Nancy Bandzuch of the always delightful kids’ ministry Catholic Sprouts was putting together a virtual Vacation Bible School program this summer and wanted a way for the kids to put their faith into action and practice the works of mercy. The kids ended up surprising her with their eagerness to help.
“It was our goal to not just learn about the Works of Mercy, but to do them,” she said.
Instead of just learning, singing, and crafting, the VBS attendees banded together to raise money for an orphanage in Uganda. “We all are called to shelter the homeless, feed the hungry, and pray for the living and dead—even children.”
Friends of Bandzuch’s had traveled to Uganda for years to help support Sr. Salome’s orphanage there, and they connected the two women.
“The Catholic Sprouts Community for Kids, The Clubhouse, was looking for a charity to partner with that focused on kids,” she said in an interview with Aleteia. “We felt called to help Sr. Salome complete construction of the orphanage in Uganda.”
(To see more images of Sr. Salome and the building of the Our Lady of Fatima Orphanage in Buloba, Uganda, view the PHOTO GALLERY at the end of this article.)
The kids’ amazing response
The children in the Clubhouse community rose to the occasion in an inspiring way. “They responded with so much love! Lots of kids donated their lemonade stand money, or money they had received for birthdays,” Bandzuch said.
To encourage the kids, Catholic Sprouts offered to match any amount given, up to $10,000. “They blew that number out of the water!” she said.
In total, the Clubhouse raised over $18,000, so with the matching donation Catholic Sprouts donated over $28,000.
“I was so moved at how the kids responded. They want to help. They want to give!” she said. “Many of them want to do more to help the children in Uganda and I can see a missionary spirit rising in them!”
This amount isn’t quite enough to finish building the orphanage, and about $12,000 is needed for the project to be complete, but the love and generosity of these kids made a big difference.
Who is Sr. Salome?
Sr. Salome Nambi, of the Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, didn’t set out to open an orphanage. She was working as an educator at a school in Uganda when she was faced with an unexpected crisis in 2013. The parents of a local family with six young children both passed away.
Their neighbors and friends of the local village begged Sr. Salome to give them a home. The oldest child was 9 and the youngest was just 4 months old, and Sr. Salome couldn’t turn them away.
“She housed the young family in a small room at her school,” Bandzuch said. Those six children were the beginning, but their numbers quickly grew as the HIV/AIDS crisis continued to devastate Africa.
Currently, 25 kids aged 1 year to 18 years live in Our Lady of Fatima Orphanage, a small house in Buloba, Uganda, that Sr. Salome rents and pays for through her salary and small donations. She expects to have 40 kids by 2025.
“These children have no running water, very little food, and their prized possession is often a homemade ball of banana leaves,” Bandzuch explained.
More to build
Through generous donations, Sr. Salome’s order, the Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, was able to build the main part of the orphanage, but they need to add a second story so they can care for more children. This was the focus of Catholic Sprouts’ fundraising.
You can donate here to help Sr. Salome provide a home for these children. If you have children, involving them in donating is a great way to learn about the works of mercy, just as the kids in the Catholic Sprouts’ Clubhouse learned this summer.
To see more images of Sr. Salome and the building of the Our Lady of Fatima Orphanage in Buloba, Uganda, view the PHOTO GALLERY below.
And today we celebrate...