RABS INTERNATIONAL MINISTRIES, CHANGING LIVES THROUGH JESUS, EDUCATION, AND HUMANITARIAN RELIEF
FEEDING MINDS, BODIES, SOULS, AND SPIRITS
These 4 children of Dolwe Island in Lake Victoria Uganda, are orphaned. The eldest girl with some help from a small local church is now raising her siblings. With your support, she could go to Trade School for 6 to 12 months. With that training, she’ll harness a job or a small business and be better situated to pay school fees for her younger siblings.
You can donate through RABS Facebook page or on the website.
One month ago, at our school Edenset Nursery & Primary School, Mercy 5 years old in Nursery, and top of her class, succumbed to death from food poisoning. Some unknown woman took the child to her home after finding her on the road going back home from school.
The girl had no shoes and being that it is a dry season the ground was hot. Some children walk along the grasses besides the road to lessen the intense burn. This exposes them to risk of snake bites and thorns. It was told, Mercy decided to first rest under a tree after walking a distance of 3 miles going back home from school. She was exhausted, hungry, and thirsty. The killer found her in such a dire state and lured her to first go with her at her home as to give her some water and food.
Later she went home. During the night the child complained of persistent stomachache. She was rushed to the hospital. Upon the doctor’s examination she was found to have been poisoned. It was too late to save her life and she breathed her last.
During our recent school term’s parents – teachers’ (PTA) meeting, parents expressed deep grief for such a sad happening in our school. They proposed that the school finds ways to construct a dormitory to help such other at risk children that walk between 2-8 miles to and from school. The distance makes them weary before they even get to learn and hence contributing to their poor academic performance.
One child Ruth aged 7 in Primary 2 said, ‘I am tired walking to school everyday, my parents force me to come. They don’t know that I get pain in my feet. Stones hit, prick, and wound me.’ She walks 6 miles to and from school, always passing through some thicket that endanger her life. No wonder some students dropout of school due to such factors as this.
Some Parents from distant places first escort their children on foot and if they don’t these children fear to come to school alone. One day while escorting Julie and Catherine, a leopard was seen just crossing the road. The mother Toepister narrates, ‘I held them, stood still and breathless as if dead until it went its way.’
We have always desired to construct a boarding section but only being bedeviled by funding that is quite high. We can’t go it alone, we need the intervention of God and therefore, request your prayers. We believe God to make a difference.
Reverend Eve Clive Nansereko
Director of Education
Edenset Nursery and Primary School
Nabinaka Village, Mazzi parish, Kamira Sub County, Luwero district, Uganda
To learn more contact: Reverend Eve Clive Nansereko.
P.O Box 349, Luweero
Tel. 0782154254,
If empathy were a dirt road and love a highway then compassion is an interstate. Jesus had compassion on the people. Jesus was looking for a secluded place for His disciples and Himself to grieve the death of John the Baptist. However, when He saw the crowds of people running after Him, He had compassion for them. He stopped and ministered unto them and many were healed and delivered from evil spirits.
When need and philanthropy of heart intersect, compassion is born. Perhaps today compassion will rise in you and your gift to RABS to continue educating these girls will become your legacy!
https://www.instagram.com/reel/C8b6xEjxEkI/?igsh=MTgxaTI4dDlkNHpzeA==
The population of the Karamoja Region in Uganda has grown considerably in the past 20 years. At the same time the population of the wild elephants has also grown much quicker than expected. This is causing a real disaster because these elephants choose to raid these remote villages’ gardens and crops.
There has been a lot of contention between the people and the elephants. Some farmers’ retaliation have gone as far as killing these elephants. At the same time the elephants during their raidings, have mutilated, injured, and killed villagers trying to protect their necessary food to sustain their lives in the most humblest of ways.
Another factor is reluctancy of the government to intervene on behalf of the people, because of conflict of interest in favor of preserving wild life. Tourism is very important in the national economy and Uganda’s wildlife protection is highly regarded.
Elephants have seasons they trek from one region to another even across country borders to Sudan, Kenya and or Ethiopia. Two of the villages RABS serves are in Kaabong and they are close to the national park and along the corridor that elephants pass through. In Moroto it’s mainly one village, Musaasi, that is disturbed by these animals.
