Dear Friends of the Mission,
We would like to congratulate you on the great job you have been doing for the African nations through evangelism and support for those in need, especially our little orphans and the poor children.
Unfortunately, the economic crisis that Greece is going through has had a great impact on our missionary work here in every respect, mainly as regards our support for the children in every school. We are confronted with plenty of difficulties in our effort to feed the orphans and provide them with school supplies, as we did before based on the financial assistance received from the Orthodox Missionary Fraternity. This has definitely affected not only us but also the Orthodox Church in Uganda as a whole. However, we have faith in God’s providence and still believe that everything will turn out well in the future, or as you say in Greek, «Ola tha pane kala».
At the general priestly assembly that took place last year, our spiritual father Metropolitan Jonah of Uganda advised all priests at every level of the parish to create possible means that will help them make every parish financially self-sufficient, so that we can continue our missionary work here without waiting for donors from Greece, since Greece is under strong financial pressure.
For this reason we got down to work and made a small prospective study, which is simple yet difficult, because we lack the financial resources required to get started. We tried to find a way to work today for a better future in both our permanent parish communities, St. James in Nawango and the Annunciation of the Theotokos in Nakyaka, along with the six chapels and all the others that are to be created.
We agreed to start breeding livestock on a small farm of 2-3 hectares and put at least six cows as a simple start. We believe that if you help us buy this land and six cows, after at least two years, this small farm will be a source of income and will provide milk for our schools, giving an opportunity to the orphans and the poor children that we support to drink milk every day from their own farm.
This project requires about 290o euro per hectare and 280 per cow, making a total of 5,800 euro for 2 hectares and 1,680 euro for six cows. However, the problem is that we cannot afford to buy this land and the animals at the above cost by ourselves.
Therefore, brothers, we appeal to the friends of the Mission who can help us to support this effort in order to generate potential financial resources for the survival of our parish communities and our children.
We continue to pray for you on a daily basis, so that the Almighty God, who loves mankind, redeems your life from every difficulty and gives you every gift in His Heavenly Kingdom. Amen!
Finally, we would like to thank you wholeheartedly for your kind support and wish you a good autumn!
Fr. Stephen Lunagula
