Hope of Peace Christian School

Kindulwe Village, Uganda

When Ugandan schoolteacher-turned-pastor Justine Namatovu answered the Spirit’s call to plant Zion Victory Church in the small village of Kindulwe, she encountered children all over town who wandered the streets, had little or nothing to eat, had ragged or no clothing, were not receiving an education, and sometimes even had no adult in the home at all. She began to gather them for brief informal lessons and a snack when she had food to share. Over time, the lessons became more formal, she rented a room in an old brick building, did farm work to buy them uniforms, borrowed chairs and tables from neighbors, and asked anyone who would listen for food for the children.

Before she knew it, Hope of Peace had close to 20 children in the class from ages 2 to 13. She did all of this with having almost no money of her own. She knew that God had sent her to Kindulwe to do this, so she prayed for provision, and stepped out in faith. “Neglected children have a place at Hope of Peace,” she says. “We are a family, and we are all happy to be together.” It was not easy, though. Many days, when there was no food to put in front of the children or she wasn’t feeling well and had no one to help, she did not know if she could go on.

It is during this difficult season that a friend and former pastor of hers told her about Fellowship of Lone Shepherds. In FLS, Justine found brothers and sisters in the ministry who could relate to her, and she knew she was no longer alone. Additionally, Fellowship of Lone Shepherds was then able to come alongside her to help her meet some of the children’s needs. Once word got out that there was a place where the children of the village were able to find a sense of belonging, to learn new and exciting things, to fill their bellies with food, and to get to wear a uniform like the kids who could afford to go to regular school, Hope of Peace quickly grew to 37 children, 12 of whom came to live with Justine because they had nowhere else to go. Every morning and evening, Justine and the children walk the three miles from her house to the school and back.

Recognizing Pastor Justine’s exhaustion and frustration, Fellowship of Lone Shepherds asked her how she wanted to address her weariness. She said that she had already identified a single mother of a student who she wanted to offer the job of teacher’s aide, but she did not have the resources to do so. The mother’s name is Christine, and she was barely able to put food on the table for her kids through doing laundry and other small jobs for neighbors. Many days she went door-to-door trying to find work, and some days she found none. FLS committed to paying Christine’s monthly salary. This arrangement has resulted in Justine getting the help she needs, Christine being able to provide better for her children, and the Hope of Peace kids getting even more attention. Everybody wins!

Although FLS has been able to assist Pastor Justine with some expenses, when you gather together 37 impoverished children (and take 12 of them home every night), there are going to be more needs than you can imagine:

• Food

• School Supplies

• Curricula & Books

• Uniforms

• Furniture

• School Rent

• Medicines for the children with HIV

• National Exam Fees

• Teacher’s Aide Salary

• Salary for Pastor Justine (who has worked for free this entire time)

The list of needs goes on and on. FLS will eventually work with Pastor Justine on her future plans for sustainability for Hope of Peace, but that cannot happen until she is able to get out of day-to-day survival mode. We would love it if you joined us in partnering with her not only to get her through the current challenges but then to partner with her on working toward her dreams for the future.

Any amount will help, but when you donate at least $100 you will become a part of the “Friends of Hope of Peace” and will receive a monthly e-newsletter keeping you up to date on the kids, Pastor Justine, and Christine. Also, please enjoy watching the videos below.