Though he is only in his early 30s, Waswa is the father of many at his orphanage in Uganda where he is restoring the hope of abandoned children. He can do this because he himself has found the source of ultimate hope.

Hard pressed

Waswa did not grow up in a Christian home. It’s only when his mother came to faith that he learnt who Jesus truly is. “My mother learned about Jesus through a friend who told her about the good things God does for us. She had been sick for a long time, but it was when she repented and accepted Jesus that she got better… she shared Jesus with us, but my father was a prominent Muslim leader in our community, and I was destined to follow in his footsteps. He [my father] and the other Muslims in our community did not like my mother talking about her faith. They destroyed my mother’s business and wanted to kill us, forcing us to leave our home. We fled to another area, very far away, we escaped to safety”.

Life became extremely hard for the now single mother and her children. “In that new area, we were desperate. We slept in unfinished buildings, and we had to beg for food, because our family had stolen everything we owned, including my mother’s land. I felt miserable. I could not continue my education because there was no money for school fees, it felt like my world was crumbling. I even thought about ending my life and the lives of my siblings, just to escape from this world.” The family was vulnerable on the streets, but they had nowhere else to go. One night, a stranger attacked, beat and raped Waswa’s mother. A terrible experience for her and the children.

God’s comfort after tragedy

Despite the painful and traumatising experience, Waswa shares that his mother’s faith in Christ never waned. “Even after everything she went through, my mother kept trusting in God, we saw her faith and decided to follow Jesus too. We started praying for our situation, and every time we prayed, God sent strangers who gave us food or other help. It gave us hope and made us trust God even more.”

Help finally arrived for the family. “A pastor saved us from the streets. He gave us a place to stay. We began sharing the message of Jesus with Muslims. As my mother preached, 80 Muslims decided to follow Jesus.” Waswa mother’s preaching upset the Muslim community, and they bribed a relative to poison her. Their mother’s sudden death plunged Waswa and his siblings once again into uncertainty.

Never forsaken or forgotten

“We became like orphans, as there was no one to take care of us. After my mother passed away, we were each sent to different Christian families. I was fortunate to be taken in by the reverend’s family.” After hearing of the tragic death of Waswa’s mother through the local church, partners of ServAfrica reached out. “Thanks to the support with my school fees, food, and clothing. You provided me with counselling and trauma sessions, which helped me greatly. With your assistance, I was able to complete my university degree in Business Administration and Accounting.”

“Under the reverend’s guidance I developed a strong passion for serving vulnerable children. I started my own children’s ministry.” To earn extra income, Waswa got a job on a local farm. “As a farmhand I earned just enough money to sustain this ministry. Then my earnings started to grow. God blessed me because I am doing His will by supporting vulnerable children”.

“My testimony has strengthened many children. Whenever I testify about my life, their hope
in Christ is renewed.”

At the orphanage Waswa is surrounded by excited children, giggling as they embrace the young man who has become a father figure to them. His hope is to gradually expand his orphanage and take care of and educate more children.

“I understand the pain these children go through because I felt it myself. I decided to teach them the Word of God, restore their hope and raise them as God-fearing children.” After his mother’s death Waswa could never have foreseen what God was doing in his life and no one would blame him if he became a victim of his circumstances, instead his trials have become his testimony. Despite the tremendous hardships he’s faced, Waswa holds fast to God’s promise of an eternal life, reunited with Him.