This is a known problem and there are experts who have been trying in different ways to stop these elephants from raiding the gardens and the crops of the nearby remote villages. They have used planting crops that the elephants do not desire along the borders of the farmers’ fields. National parks where the population of elephants have quadrupled have some fencing, but hungry elephants do not respect boundaries.
Another attempt that’s being practiced is digging deep ditches around the fields of the farmers. It’s a good idea but what has been found is that it is the farmers who have to do the laborious work of digging these deep ditches, not only is it time consuming it is also very expensive. Some of the cost has been covered by different associations, but in reality most of these ditches do not deter the determined wild elephants. In fact there have been some elephants who have become injured and trapped in these ditches which is inhumane.
Until we find a solution where there can be cohabitation between man and elephant we must do our very best to take care of the villagers and most especially the thousands and thousands of small children in these remote and rural areas.
In the past there has been International associations and nonprofits that have come to the aid of the Karamoja region to assist through Medical Care and food for these that are in desperate situations. As I said there have been International associations in the past who have helped, but unfortunately many of them no longer come to the region because it is a dangerous area. Until that perfect day comes where the solution has been found and put into practice, we must do our very best for the future of these beloved children.
There is very little policing in these areas and a lot of humans who are also raiders plague the region. Cattle raiding has become a very popular crime in this area and sadly many lives have been lost. At times when Run Away Brides International Ministries missionaries have traveled there, we have had to request soldiers to go with the missionaries to keep them safe.
What can we do at this time? All that we can do is come together and as a force against starvation, let us put our funds together and make sure food is making it into the Karamoja Region of Uganda.
God bless you and I thank you for the help and the connection that you and I have together in our heart of hearts to not allow another child to die from starvation or malnutrition.
Thank you,
Pastor Cindy Higgins
Pastor Denis Muwanguzi
RABS International Director
One of the happiest days of my life. Seeing Mama Cyndi’s Milling project in full operation. The concept of a RABS’ business to help support the missions and humanitarian campaigns began knocking in late 2017, after my visits to Uganda and Tanzania.
We built the Mill in one of the poorest communities, Kierika Kasokoso, a suburb of Kampala. Construction began later that year.
Returning from a 35 day mission both in Kenya and Uganda the RABS International Team and our Kampala strong Leaders and I dedicated it to the Lord and His Kingdom and the community in February 2018. These photos were taken in 2019 while I was on the mission field in Uganda.
I’d like to share a godly truth with you, when God knocks on your heart’s door and tells you to do what seems impossible, just surrender and do it!!!
He works it all out to be achievable. I had paid off my mortgage November 2016 and was gladly building up my retirement account. However, in 2017, I heard the Lord’s voice in my heart that the money I was putting aside wasn’t mine but it belonged to His Kingdom.
I’d be lying if I said I immediately complied. It took some convincing. In the end, I surrendered to the Lord. The result is this Mill that indeed has attributed to hundreds of salvations both in the community and the surrounding areas and in the nation itself.
Each year 25% of the net proceeds helps feed some of the Mill’s neighbors such as the elderly women, widows, and single mothers. When we have emergencies in the mission field, the Mill immediately takes care of them.
I don’t share this to brag, I share it to encourage you. This project was hard, troubling, heartbreaking, maddening, way over budget, and at times overwhelming. However, the ‘test’ that the RABS Uganda Team and I went through became our ‘testimony’ to the goodness of God. The messes we found ourselves in at times, became our messages witnessing that we should never stop trusting Jesus.
Remember: There is always a story behind the glory! We who believe in the Lord Jesus will stumble and fall, but His outstretched arm will always lift us up!
The Mill is owned and operated by RABS Ministries International LTD of Uganda. Donations are always welcome.
Thank you and God bless you and yours.
Pastor Cyndi Higgins
“You can give without loving. But you cannot love without giving.” Amy Carmichael
2023 FILLED WITH GRATITUDE: We wish to thank you for your past generosity in supporting some East African Childrens’ Education. Most children in the remote villages are not educated and most that are do not go beyond 5th to 8th grade.
It is very rare and expensive for the average village Ugandan family to send one child to school, let alone a large family of children. Many village children end-up being the family water-hauler which includes carrying water containers much too heavy for a child who walks approximately 3 to 5 miles to the nearest government well. They tend to the flocks in dangerous wilderness areas. They work the fields and family gardens. They tend to younger siblings to help their mothers.
