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Compassion & Social Service

Historical Background

Compassion Ministry started during the 1980’s at a time when there was insurgency in Northern and Eastern Uganda. People would come to this cathedral for prayer and other forms of assistance that would be available.

It has since continued to grow and reach out to the less privileged/disadvantaged persons in our community including the widows and orphans, the stranded, the robbed, needy and refuges.

 

Compassion Ministry Vision

Reaching out to the disadvantaged in our community and beyond, with love and care of Christ, with a view to transforming them for purposeful lives.

Compassion Ministry mission

To care, show love, counsel and empower the disadvantaged.

The ministry’s activities include the following

  • tuition fees sponsorship for primary, secondary, university and vocational studies
  • counseling and guidance services
  • reaching out to communities such as churches in disadvantaged communities, homes for disabled children, mentally challenged children with support of food items, clothes donated by parishioners. This is only done whenever there are enough items to donate
  • support to the children and youth to participate in spiritual enhancement activities like missions and conferences.

Identification of disadvantaged children/people   to benefit from the ministry activities

  • Compassion Ministry supports children and adults disadvantaged due to a number of factors including death of one or both parents, abandonment by parents, born to disabled parents unable to carry out normal activities, refugees, the sick/disabled and in general the very disadvantaged people. These are identified by parishioners; others just send their applications. This is followed by a verification process by the committee members to establish the magnitude of the problems/ needs.
  • The stranded, abandoned, the homeless and the hungry just walk to church for any support that may be available.
  • Caretakers/parents/guardians of the supported children are generally the less privileged including widows who have limited or no resources to sustain their families, refugees, people living with HIV/AIDS , disabled, mentally challenged and stranded.
  • Depending on the magnitude of the needs and the resources available a decision to give support either on a once off basis or periodic arrangement is made.

 

ACTIVITIES IN BRIEF

  1. i) Outreach activities

Compassion Ministry has been able to reach out to the community in various ways and during these items like foodstuffs(sugar, soap, posho, rice, and clothes /shoes donated by parishioners are given out and through sharing the gospel , a number of people have given their lives to Christ.

Katanga slum (in partnership with St Peters Wandegeya church), Makerere Slum (Holy Trinity Church Kivulu), Kifumbira slum(St John’s Kamwokya), Kisenyi slum (St Andrews Bukoto), Namuwongo Slum (Kiwuririza C.O.U), Mulago slum (St Paul Mulago), Naguru Kasente &Naguru go down slums (St Peters Naguru C.O.U), Mulago Hospital(St Lukes Chapel) ,Kalerwe slum (St Nicholas Kalerwe C.O. U)

-Mengo School of the Physically Handicapped

-Kireka Home of Mentally Challenged Children,

-Sanyu Babies Home

When on holiday, some of the supported pupils/students participate in the outreach activities to inculcate a spirit of sharing and blessing others just as they have been blessed.

(ii)Education

Support with Tuition fees is a core component of our compassion ministry. Currently students are under sponsorship follows:

University – continuing students 5,

Tertiary Institutions (vocational) -2

Primary Level – 9 ,

Secondary (O’ level & A’ level (15)

 

(iii) Compassion Fellowship which is held every holiday

We conduct periodic interactive fellowships in which sponsored students/children, guardians/parents and committee members come together, share ideas, pray with and counsel beneficiaries and update each other of what would be current in the ministry.

This fellowship brings together sponsored children/students, guardians/parents and committee members. This provides opportunity of sharing ideas amongst the guardian, students, praying together, counseling the students and updating on what was going on. Topics for discussion are always developed with all stakeholders in mind. Guardians share their successes and challenges, discuss how to support one another; how to earn a better living. It is the ministry’s desire to develop this fellowship into a more fruitful venture.

(iv) Support to the stranded, the sick, the grieved and the less privileged

The ministry has continued to provide counseling support to the stranded, the sick, the grieved , the disabled and where necessary and possible financial and material support in form of clothes, and food stuffs are given if available.

