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, then a hostel and a clinic to deal with the issues. Katosi Community School started due to the huge needs amongst the children especially in the area of education. They soon realised that there were a lot of orphans and poor children in the community who couldn't 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 to about 524 in the school and about 228 in the orphan care centre. 

Timothy and Janepher have a farm where they grow cassava and potatoes and they hope to expand this to grow paw paw and raise pigs. Further away from their village 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 a nearby village 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. 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.

Timothy and Janepher are concerned that too many people in their area live below the poverty line and would like to assist in improving household incomes. They believe that some of the community 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 hope this skill and knowledge takes hold in their area. 

History Of Partnership

The leadership of this project is based in a vibrant church in Katosi. The church was started by Timothy and Janepher Kakooza, now the pastors of the church. They very quickly found that the village of Katosi had many children, few schools and many orphans. Timothy and Janepher have four children. Timothy has trained at a YWAM Discipleship Training School in New Zealand.

Katosi is about 90 minutes from Kampala, down a dirt road. 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, bananas and vanilla.

The vision of the church is to show the love of Jesus to the community in a holistic way. With that in mind they have commenced a school, a boarding facility at the school and a medical clinic with the help of a church in the USA. However, the ongoing needs of these ministries are high and this is where Bright Hope World comes into the picture.

Bright Hope World has been partnering with Katosi Community School since 2004. 

Beneficiaries

The children who have been orphaned due to the HIV/AIDS pandemic and the local community.

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 but they stay because they are committed to the community and children.

Other factors that we like:

• Timothy and Janepher live in the community, so it’s their home
• The project is overseen by the leadership of the church and a board
• They have a broad vision for the community
• They have a good profile in the community and a good reputation as far as we could ascertain
• They have a holistic vision including agriculture, education, health and church planting

Key People

Leadership Profile

Timothy and Janepher Kakooza
Timothy grew up as a poor boy on the streets of Kampala. As a child he used to sell fruit to eke out a living. It was a tough life, the sort of life no child should have to live. But with quick wits he survived. By chance he heard some people singing one day and was fascinated by this. He slowly was drawn into the little church that was making the noise and over a period of time joined them and became a follower of Jesus.

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 came 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. He is the pastor of Community Concern Ministries, and Director of Katosi Community Orphanage home/school. 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 750 children which is both primary and secondary. The children are fed every day with food prepared on the site.
b) The children’s home for about 258 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.
f) Timothy has many networks in Uganda and other nations and recently raised funds to buy the adjoining land to expand the school. 

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 is no suitable place for her to live near the school so she stays in a small house 2 hours walk away from the school. There is no bicycle however some of the other teachers live nearby and they walk together each day. The pastor of Mbale Village Church and his wife live nearby also and she feels safe living there. On Sunday she helps with the Mbale Church and also 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. 

Yudayah

Yudayah is 14 years old. She has been a boarder at Katosi School for four years and is in Primary 7. Her favourite subject is science because she learns something about life and she wants to be a nurse when she finishes school.

Yudayah likes to eat, (she said with a giggle) and revise her lessons during break-time at school. She enjoys playing netball - it is fun for her to play with her friends, and she is in the school team.

Yudayah is the third born child of ten. She has eight brothers and one sister. Her mother died four years ago and her father died five years ago. The cause is unknown but is thought to be AIDS. Her siblings live together, alone, they look after each other and some of them are in work. They live near Katosi and some of them visit her during term-time. Yudayah goes to stay with them during the school holidays. She is the only one in school although the others were offered an opportunity to attend but refused. She accepted because she wants to learn.

The greatest worry for Yudayah is money to pay her school fees.

Jimmy

Jimmy is 18 years old. He has been a boarder at Katosi School for two years and is in Senior 3. His favourite subjects are mathematics and physics and he is motivated to do well in school as he wants to do P.E.M. (Physics, Economics and Mathmatics) for ‘A’ levels in 2009.  He wants to be an engineer or an accountant when he finishes school.

Jimmy enjoys playing football and is in the school team. He also enjoys singing and is in the school choir. He has lost several teeth to a gum disease.

Jimmy is a Christian and enjoys attending Katosi church where he receives spiritual food and the music makes him feel happy.

Jimmy’s mother, who was the fourth wife of his father, died in 2003 because of AIDS. His father is still living, has several wives and now over 20 children. Jimmy is the second born child of his mother but doesn’t know where he comes among his father’s children. When Jimmy converted to Christ he was sent out of the family and doesn’t have any contact with them but goes to stay with the Pastor of the church in his home village of Mubende during the school holidays. I think this pastor is paying the school fees at present.

Jimmy’s greatest desire now is to complete his schooling, go to University, then work and succeed in life.