Contraceptives in many remote villages are not allowed by the husband and some villages are too deep into the bush that such care is unavailable. With their many cultural practices, we must be respectful. It is not our place to force changes on their generational lifestyles.
However, we can make a difference by helping educate some of the youth by meeting school fee costs and school supply costs. With hope that in time when they become adults there will be a good chance that education will assist in some changes beneficial to all remote villages and the villagers.
God bless you and thank you for your partnership with RABS International Ministries.
Pastor Cyndi Higgins
International Director
Relying on God has to start all over everyday, as if nothing has yet been done.
C.S. Lewis
November 2023 update:
This divinely designed opportunity for Edenset School to have electricity installed came following Pastor Cyndi Higgins’ 2018 visit.
With her compassionate heart to serve Christ in Africa and in holy desiring to see children in Africa receive quality education and be transformed in a Christian community, she began campaigning for funds to support bringing electricity to the school. This was no easy job because there wasn’t electricity yet brought to the entire remote village called Nabinaka, nor the region in Mazzi parish, Kamira sub county in Luwero district, Uganda.
In 2021, the dream became a reality.
We’d like to bring you a 2023 report showing the amazing progress our students have made because of electricity!
I truly believe that God hears the cry of His people. When we remember the agonizing moments our students used to pass through while learning under disruptive tree shades, temporary muddy structures, and light produced by burning smoky risky candles that actually left some of our students dead when a fire broke out, we are humbled all the more and continue trusting God, praising and honoring Him as we see the Children are very happy, confident, and parents testifying for the great transformation they see at Edenset Nursery & Primary School.
Indeed we thank God for your precious life and for using you to bless and impact our community with improved education through infrastructure, electrical lighting that is greatly supporting the learning and teaching, extra lessons, research as phones are easily charged and the students and staff are able to use the internet for learning information and more.
This is giving our school higher performance as already seen from Primary 7 mock-test results. We are trusting God for excellent performance on the National Exams this year come November. I also believe that if God accepts our prayers, a computer laboratory would increase the students performance levels even beyond the present.
The need of a boarding facility on our campus continues to bite hard on far distant learners whose parents have continued requesting a dormitory facility to reduce risks of their children walking impassable roads, dangerous sexual predators hiding in dense woods where children must walk to get to school. These travel hours on foot also causes learner exhaustion. All these challenges they face causes the tendency for dropping out of school. We continue to pray that the Lord works out a way for Edenset’s geographically disadvantaged students.
Just a few days back one of our children we offer bursary, Nakijoba Ruth P5, came with her friend Allen also P5 and challenged me saying, “Mum, when will you ever construct for us a living room? It is so hard coming from our village, it’s far.” I told them, “Pray and God will answer. Heaven and earth and all that therein belongs to Him.
We remain encouraged and hopeful.
Eve Clive Nansereko
Founder and Director
Edenset Nursery & Primary School
EDENSET PRIMARY AND NURSERY SCHOOL
Basic information:
School name: EDENSET Primary & Nursery School
Project: School Electricity Access (SEA) Project 2021
Location: Nabinaka Village, Mazzi parish, Kamira Sub County, Luwero district, Uganda
Contact person: Reverend Eve Clive Nansereko.
Contact details: P.O Box 349, Luweero, Tel. 0782154254,
Document title: The SEA project implementation report
INTRODUCTION
The success of the SEA project came about as a result of a Request for proposal (RFP) by Pastor Cyndi Higgins, the founder and international director of Run Away Brides (RABS) international ministries situated in the U.S.A but with evangelical programs running in the continent of Africa. Through her ministry and service she has supported the school to access reliable electricity to which this report is in respect thereto.
BACKGROUND
Edenset primary and Nursery school, a remote school providing education to a community which according to 2002 Kamira sub county baseline survey had 0.4% of the population with ordinary level of education certificate. No wonder, the area is considered as the Karamoja of Luwero because of its deep rooted backwardness in terms of social, economic and spiritual conditions in the heart of Luwero district in Uganda. The possibility at any near future access to electricity did not exist until now. We are fully connected to the service through the support of RABS. This is a great ray of hope for the school to solve the frail sections of its efforts to reach out and sustain academic excellence.