CHALLENGES

  • There is an overwhelming magnitude of need against limited sources of funding – the only source of income for the Compassion Ministry is the Church and its parishioners.
  • This limits the level of support each beneficiary receives such that even when the church makes the contribution to tuition fees, the students remain with a long list of unmet needs like cost of accommodation, training/scholastic materials. Some have had breaks in the semesters/ academic year due to failure to raise funding for other requirements. A big number of applicants remain pending and yet they genuinely need supported.
  • The widows need support to start up income generating activities to raise funds to top up tuition and accommodation, general upkeep and other requirements but many times this is not possible.
  • Due to financial constraints the medical care is not taken care of at all and yet it affects many students in the school going age.
  • Limited facilitation to follow up students/persons that require continuous counseling to ensure their complete recovery.
  • Some sponsored students drop out of school to take care of their siblings
  • Increasing costs of educational requirements

APPRECIATION

We give glory to God for the compassion ministry through which we have seen God’s transformational compassion spill out, touch lives and grow amongst us. Thanks to the Provost for his wise leadership, the priest in charge of Compassion Ministry and the entire clergy team and non-ordained staff. This ministry would not be what it is without your commitment.  Thank you dear parishioners for your kind generosity. Your devotion fulfills the law of Christ as stated in Galatians 6:2.

As we continue to meditate upon God’s compassion, may each on of us think of somebody who is in need. You have always wished to bless this person. Reflect on what has hindered you from blessing this person and  pray that God brings you to the level of being their good Samaritan; in practice. Pray that God to opens up more blessings for you to so that you can bless others.

Do not worry about what to share. God has loved you, share that love, your experiences, a smile, a prayer, a hug, a word of encouragement, food, material things, fun, time, name it….. The most available resources you can share are the freely God-given gifts you possess.

 Remember God loved us while we were still sinners (Romans 5:6); therefore even when the person in need is not a good person, avoid judging before understanding their situation. Do not seek your own advantage like the man on whom his master had compassion but did not show compassion when told his debt couldn’t be paid (Matthew 18:23-34). To be compassionate, forget yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand; aware that God knows our limitations and He will in return reward us more abundantly (Proverbs 19:17).

 May God help us to know what to do and say to the different persons in need of compassion. Remember there are those who are in total need and those who appear to have everything, yet have failed in other aspects; others have rejected the gospel. Two extremes, but both need compassion in different ways.

Our desire is to;

  1. Enroll  more disadvantaged students for sponsorship
  2. Build strong partnerships with other ministries within the church and beyond to mobilise resources to improve the support given to the beneficiaries
  3. Continue facilitating the homeless/stranded, refugees and provide accommodation for students/ guardians who are completely helpless and homeless.
  4. Beyond tuition fees; contribute textbooks, reams of papers, toilet papers, pens, exercise books, internship expenses, mosquito nets, foodstuffs soap, pads; which are currently not provided due to budget constraints; to the most deserving students.
  5. Support widows and child heads of families who are jobless and homeless with knowledge and skills to help them start up income generating activities for survival.
  6. To contribute to provision of minimum accommodation to those made homeless by circumstance completely beyond their control

 

APPEAL

 We appeal to parishioners to support double orphaned disadvantaged children in any way you may be touched by

  • Donating foodstuffs(beans, maize flour, rice, sugar), scholastic material (soap, pads, books, etc), donate clothing , Text books
  • mentoring the supported children to grow into confident and responsible citizens.
  • Visiting and Praying for the sick in homes and hospitals especially those with chronic disease that wipe away their hope for long periods.

as the Holy Spirit touches you. Continue praying that God provides more resources to enable reaching out to the many disadvantaged persons out there. May God bless us all as we continue to worship Him through living compassionately.

To contribute and/or partner with the ministry

Contact

ASCK reception for guidance and/or direct you to the Priest-in-Charge Compassion Ministry and Chairperson Compassion Ministry–ASCK

Pick an envelope from ASCK main entrance door pockets, put in your donation , write your name on the envelope and place in the safe box deposit

Give your contribution to Accounts office directly and ask for a receipt.

Bring material donations to the ASCK reception and ensure your donation is registered and, please provide your telephone contact and address details.

 

Way Forward is to

  1. Review and streamline further the criteria of identifying the most deserving persons and communities
  2. Institute a mechanism of continual awareness and follow up of parishioners to result into increased actual compassionate giving
  3. Increase the budget to enable an integrated approach in improving the lives of the beneficiaries. For instance basic sensitization to the guardians on how to improve their livelihood
  4. The compassion ministry needs to be facilitated to carry out physical visits to homes and schools and where necessary hospitals
  5. Collaboration amongst ministries needs strengthening to create synergy amongst the various ministries
  6. Parishioners are willing to give but need to be prompted thus the need for continual teaching about compassion.
  7. Some needy persons need specialized support beyond what is evident and can be openly be mentioned. For instance ARVs and healthy feeding.
  8. To sensitise parishioners not to donate what cannot be used for example torn clothes, underwears, torn shoes.