SUMMER 2010
Summer is an exciting time of year in Uganda and Kenya. Due to the nature of our mission trips we have many college students and young adults interested in spending two weeks of their summer with Empower A Child and some interested in staying the entire summer. During any given week you could be apart of a team of 30 individuals from all the U.S., UK, Canada, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and the rest of the world all coming together for one common purpose.
Our trips are customizable, meaning you have the flexibility to chose the dates you’d like to come and for how long, 2 weeks, 1 month, 2 months etc. Since summer is a busy time we have certain dates each month when our staff will be at the airport to pick you up and drop you off, we ask that you schedule your incoming and outgoing flights into Entebbe or Nairobi around these dates. For example if you’d like to spend 6 weeks in Uganda you could arrive at Entebbe International Airport in Uganda on May 31 and depart on July 12.
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Airport Dates
- May 3
- May 17
- May 31
- June 14
- June 21
- June 28
- July 12
- July 19
- July 26
- August 2
- August 16
- August 30
PLEASE NOTE: These dates are the dates you are to arrive in Africa, NOT the date you need to depart your country. Depending on where you are coming from it can take two days to get to Africa with time zone changes and flight schedule. Please keep that in mind when booking your flights. 
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Ministry Opportunities
During Summer 2010 you’ll have the opportunity each week to work alongside Ugandans and Kenyans in orphanages, street kids homes, babies’ homes, schools, juvenile homes, specialty care homes, and children’s hospitals. As a team you’ll minister to these different projects and schools where children and youth live or go to school. Each week you’ll go on 4 to 8 outreaches and minister to over 200 children.
The team will play games, make crafts, share Bible stories, praise and worship, perform skits, lead panel discussions, disciple, share and counsel in small groups on topics relevant to the particular age group. Topics range from character building and living a lifestyle of integrity, to HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention, to obeying authority figures.
Beyond outreaches we have different village missions and community clean-up projects. Each week you’ll have the opportunity to show Christ’s love by your actions, cleaning up community wells, slums streets, school compounds, etc. Once a month we’ll be going to different villages around the country for a village mission week to build for a family in need. If you’d like to plan to be in Uganda or Kenya during one of these village missions you can find out more information about these village missions for each country and their dates below if you’d like to plan your trip around these missions.-
Village Missions in Uganda
Rakai, Uganda - June 8-13, 2010
Rakai is a district in the southwestern part of Uganda, approximately 4 hours from Kampala, the capital city. Rakai is believed to be an area where AIDS began to spread throughout Africa. The first case of HIV/AIDS was diagnosed in 1982 although many people did not know what it was and believed it to be witchcraft. Without proper education of the disease it began to spread like wildfire with an infection rate of over 30% in adults 15 years and older in the 1990’s.
Today, the people have been educated and the infection rate has reduced dramatically however, the scars of the disease are very evident in Rakai. Many children in this district have been orphaned and live with an aunt, uncle, grandparents or by themselves.
In June, Empower A Child is going to build a house for an orphan in our program and her family. This family currently lives in a grass-thatched mud house that is falling apart and leaking. They have no means to build a safer more secure home. You can make a major difference in the life of this family by coming and giving the gift of a new home.
Zilobwe, Luwero, Uganda - July 5-11, 2010
Zilobwe is a subdivision in the Luwero District. It is located about 45 minutes to one hour outside the capital city, Kampala. Luwero suffered from years of war in the early 1980’s when Yoweri Museveni, the current president, and his army was trying to win Uganda over from the Milton Obote regime. A lot of the district has developed and been re-built since the war, however, Zilobwe is in a very remote area and the people have been neglected all these years. This is where Empower A Child will be building our future school and training center in hopes of brining development and sustainability to the area.
In July, Empower A Child will be holding a week long work camp in Zilobwe. Activities will include building houses, feeding and ministry programs for children in the village, sports outreach with the youth, and open air and door to door evangelism. Come make an impact in a place where many are dying for a piece of bread and many more are dying for just a little love. Dare to reach your hand into the darkness, to pull another hand into the light.
Kumi, Uganda - August 11-15, 2010
George was born and raised in Kumi, a district in the eastern part of Uganda, about a 5 hour drive from Kampala. George lost his parents to AIDS when he was in primary school. He was raised by his grandparents who tried all they could to feed George and educate him. After several years of struggle his grandfather could not do any more so he sent him to the capital city, Kampala, to live with his uncle so that he can further his studies into secondary school or high school.
As the years went by he was accused of a crime he did not commit by a neighbor and taken to the juvenile home. It’s at this home that Empower A Child met George and he give his life to Christ and showed a lot of interest in learning and knowing God.
During his time in the juvenile home his uncle became very ill and eventually died of kidney disease before George was released from the home. George was devasted and hopeless because he knew his chances of continuing school were finished and didn’t know what his life would look like after he got out of the home.
This was all taking place around the time Empower A Child kicked off the sponsorship program and we took George up after he was released hence becoming the first sponsored child under Empower A Child.
George is now doing well attending boarding school in Kamapla, however, his grandparents still live in abject poverty in mud hut that is falling apart. As a team we plan to build him a better house for the family next August. Remember when you dig another out of their troubles, you find a place to bury your own. Every action in our lives touches on some chord that will vibrate in eternity.-
Village Missions in Kenya
TBD - Please check back for more information.
PLEASE NOTE: The areas we visit and type of building project we participate in are subject to change, however if you plan to be in Uganda or Kenya during the dates listed above there will be a village building project to participate in.-
Costs
- Administration Fee - $200
- 2 weeks: $700
- 3 to 4 weeks: $900
- 5 to 6 weeks: $1,000
- 2 Months: $1,250
- 3 months or more: $600 per month
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Orientation Preview
If you are from the U.S. or Canada and planning on taking a mission trip to Uganda or Kenya this summer we highly recommend you attend one of our weekend orientations in San Diego, CA. These orientations help you prepare for your trip, physically, emotionally and spiritually. You'll receive important information to help you prepare for your trip, process the situations you'll encounter in Africa and give you tools to help you with the re-entry process with life back at home after a mission trip. Plus you'll get a chance to meet and bond with some of your team members, who come from all over the country for the same purpose.
Dates: April 16-18, 2010
Cost: TBD
This is due to the U.S. office at least two months prior to arrival in Africa. See Donate page.
This fee is due to the U.S. office at least one month prior to arrival in Africa. Please note that checks made out to Empower A Child are ultimately donations. Due to this, we cannot refund money for these trips if you must cancel. We can set aside your donation if you want to postpone your trip to another time.