This divinely designed opportunity comes following Pastor Cyndi Higgins compassionate heart to serve Christ in the heartland of Africa and in a holy discontent of passionately desiring to see children in Africa receive quality education as well as a Christ transformed community.
She was at the school located at a ‘small’ remote village called Nabinaka, in Mazzi parish, Kamira sub county in Luwero district, Uganda in 2018. She ecstatically preached in a RABS Conference organized by Good Samaritan Outreach International Church with, a ‘big God,’ on the homeland of the school where she left the community set free from bondage.
No sooner had she left, the government then planned to extend an electricity grid to the village which is over 30 kms away from the nearest electricity grid. Praise the Lord! Now, the light of Christ does not only get seen in the spiritual but is also manifested in the physical illuminating the dark parts of life.
IMPACT / OUTCOMES OF THE ELECTRICITY INSTALLATION
What an amazing impact that has quickly come with the electricity installation program as implemented at the school! So far:
HIGH LIGHTS OF IMPLEMENTATION ACTIVITIES IN PICTORIAL REPRESENTATION FOR THE SEA PROJECT
The project implementation activities circled around 5 classroom block, staffroom, administrative block and dormitory, the chapel/church and included acquisition of electricity license, purchase of materials, wiring, installation, and labor. Materials were purchased according to the budget and delivered on site and work begun on 21st of December, 2021 despite the interruption that came about due to the demise of Eve Clive’s father the late Nsereko Edward on the 22nd /12/2021.
The contractors engaged in the activities were from a company known as Billy electricals LTD from Kampala.
THERE IS MUCH MORE WORK TO DO
The challenge and future Prospects
Because the five semi-finished permanent classrooms that the school has are unable to provide learning facility enough for children from Nursery to grade 7, the school with the little savings from school fees paid, raised a 4 classroom block to foundation level in August 2021. From here well-wishers, Mrs. Harriet & Joseph Sserwadda came in and supported with the building to wall plate level. However, with electrical installation there has been increased enrolment that created a need that now urgently requires completion of the building otherwise learning of the children is at stake. Therefore, we long for your prayers and still believing God for phased completion starting with roofing that has been estimated at a budget of 18,305,000 UGX ($5,720.00 USD) and soon thereafter do electrical installation estimated at 2,107,000 UGX ($658.00 USD).
KENYA–REFUGEE CAMP
UGANDA–REMOTE VILLAGES
TANZANIA–RURAL DISTRICTS
Our RABS National Directors and RABS Team Leaders of Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania, some accompanied by RABS Africa Coordinator, Pastor Milton Wanyama, entered new territories carrying the Message of Hope in Jesus. Along with them they delivered food, school supplies, education tuitions, farming tools and seeds, clothes and shoes, Bibles and Christian books, tracts, and children’s literature. Most importantly, they took in their love, hugs, encouragement and smiles–Truly, these were all ‘Mission’s of Hope.’
REFUGEE CAMP IN KENYA: Bishop Wilfred Barasa, RABS Kenya National Director accompanied by Pastor Milton Wanyama, RABS Africa Coordinator took the RABS Message to Kakuma Refugee Camp in Kenya. Established in 1992, Kakuma camp is located in Northwestern Kenya. It’s currently the world’s largest refugee camp, hosting over 184,000 people. Kakuma is co-managed by Kenya’s Department of Refugee Affairs, and the UNHCR.
It’s reported that 400 churches are within the confines of the camp. RABS three-day-conference was attended by 70 of the camp’s pastors and thousands of refugees attended the open-air-‘camp-wide-crusade held nightly and sponsored and organized by an American mission’s ministry from Albany Oregon USA, “Worldwide Outreach,” but invited RABS Bishop Wilfred and Pastor Milton to preach and help with the ‘salvation-call and prayers.’ Many received Jesus as Savior throughout the nightly crusades and all of the pastors attending the RABS Conference ‘came back into an intimate loving relationship with Jesus.’ Hopelessness and hardships such as these men and women of God endure under such harsh environments alongside their fellow refugees from several nations in time breaks the sweet fellowship one has with Jesus.
