Thursday, December 27, 2018

12 Days of Christmas 2018

On the 1st day of Christmas, my true Love gave to me…
A PRIMARY SCHOOL IN NAMUWONGO


Doors Primary School in Namuwongo slum of Kampala is the heart of Doors Ministries. It is here that at risk children and families are welcomed into the loving environment of the school. Children are given a quality education at minimal to no cost, a rarity for this area. Additionally, the Gospel is preached, and students discipled. As the Christmas season is upon us, consider partnering with one of the 100+ pupils of Doors Primary School at $37 a month or through a one-time gift. This will help us to keep our DOORS open, and continue to see lives transformed. Send us a message to find out how, or email Ashley at Ashley@doorsministries.org.



On the 2nd day of Christmas, my true Love gave to me…
2 LARGE POTS, and a primary school in Namuwongo.


Every day, our two faithful school cooks come and prepare enough food to feed 100+ students and staff. Our lunch menu is beans and posho most days. Posho is maize flour that is boiled and is the most common starch in every meal throughout Uganda giving the children the calories they need to grow. Beans give the children their much needed protein and energy. We praise God for the donors of 2018 who have helped make school lunches possible through one-time gifts while we await for every child at Doors Primary School to become sponsored!


On the 3rd day of Christmas, my true Love gave to me…


3 NURSERY TEACHERS ,2 large pots, and a primary school in Namuwongo.


 These 3 nursery level teachers of Doors Primary School are leading their classes in games during the PE hour. Since April when Doors transitioned from being a US-based NGO to being a Uganda-based NGO, all of the teachers at Doors Primary School have volunteered their time to teach the students…this means they have gone without salary payments! This was due to a dip in funding and lack of available funds to guarantee salaries from the transition. When teachers were told that salaries would not be guaranteed until children at the school became sponsored, we expected to lose all of our staff. We were amazed when every single teacher continued to show up for school each day to teach. Truly, they see their vocation in teaching as a calling from God and not a job to pay bills. We are amazed that more than half are still standing with us at Doors Primary School! Consider partnering with Doors Primary School today to support these amazing teachers and their students, or consider giving a one-time gift that can go directly towards blessing these teachers with an end of year bonus. Contact us today to find out how, or simply click on the donate link at the top of the page.




On the 4th day of Christmas, my true Love gave to me…
4 BLACKOUT DAYS ,3 nursery teachers, 2 large pots, and a primary school in Namuwongo.

 

Power outages are common throughout Uganda. They come semi-frequently and unannounced. Young men who have graduated out of other Doors programs and are currently enrolled in the Vocational Training Scholarship program are able to learn trades and skills to make a living such as becoming an electrician. Going to vocational school makes one more likely to receive a job in Uganda, than graduating from University. We are so proud of the 4 students enrolled in vocational schools beginning in 2018 and 2019. Thank you to the sponsors and financial partners of each of these young men!



On the 5th day of Christmas, my true Love gave to me…

5 SMILING FACES ,4 blackout days, 3 nursery teachers, 2 large pots, and a primary school in Namuwongo.




These are the smiles of boys who formerly lived on the streets and are now in a loving home and back in school. They have been given permission to dream again…and they are dreaming big! Please pray for these boys and others as they continue in their studies and pursue their dreams. We are still looking for several foster families to allow one or more of the boys to join their home. They are currently living with a volunteer aunt who loves them as her own.  (pictured with the boys here)




On the 6th day of Christmas, my true Love gave to me…
6 CHILDREN STUDYING ,5 smiling faces, 4 blackout days, 3 nursery teachers, 2 large pots, and a primary school in Namuwongo.
  


Education is empowerment. At the end of primary school, students in the graduating class (primary 7) take a national exam called the Primary Leaving Exam. Their score on this exam determines if they can continue their education onto secondary school (high school)…assuming they can afford to do so of course. Doors Primary School is unique in that every single graduating student from the school has passed this exam and been able to continue onto to secondary school. This is mostly thanks to the wonderful and dedicated teaching staff at Doors Primary School who work tirelessly to make sure the students are ready for this major exam. It is also thanks to our generous sponsors who have partnered with a Doors Primary School graduate at $80 or less a month, allowing them to afford to continue their education. We currently have 10 students awaiting sponsors in order to continue their education. Consider partnering with one of these students in 2019. To meet the students, or begin your partnership, send us a message today!




On the 7th day of Christmas, my true Love gave to me…
7 CHAPATTIS FRYING ,6 children studying, 5 smiling faces, 4 blackout days, 3 nursery teachers, 2 large pots, and a primary school in Namuwongo.


