Partnership Overview

Timothy and Janepher Kakooza have lived in Katosi on the shores of Lake Victoria since the mid 1990's. They went there to establish a church as part of a church planting vision for the islands of Lake Victoria. Very quickly they discovered the severe poverty in the area largely brought about by the undisciplined lifestyle of the fishermen, so they started a school, which is now also a boarding facility, and a medical clinic to address the issues. Katosi Community School (also known as Winners School) started due to the huge needs amongst the children especially in the area of education. There were a lot of orphans and poor children in the community who could not come to school and who had no home, so they started a boarding department for these children. The number has grown from a few initially until as at 2023 there were 638 primary and 202 secondary students, with 312 in the boarding section. Many of these have no home to go to.

Timothy and Janepher have a farm where they grow various crops, including cassava and passionfruit, which provide food and income support for the school. They have also begun to farm cattle to supplement income and nutrition for the school children. 

Over time Timothy and Janepher have also established a health clinic in the local community. Small groups of people live on the shores of Lake Victoria near Katosi and many of those living there live in poverty with children not being able to access basic needs let alone education. Some of these children have had the opportunity to enter Katosi Community School. They have also established a school in Mbale village which is about 7km away, that was identified as having many children living in poverty (UGA01c). Many of these children live in extremely difficult social situations and have no access to education. Their parents are poor, and the village has significant health and social problems. The school has been established to educate these children and also to share the Gospel with the belief that the children will be able to share the Good News in their homes and the community will be transformed. It has been encouraging to see that some of the past students have now trained as teachers and have returned to invest in these schools. 

Timothy and Janepher know that many people in their area live in real poverty and would like to assist in improving household incomes. Some of the challenges that contribute to poverty include: 
- polygamy is estimated to be at 70% of families locally which contributes to HIV/AIDS, neglect of children, single parenting and large numbers of children lacking basic needs
- traditional beliefs such as men believing they can and should have as many children as they want/choose and the belief that education of children is unnecessary
- there is a high level of family violence that includes physical, sexual, psychological and financial abuse of women and children.

Timothy and Janepher are working to 'transform' the community through transforming the mind/thinking that causes the above issues through the church, their relationships with others, the school and prayer. They are both enthusiastic about the way Foundations for Farming training teaches not only farming techniques for improving land and crops but also addresses beliefs, values, behaviours and thinking. They plan to participate in further Foundations for Farming training and are strategising to ensure that this skill and knowledge takes hold in their area. 

History Of Partnership

Timothy and Janepher Kakooza pastor a vibrant church in Katosi and have also planted several others. Timothy is a very influential Christian leader in the south of Uganda and leads several organisations which collaborate between churches and schools. He is also a radio presenter on a Christian Radio Station, Top Radio in Kampala, which reaches around 4 million listeners throughout the country. They very quickly found that the village of Katosi had many children, few schools and many orphans. 

BHW began partnering with them in 2004 with the school at Katosi, and subsequently have become involved in the school in Mbale village which we actively support too (UGA01c). That school is very successful in a very poor area, and they are seeing mindset changes and improvements in the community as a result of that school.

Katosi is about 90 minutes from Kampala, previously down a difficult dirt road but this has now been sealed. The town has about 15,000 people and is perched on the edge of Lake Victoria. The principal activity is fishing though there are some farms in the area growing cash crops, including passionfruit which is in hot demand. 

Timothy and Janepher want, as part of the church ministry, to show the love of Jesus to the community in a holistic way. That is why they started a school, a boarding facility at the school, a medical clinic, and Chosen Generation School in Mbale village. The ongoing needs of these ministries are high, and this is where Bright Hope World comes into the picture.

Beneficiaries

There are children from the island communities who board at the school, local children and many who are orphans, some of whom have been orphaned as a result of HIV/AIDS. In Uganda an orphan is not necessarily someone who has lost both parents. Often it is someone who has lost one parent and the other one is not able to care for them.

