Oct '08 - Uganda Command

The Salvation Army in Uganda has been of great help especially to the orphans and the most vulnerable, helping in the mobilization and provision of education for children who live in the surrounding suburbs near Command Headquarters.  This is achieved by working through the programme called, ‘Peace for the African Child' and another community care project based in Kampala, where school stationery and scholastic materials have been supplied.

This has brought joy to the community and helped in spreading the Gospel to the needy.  The orphans, guardians and the nearby community are learning much about what The Salvation Army and how its people are available to help them.  The community especially the guardians have thanked The Salvation Army. Though we did not have enough funds to accommodate all vulnerable children and orphans, because there arejust so many and so needy.

There have been camps set up to accommodate so many internally displaced from their homes, basically in the Northern part of Uganda where The Salvation Army has played a very important role to reach these people by supporting them and trying to meet their needs. Many people suffer and are in need of the most basic things to survive, but the work done by The Salvation Army through its representatives, is much appreciated.

At the end of 2007, disputes about the elections in Kenya resulted in violent clashes.  Land conflicts resulted in many people fleeing, some crossing into Uganda from Kenya, seeking help. The Salvation Army helped these families and some suffering from HIV/Aids by providing food.  Each home that hosted refugees received 20kgs of maize flour and 10kgs of beans, with charcoal, supplementary baby soya, sugar and milk as food for the children under five years and rolls of toilet paper. The same applied to the refugee as well.  This took place in Bumbo in Manafa District, in the Eastern part of the country.

A number of non-Salvationists joined the Sunday service to worship the Lord at Makuria Corps near Tororo Children's Home and many of them accepted God as their personal Saviour.

We thank you for your help and cooperation in making it possible for us here in Uganda to bless our needy children and adults. God bless Singapore and Malaysia Salvation Army!

Lyndon Munambo

My name is Alwali Wilson Bondi. I am 33-years-of-age and am now married with three boys.

In 1980, at the age of 22 years I joined Bakede College Secondary School. Two weeks after I joined, rebels came one night, attacked our school and abducted all boys including myself and tied our faces with black masks.  They moved with us the whole night. In the morning the masks were untied from our faces and we found ourselves in the forest, in the middle of a big crowd of rebels.

They started training us to become rebels too. Life started to become hard for me because we had to go for long hours without anything to eat and they required us to run a long way to villages every day. They forced us to sing and dance sometimes. We had to carry heavy loads of baggage wherever they went to attack. The time came when our rebel leader managed to take over the government and we became the government soldiers in 1986. As a person I suffered a lot during this time because it involved a lot of fighting and when we got involved in bad activities like smoking, striking, attending dances and torturing people.

After the government ended the President ordered those who were abducted from school to go back to school so I did and studied to complete senior four after which I decided to take other courses which took me two years to complete. I had no money to buy books so began to work and life continued to be hard. One day as I was working, filled with frustration, I met a servant of God. I was holding a cigarette in my hand but he stopped and greeted me.  He asked me "Why are you destroying your life that way my brother? Give your life to Jesus".  I didn't do what he said but instead asked him who he was and where he came from. 

He told me he was a Salvationist and came from The Salvation Army church. He gave me directions and I promised to visit his church the next Sunday.  I kept my promise and joined in the service.  After the service the officer gave me a lot of guidance and counselling. This changed my life and way of thinking.  I went home and told my wife about the message and change I had just experienced. She supported and encouraged me to accept Jesus as my personal Saviour.

In 2004, I joined The Salvation Army and started serving my Lord.  I fully accepted Jesus Christ as my personal Saviour and was sworn in as a soldier on 27 August  2006. I have become a strong servant of God and I follow the Holy Spirit's leading to take the Gospel to others who are still lost.  I have so far won eight souls to Christ.

I had no hope in my life but now I thank God I am full of hope.  My wife and I are candidates preparing to enter the Officer Training College. We don't have the school fees for our training, but we trust, believe and pray God's will be done so the way will be open for us to fulfil God's calling on our lives.

I thank The Salvation Army in Singapore and Malaysia for being a Partner in Mission with The Salvation Army in Uganda. God bless you and we love you so much.

      Candidates: Wilson and Agnes Bondi