Chappattis are a typical fast food, or “street food” in Uganda. You can find them on almost every street corner or couple of yards in Kampala. Think thick, doughier, fried tortilla or naan. Yum! They are delicious. Every Friday night for the past couple of months, the boys of the former Doors Home and now Street Child Reconciliation Program, have gathered together to make chapattis with their foster mom and neighbors. Not only is this a night of fun and tasty food, it is also a night that the boys are learning a skill that they can use in the future to start a small chapatti frying business to make money.



On the 8th day of Christmas, my true Love gave to me…

8 HANDS-A-WASHING ,7 chapattis frying, 6 children studying, 5 smiling faces, 4 blackout days, 3 nursery teachers, 2 large pots, and a primary school in Namuwongo.


Can you believe that when Doors Primary School first opened, we had no running water?? Every day, our dedicated cooks would carry 20L jerry cans down to the slum to fill up from the public tap and lug them uphill back to the school multiple times a day in order for the school to have sufficient water for cooking, drinking, and washing. We praise God that a couple of years ago, a generous partner supported a fundraiser which allowed us to get running water to the school grounds….our next dream? Electricity on campus! Currently we have no electricity at the school making classrooms dark at times, especially during the gloomy raining days of “rainy season.”



On the 9th day of Christmas, my true Love gave to me…
9 PUPILS PRAYING ,8 hands-a-washing, 7 chapattis frying, 6 children studying, 5 smiling faces, 4 blackout days, 3 nursery teachers, 2 large pots, and a primary school in Namuwongo.



“To awaken the wild love of Jesus by discipling the next generation of leaders in Uganda” is our mission statement. In all we do, we strive for discipleship to happen. It is only through the Gospel and grace of God that lives change and true hope received. At Doors Primary Schol discipleship happens both in and out of the classroom. Our staff of strong Christian leaders seek to bring the truth of the Gospel into their teaching. Each week, pupils also have a Bible study and a daily chapel service. The chapel service consists of a time of student-led praise and worship, corporate prayer, and a short devotion given by one of the staff or older students.



On the 10th day of Christmas, my true Love gave to me…
10  SHARPENED PENCILS ,9 pupils praying, 8 hands-a-washing, 7 chapattis frying, 6 children studying, 5 smiling faces, 4 blackout days, 3 nursery teachers, 2 large pots, and a primary school in Namuwongo.


We are always in need of school supplies at Doors Primary School. Students are required to provide their own books for notes and pencils. Only teachers are allowed to write in pen in Ugandan primary schools. We are thankful for the numerous generous donors in years passed who have provided donations of or funds for school supplies. These gifts have taken financial pressure off of families to provide necessary supplies for learning, and have blessed the school as a whole. If you have supplies you would like to donate for the 2019 school year, or would like to make a financial donation towards school supplies at Doors Primary School, please send us a message or email Ashley at Ashley@doorsministries.org. You can also click on the “Donate” button at the top of the page and denote your financial gift is for school supplies through the link provided.




On the 11th day of Christmas, my true Love gave to me…
11 RIPENED MANGOS ,10 sharpened pencils, 9 pupils praying, 8 hands-a-washing, 7 chapattis frying, 6 children studying, 5 smiling faces, 4 blackout days, 3 nursery teachers, 2 large pots, and a primary school in Namuwongo. 


Mango season comes twice a year in Uganda as there are two growing and two harvesting seasons. December, January and February tend to be the hottest months in Uganda, one of the 2 “dry” seasons of the year. Christians in Uganda typically spend Christmas by attending a church service in the morning dressed up as fancy as possible, then cook a large meal to share with family, friends, or neighbors. Matooke (green bananas), rice, chicken or meat, and gnut sauce are the typical menu…and of course mangos! if you are lucky as we are at Doors to have a mango tree on your property to pick fresh ones from.




On the 12th day of Christmas my true Love gave to me…
12 SPONSORED STUDENTS, 11 ripened mangos, 10 sharpened pencils, 9 pupils praying, 8 hands-a-washing, 7 chapattis frying, 6 children studying, 5 smiling faces, 4 blackout days, 3 nursery teachers, 2 large pots, and a primary school in Namuwongo.


We are so grateful for the numerous generous partners of Doors who sponsor students and programs at Doors Ministries through monthly financial gifts and prayer. All of our children in the Vocational Training Scholarship Program and Street Child Reconciliation & Resettlement Program have sponsors. We praise God for this. We continue to look for donors willing to partner with 10 Secondary School Scholarship pupils and 80+ Doors Primary School pupils in need of sponsors. If you or someone you know would be interested to walk in partnership with one of the pupils of Doors, please send us a Facebook message or email Ashley at Ashley@doorsministries.org.



MERRY CHRISTMAS

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