Uganda

Feed The Hungry
(East Africa)

Pastor Solomon Mwesige

Solomon learned of Feed the Hungry through Pastor Tom Rouse at the Sumrall School of Ministry in Ironwood, Michigan. Since then, this partnership has connected communities and the government as well as opened doors for ministry as it demonstrates God’s love actively.

One of the programs Solomon oversees are the Violet Scholarships. These scholarships came about after a Congo refugee named Violet was sponsored by a few Feed the Hungry donors. The need for funding for students to continue proper education was prevalent. With these scholarships, kids have a chance to excel in school and fulfil their potential despite their circumstances.

Another program is Your Story Must Change. This online marketplace through Feed My Starving Children allows people to create different things to sell and earn money for their families. The men and women in this program have created bookmarks, backpacks, jewellery, and much more to help earn money for their families.

Solomon’s long term goal is to do more discipleship among children and train pastors and church leaders to continue sharing Christ’s love in Uganda.

During Covid-19, Solomon and his team have worked hard to continue reaching a higher number of people with food and show them the love of Christ. With new access to television, Solomon has been able to broadcast sermons and church services to many people who otherwise would not learn of Christ.

The major challenge that Solomon and Feed the Hungry East Africa face is money. There is always more that can be done but financial restrictions prevent growth.

If he had the privilege to meet Dr. Lester Sumrall, Solomon would tell him stories about the kids they feed, what they’ve been through and how they’ve grown and been impacted because of his vision. He would share with him how his work is being continued and seeds are being planted in each child they feed.

If food and God’s word were plentiful, they could reach 200,000 children. With those numbers, the ministry could continue for years with children growing up and stepping into ministry roles.

Irene Gleeson Foundation

John Paul learned about Feed the Hungry in 2015 through Benjamin Evans at FTH Australia. Later, he was visited by Pete Sumrall, Stefan Radelich, and Daniel Skokan and the partnership grew from there.

The Irene Gleeson Foundation runs four primary schools that have over 4,400 students. This school provides medical support through on-site health clinics, Bible teaching, school uniforms, safe drinking water, counselling as well as breakfast and lunch to all students. They also provide additional nutrition to malnourished children.

The number of children being fed has increased since the partnership with Feed the Hungry began. School attendance and academic performance has also improved in every school level in the past five years. The school has also seen only a 5% dropout rate of girls compared to the districts 45% dropout rate.

Local farmers are also supported by IGF through purchasing their firewood and excess food. This has increased household income, alleviated poverty, allowed the community to recover, and contribute to the local economy.

John Paul’s long-term goals are to strengthen financial sustainability, increase locally generated revenue, expand local churches and train leaders.

He also wants to enhance his leadership team to effectively teach more people and create more opportunities for the Irene Gleeson Foundation to serve the community through outreaches, Christian schooling, healthcare, and recreational sports.
One of the most impactful moments in John Paul’s ministry is the children’s conference in November 2019 and how it impacted the children that attended.

Lately John Paul has seen a decline in child sponsorship in the past few years. Donations from outside organizations have also decreased, resulting in a huge drop in operations funding. Staff are facing many financial, emotional, and mental burdens that impact their work concentration, performance, and morale.

If food and God’s word were plentiful, they could reach over 25,000 children in Northern Uganda alone.