Embrace Uganda

“Your Son Has A Brain Tumor!”

That is a terrifying message to receive as a parent, no matter where you live. It is worse when you live in Uganda, East Africa where medical resources are scarce and the expense of treating such an illness seems insurmountable. 

Isaac Okwakol is our youngest son Daniel’s best friend. They refer to each other as brothers from another mother. They met in second grade when Isaac’s father Michael was a seminary student in Wake Forest, NC. The family returned to Uganda in 2006. Michael and his family have become good friends and have been ministry partners with Embrace Uganda for many years.

 Isaac is 25 years old now. In 2017, he began to have seizures which were treated with medications. In recent months he began to have some vision loss and hearing deficits. He also has become more forgetful. 

 The family found the resources for him to see a doctor and obtain an MRI. It shows a tumor affecting both frontal lobes  of his brain and also putting pressure on his optic nerves. The neurosurgeon in Uganda is concerned that it is a high grade tumor. Only a tissue diagnosis can determine how malignant it may be. It has been recommended that Isaac come to the United States for surgery and other care such as chemotherapy or radiation if needed.

 The cost of bringing Isaac to the US and his treatment is estimated to be as much as  $100K.

 Neurosurgeons at Duke University have reviewed the MRI Images. They are willing to help. Duke Hospital requires the funds for his care to be available up front.  They are confident that any COVID hurdles can be overcome, and TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE.

 The family has initiated the medical visa process, but may also require an acceptance letter from Duke Hospital.

 The family does not have the resources or health insurance to cover this. Isaac has siblings who live in North Carolina and will have a place to stay while here. Embrace Uganda hopes to support the family with any needs they may have, and will also serve as a conduit for any funds given as tax deductible gifts.

 We cannot do it on our own and are asking for individuals to help support Isaac and his family during this time as needed. Fortunately, the Okwakol’s have a network of friends including church ministries that are also willing to help.

You may choose to give through GoFundMe or donate directly through Embrace Uganda at
www.embraceuganda.org.  Please also share with your network. 

Thank you for helping us save Isaac’s life!

 Dirk Hamp, MD, 

with Paige, our kids and the entire Embrace Uganda Family

As a result of the work of NC based 501c3 charity organization EMBRACE UGANDA, 10 incredibly hardworking Ugandan college aged students have been housed and supported outside of Kampala. A complex called the Embrace Uganda Hospitality Centre (EUHC) was created out of necessity when these students aged out of their previous orphanage.

We have known them since they were nine and ten years old. Some of their stories are heart wrenching. They have survived childhood as orphans, having experienced loss and abuse over and over again. The EUHC has been home and family to them for the past year, and we wish to allow for this to continue.
Their names are Fridah, Ibra, Joseph, Kezron, Annet, Robert O., Robert S., Godfrey, Cotridah and Teddy.
The students have recently created their own website. It can be found at . https://euhc.netlify.com/

All of them are engaged in studies at colleges and vocational schools. A gracious donor provided resources for tuition payments for the first year while living expenses including rent, food, transportation and medical expenses were provided by individuals and significant help from a Cary based congregation.

The first year was a time of learning during which our students have thrived. We are so encouraged by their enthusiasm and their willingness to contribute in any ways they can. The Centre has become home to them, and they are each other’s family.

The purpose of this campaign is to raise the resources needed to keep them in school and to keep them together in an environment that is safe and positive. In discussion with the students, we have done some restructuring to further improve their outlook, contain expenses, and increase their own contributions through part time work and enterprising to lead towards increased independence.

Another student, Eddie M., from the same orphanage came to the US almost two years ago. He has completed his Associates Degree here, earned the honor of Student Ambassador at Wake County Community College in Raleigh and will continue as an intern at IBM. These 10 students at the EUHC are of the same caliber. It would be cost prohibitive to try and bring them all here for their education. But they all are of a mind and spirit that would prepare them to become leaders in their own country.

Collectively, the annual expense to provide all 10 students with school fees, living expenses, transportation and basic medical care is $30,000.

We know that many can give a little, all of which can make a difference, enough to provide these needs.
We also know that some can give enough to support an individual student for a year at an estimated cost of $3,000 for the year. We would love to match donors with individual students, to also allow for personal interaction, communication and mentoring.

Thank you for considering becoming involved. All funds will be processed as tax deductible contributions through EMBRACE UGANDA.

Hi, my name is Jane Grace. I recently celebrated my 17th birthday. I was born in Kaihura, Kyenjojo District, Uganda. My father died when I was six years old. A year later, I was orphaned during a terrific attack on my family. I was the only survivor, but was left with critical injuries to my brain and my legs. I came under the care of Bringing Hope To The Family which was founded by Faith Kunihira 15 years ago. Faith connected with a wonderful man named Steve Cobin who helped get me to California for medical care. A year later, I was adopted by my parents Dirk and Paige Hamp in North Carolina. Without all of the care along the way, I would not be where I am now. I want to give back and hope to raise money so that other children under the care of "Bringing Hope" can also receive the medical care that they need. My family has helped start a non-profit organization called Embrace Uganda,


which supports the work Faith does, but also two other communities in Uganda through a partnership with Pastor Michael Okwakol and his ministry, African Church Empowerment. In all of these places, children lack the medical care that they need. Just $2500 will provide medical checkups and treatment for things like malaria and typhoid for an elementary school with 600 children. Can you imagine raising your child where there are no doctors....? Any money I can help raise will support medical clinics in Kaihura, Bukerere and Koreng. Thank you Faith, Steve, Michael and all the others for loving me so much. Jane.

I love being an Embrace Uganda Volunteer.  My first trip to Uganda in 2010 was when I fell in love with the orphans and families there.  What an amazing culture yet they are so under-resourced.  Since then I try to go every year. We immerse ourselves in the culture of Uganda….loving on orphans, teaching students, roofing teachers’ houses, delivering mattresses, refurbishing orphanages.  This year we have struggled to raise the adequate amount for our summer projects. We leave in 15 days and still have $5400 needed to reach our goal of $10,000.

Some of our projects for the impoverished community of Koreng, Uganda include:

·      Providing 600 blankets for school children who have nothing of their own;

·      Serving 600+ hot meals to children and teachers daily/all week;

·      Building /roofing a teacher’s house at Koreng Primary;

·      Medical outreach: providing medical checkups for 600+ school children and Mothers with babies in the community.

Would you please help us raise the $5400 still needed of our $10,000 goal for these Ugandan orphans and families?  All donations are tax-deductible through our non-profit organization Embrace Uganda. 

For the Children, 

Dorothy (known as Mama Dot in Uganda)

Visit: www.embraceuganda.org

UPDTATE:
Thank you from Tusiime Samuel Apuuli (Faith's son)

"GOD IS GREAT: " this is a big testimony indeed" Doctors just said Mum is out of Danger now and responding well to drugs and Medication. (Prayers still needed though coz she's still weak. This is unbelievable, thank you all, your prayers have indeed worked. JESUS NEVER FAILS, I can indeed testify to that. (I can now take a sigh of relief)"
Sam

FAITH ASABA is our dear Ugandan friend and mum to Sam, Amos and Ruth. She has serious health issues (February 2015) and is now in ICU at Mulago National Hospital in Kampala. Her diagnosis is pulmonary embolism - blood clots in her lungs. Her medical bills are way beyond her family's capability to cover. We present you with this critical need in order that we may provide for her medical bills as well as to ask you to pray for her recovery.

Embrace Uganda
www.embraceuganda.org