Please support Uganda’s Good Samaritan Initiative!!!

Over the past several years, I have become facebook friends with a number of Christian grassroots community organizers from Africa and Asia. Grassroots organizations in the Global South have a lot more trouble getting support for their work than top-down organizations that come from the US, because they aren’t trusted and they often can’t accept tax-deductible donations. They also don’t speak English as a first language, so it is challenging for them to articulate their vision and their needs in language that seems adequately “professional” to Global North donors. So I’ve decided to offer my blog as a platform for some of these grassroots organizers. Please consider supporting their efforts through whatever means they prescribe!

Our first guest post is from Ziraba Hassan Ally of the Good Samaritan Initiative (GSI) from Uganda. GSI is fortunate to partner with a US NGO called the Global Belief Project, so you can support them with a tax-deductible gift by donating through the Global Belief Project website and writing “Good Samaritan Initiative” in the comment section.

I. Introduction

A bad beginning usually makes a good ending. I am saying this with regard to my humble background and how God is seeing me through all the hardships. Definitely, I know that not only me but also others may suffer in a similar way and can overcome in spite of these challenges they face. I strongly believe that God created me for a purpose: to serve the vulnerable through this ministry called Good Samaritan Initiative (GSI). Guided by the motto “We care”, GSI gives support to children with sickle cells, disabilities and those ones who lost their parents by meeting their basic needs. I ask you kindly to be part of this initiative to help the Orphans and Vulnerable Children in Uganda because we belong to God’s big family.

II. Who and what I am

My name is Ziraba Hassan Ally and I was born in 1970. Since childhood, I have been having the problems of visual disability and sickle cells. This situation puts me at the periphery of social life; and to say the least, I am discriminated against. However, this has urged me to think positively and to love God. In 2 Corinthians 12:9, the Lord tells me: “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore, Christ Jesus has shaped my life. For disability is not a big issue to me; on the contrary, it is helping me to galvanize my strengths and efforts to delivering noble services to the vulnerable in society.

I am a holder of a BA in Social Work and Social Administration and other qualifications in Development Studies.  I have experience in working as a volunteer with Community Based Organizations, Faith Based Organizations and Non-Governmental Organizations.

III. Who and what the family members are

I have a wife called Doreen and we have six children: namely: Nseko Haruna (19 years), Bill Basajjabaka (15 years), Kyewalyanga Abu Yahaya (11 year), Janie Khakasa (9 years), Namulwa Jamira Elizabeth (5 ½ years) and Mukyala Naimu Mary (3 yers). Three of these children have sickle cells and these are: Bill Basajjabka, Janie Khakasa and Namulwa Jamira Elizabeth. One of these three kids, Bill Basajjabka, is an amputee.

In 2011 Bill suffered terribly from complications brought about by sickle cells and he was admitted in Jinja Referral Hospital. While he was in this state, Bill was given an injection in the right foot which went the wrong way! Instead of the injection being directed into the vein, it was into the vessel. This resulted in a dry gangrene that led to his leg to be amputated.

The situation we are as a family is the reason why I set up Good Samaritan Initiative.

IV. The organization and what it does

GSI, operating in Jinja District, Uganda, was founded in 2oo6 as a Community Based Organization. It is progressing to register as a Non-Governmental organization this year. GSI has 150 members, mostly local women who are parents to Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVCs). Below are GSI vision, mission, goal and key programs:

a) Vision:

All vulnerable children are happy because the society in which they live responds to their needs through compassion and love of God.

 b) Mission:

We exist to show total love and compassion to the Orphans and Vulnerable Children through our positive interventions in alleviating their suffering.

c) Goal:

By 2030 G.S.I. to alleviate poverty among Orphans and Vulnerable Children of Uganda by helping them directly with the basic necessities of life, and supporting and working with various social networks to bring about a positive change.

d) 4 Key programs:

1. Sponsorship

Under this program, GSI will get some sponsors that shall support the Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVCs) in terms of meeting their basic necessities such as education, food, clothing and shelter. In other words, a relationship will be developed between a child and a sponsor that would result into the latter helping the child financially and materially and the child benefiting from such help.

2. Health

This will focus on supporting the OVCs attain what they lack in the area of health; that is to say, hygiene and sanitation. Under hygiene, issues of personal cleanliness will be addressed and sanitation will focus on public health (considering the society in general). This program will handle matters to do with combating and treating diseases among children, provision of clean and safe water to the households, donating mosquito nets, disability reversals and many others. Basically, a sub-program of Early Childhood, Care and Development will be part of this and sensitization will be an important aspect to make the program run smoothly.

3. Livelihood

This is the economic base for the household where the OVC belongs. GSI will lobby for funds that shall help families of OVCs to be economically self-supportive, self-sustained and empowered. Petty businesses by women and agricultural activities fall under this. GSI has launched a Village Savings and Loans Association (VSLA), popularly known as “village Bank” to help women to save and borrow money. But this project needs to be boosted with more money to help the members benefit from it fully. Women have started participating in a handcraft project where many of them are learning how to make items such as bags, armlets, necklaces and so on. This very project requires seed capital for it to run successfully. GSI has identified a place where they can raise chickens as a group but this also requires start-up capital to start this project.

4.Education, Children and Youths

This is aimed at developing children into decent mature adults who fear God. This program looks at basically the interests of both children and youths and promotes them with the guidance of the adults. Identifying and promoting the talents of children and youths through games, sports, music, dance and drama is done in this program. Under this program GSI has started a project of writing stories and poems.

 GSI ensures that it upholds the following core values to implement its activities: compassion, accountability, transparency, honesty, integrity and democracy.

V. Partnership

GSI seeks to partner with anyone that is interested to help the OVCs. However, currently we are working closely with Global Belief Project.

VI. Conclusion

Thank you very much for dedicating your time to read this blog. I request for your help so that we can make the vision of GSI a reality because “everything together works for good to those who are called to serve His purpose” (Rom 8:28). You can support GSI through the Global Belief Project’s donation page. Please write “Good Samaritan Initiative” in the comment section.

GSI e-mail:                          goodsamaritaninitiative@gmail.com

Personal e-mail:               zirabally@yahoo.com or zirabally@gmail.com