What We Like About The Partnership

Every time Bright Hope World visits this project we are greatly impressed by the commitment of the leaders to the children, the community and those living in the surrounding area. Many of the teachers are on a lower salary than they would be paid in a government school, and this can pose problems at times. Occasionally there are teacher retention issues but they seem to be able to address those issues and retain good quality teachers. 

Other factors that we like:

• Timothy and Janepher initially felt the call of God to the community, so it’s their home
• The project is overseen by the leadership of the church and a board. The church is thriving and very well run. 
• They have a broad vision for the community
• They have a good profile in the community and a good reputation 
• They have a holistic vision including agriculture, education, health and church planting

Key People

Leadership Profile

Timothy and Janepher Kakooza
Timothy grew up on the streets of Kampala. His family followed another traditional religion. He used to sell fruit on the street to make some form of living and was able to survive that way. One day he heard people singing one day and was fascinated. He was drawn to a little church and over time he joined them, left his previous religion, and became a follower of Jesus Christ. He trained with Youth with a Mission in New Zealand and is now a very experienced pastor, and an impressive Christian leader.

As an older Christian he had a vision to help children that grew up like he had and so he began to look for ways to help children. Initially he felt called to Katosi as it was a poor community and in the process of starting a church in this community discovered that there were many needy children amongst them.

Timothy has been married to Janepher since 1990 and they have three daughters and one son. One of their daughters is helping with administration in the school and another who has lived with them since losing her family aged 10 is passionate about her work as a teacher at the nearby school in Mbale Village (see Fatima's story below). 

Vision And Annual Strategy

We have included the details of all of the different aspects involved with supporting this community including the parts that BHW is not directly involved with. An annual plan is talked through each year so that changes can be understood.

a) There is a school of around 840 children which is both primary and secondary. The children are fed every day with food prepared on the site. There is a teaching staff of 38, plus additional support staff.
b) The children’s home for about 300 children is based at the school and they are regularly expanding the dormitories and taking in new children. 
c) The community clinic was funded from other sources and operating costs are sought elsewhere.
d) Timothy and the leadership are involved with a cattle farm which has grown to a sustainable level. The hope is that it will provide supplementary milk for the feeding program and provide income for the running of the school. 
e) Church in the community. They want to grow this and expand the work in the islands in Lake Victoria. This started as a major component of the original project, but the children’s needs were more urgent. Timothy regularly brings children from the islands and the very poor villages to the school. Many of these are unable to pay school fees. 
f) Timothy has many networks in Uganda and other nations and recently raised funds to buy the adjoining land to expand the school. 
g) They have also started Marisara Babies Home near Mukono for abandoned babies. This is funded by donors in the United States. 

Annual Budget

The annual budget here supplements the income of the teachers and contributes to the costs of care for those boarding. 

Personal Testimony

Fatima

Fatima lived with her muslin family until her parents died.  She went to live with Timothy and Janepher when she was about 10 years old. Fatima calls Timothy and Janepher mum and dad as she considers that they are now her family. She lived in their home and went to Katosi Community School until she went on to tertiary level and did her teacher's training. Timothy and Janepher helped pay for her costs to do this. When she finished, they asked her to return and work at Katosi Community School. 

Fatima agreed however she wanted to work in Mbale Village (UGA01c) as she had been helping at the local church there. Janepher wanted Fatima to continue living at their home and this would have been more secure for Fatima however Fatima wanted to help the children of Mbale village. She saw that these children were very poor, and they lacked food, encouragement and education. Many are orphans or have parents who drink much alcohol. She says she loves the children and is very happy to be here because she can care for these children. She likes to talk to them, encourage them and teach them. The children also get food at school each day.

There was initially no suitable place for her to live near the school which meant that she and some other teachers stayed in a small house 2 hours walk away from the school. The school has now been able to provide accommodation for some of those teachers which is a huge improvement. On Sunday she helps with the Mbale Church which was planted as a result of the establishment of the school She is involved with the Children's Church. She says it is good to build relationships with the Mbale community through the children and school.

Fatima sees Timothy and Janepher often and Janepher is happy as she knows that Fatima is living near friends, is connected to the local church and is happy and safe.