

• People/children are learning to become disciplers of others, teaching them God's way and principals and thereby making a difference in the lives of those around them.

• One needs the wisdom and knowledge of God, who He is, what He has already done for us and how to obtain that which God has already in store for us. Our biggest challenge is to change children or people from their old situations (where they could have been for a long time) to a new level.

• God's principals are not based on a formula but obtainable by faith (belief) in God and His principals. Resistance to godly principals might hinder children / people from unlearning the wrong principals in order to start applying new ones which are vital for effective change.

• Although we have great hope in God's way to establish our aims and obligations and indeed fulfill God's call, challenges like behavioural and cultural problems, bullying, fighting etc between children are likely to be a hindrance especially if the principals are not wholly adhered to by both staff and children.

• In circumstances where a child may decide not to believe in God, it might be a challenge to keep such a child from interfering in other children's beliefs though we will still maintain our love for such child because the Bible says love never fails.

• Our services are based on heart issues and it will be a challenge to choose the right workers, as we cannot predict individual's motives for coming to work with us, some of whom might have personal agendas instead of working corporately. This can also be an issue in the general management if these principals are not accepted willingly.

The question commonly asked by nearly all people is "surely if God is there why does He look on while, wrong things are going on in the world? Or in the case of the children, why did God let my parents die or abandon me?" The truth is God is Love and only good things come from Him but there is also another force (satan) who comes to steal and to kill and to destroy. God has also given us a free choice to decide whom to follow because He is not a dictator. Most of the circumstances we go through in life are based on the decisions we or our parents make consciously or unconsciously and we are affected by family background and cultural issues also. The message of God's love brings hope and life to whosoever takes it to heart, casts our fear and all other issues that we face in life and motivates us to look to a Saviour.

Where there is lack of God's love, there is abundance of fear, hate, selfish ambitions and all criminal acts you can think of, but the Bible says in Rom 2:2 that it's the goodness of God that leads people to repentance.

We bear witness to this truth "that God can do what no one else can't", that is why we are stepping out in faith to share what God has given us, believing that God who has called this ministry will be faithful to establish it as He has done in many other things in our lives.

In 1 "Samuel 2:8 He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the beggar from the ash heap, to set them among princes and make them inherit the throne of glory". Before one gets to know the Lord, their circumstances seem to be the worst in the whole world and it always feels like nothing can be done about them. But the good news is that there is no circumstance too great for God to solve. Once one gets to know the Lord and His goodness they do not stay the same. Circumstances become less and less as the Lord begins to manifest His goodness in individual situations.

Children's Strategy

AFHM offers placements to disadvantaged children in a home based on Christian principals. Placement is given to children from other religious backgrounds that are willing to live within a Christian culture.

Orphans

The Bible says in James 1:27 that pure and lasting religion in the sight of God our father means that we must care for orphans and widows in their troubles and refuse to let the world corrupt us.

• Children are a gift from God but unfortunately there are a lot of children who are abandoned by their parents due to life pressures, yet other children have lost their parents and are at the mercy of the community at large.

• ABBA Father's management receives orphanage/disadvantaged children's applications from individuals, the local churches or community under the home management procedure and chooses to accept or not accept to offer a placement to a child or children depending on availability of funds and accommodation or other reasons.

• ABBA Father's management consults the parent/relative/guardian in order to gather information concerning the child to be placed at AFH to ensure our ability and affordability to look after such a child.

Children's Individual Case files

A good filing system is in place to ensure children's records, needs, development and progress are recorded. Each child's file contains all necessary information and all relevant information is filed for future reference.

Child Protection Policy

At AFH, we trust God for protection and safety of everyone and also provide physical measures to ensure that the welfare of children is promoted, children are protected from abuse and for an appropriate response to be made to any allegation or suspicion of abuse. We believe that biblical training goes a long way in bringing about peace at AFH although physical measures are in place for the welfare of children. We ensure that our procedures clear and in line with the local council's regulations, and also known, understood, and followed by all staff. In case of any problem, our staff and management are able to respond to allegations or suspicions appropriately and to refer complex issues to relevant authorities.