Once these pastors were refreshed with the blessed Hope of Jesus in their lives, they readily learned how to go out and evangelize other fallen-away Christians (runaway brides) who themselves had wandered away from Jesus mostly because of the harsh reality of their very abnormal living conditions as refugees displaced from their own nations due to war, political unrest, and violence.
REMOTE VILLAGES IN THE KARAMOJA REGION, UGANDA: Pastor Denis Muwanguzi, RABS Uganda National Director is RABS and BFG’S leader in the “5 Remote Village Project.” Alongside of Pastor Denis in this undertaking is Rev. Eva Clive Nansereko, RABS Uganda Associate-National Director and RABS East Africa Women’s Director. They began this work alone in early 2017 and later asked RABS in 2018 if we could join hands with them. RABS recently separating from BFG Fellowship Ministries, as their outreach-mission’s ministry, and registering as its own non-profit 501(c) (3) organization had reservations to more financial obligations in East Africa.
Therefore, the RABS Board of Directors met with BFG Fellowship Ministries leaders and suggested a co-partnership in the “5 Remote Village Project.” It was an unanimous “Yes” from the BFG leaders and congregation to partner with RABS International Ministries for this greatly needed service. Together we are:
RURAL DISTRICTS IN TANZANIA AND UGANDA: We sent national missionaries into Tanzania and for the first time we had pastors from all over Tanzania attending one of our RABS Conferences. Evangelist Gervas Mwanyila our RABS Tanzania National Director wrote to us:
“We had a five-day conference and crusades every evening which was organized by National RABS Director; Evangelist Gervas Mwanyila and the RABS Tanzania team. The conference and crusade were conducted at Kyela border of Tanzania and Malawi. We had different speakers including RABS African Coordinator Pastor Milton Wanyama. In these five days from July 3rd to the 7th of conference and crusade in Kyela we witnessed many Run Away Brides reconciling and confessing Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. A total of 40 unsaved people gave their lives to Christ, and hundreds of Christians were reconciled back to Jesus at the crusades and the conference. We also received for RABS a donation of Bibles from the Gideon organization that we later distributed to the new converts who gave their lives to Christ. Additionally, we also gave RABS Bible Study books to the conference pastors and church leaders.
REPORT OF RAB From Kyela TANZANIA
CENTRAL UGANDA: From June to October 1st, 2019, RABS has been hosted in several RABS conferences and crusades throughout Central Uganda. Apostle Moses Bwire, RABS East Africa Interpreter has conducted numerous RABS conferences as well as Pastor Tanas RABS Busia District Leader, Kampala RABS Youth Leader, James Ouma, RABS International Gospel Music Manager, Evangelist Moko, RABS Kigumba Region Leader, Pastor Nsubuga John, RABS Uganda National Director, Pastor Denis, and RABS Uganda Associate-Director, Rev. Eva Clive, and many more. Many RABS trained teachers move around and speak into individual churches and we only hear about it when they let Pastor Milton know of the RABS movements. Glory to God!
Bishop Wilfred of Kenya told me, “Mama, there is no place in Kenya that I go, that RABS has not been heard of–it is spreading like a quiet fire throughout Kenya, surely God is at work.” For this is not the work of men and women but the work of the Holy Spirit.
RWANDA RABS NEWS–PLEASE JOIN US IN PRAYER: Since March of 2018 when the Rwandan government shut down hundreds and hundreds of churches citing they were closed due to building and noise violations, RABS has not been able to effectively train pastors and leaders and Christians on how to evangelize runaway brides of Christ. We are upholding all of Rwandans in our prayers; as we fear these continually closed out Christians from public worship, may indeed become a runaway brides of Christ crisis in Rwanda.
OUR RABS MISSIONARY PASTORS DENIS AND EVA CLIVE AND CHRISTINA are returning in May 2019 to 2 of the villages to bring the children’s school supplies and fees for the upcoming new-school-period. Then in late June and into July they will spend almost one month in all 5 villages in Karamoja Region–some of the most difficult areas to travel because of lack of road systems and other dangers wild animals and bewildered rustlers–Pray for their safety and their families as they go onto the RABS mission field. We need your help and you can donate today specifically for the children of these 5 villages of Karamajo Region, Uganda.
