Our Story
Our story..
How did the school come about ?
We came to Kiyunga in midOctober 2021. I was very grateful to be here and was open to everything God had in store for me. My desire was to work with children, but I wanted to do what God wanted.
”I want to instruct you and show you the way in which you shall walk.” Psalm 32:8a
After a few days at Vision for Africa, I met an occupational therapist in the café. She asked me if I would like to look at two children from the orphanages who needed therapy since I am an occupational therapist as well. I was happy and agreed.
I began to treat the children and noticed that one child in particular, who immediately became very dear to me, had changed positively because of the love he received from me. After a few weeks, we had two more children, making it four children in total, and we used only one room as our school. God sent these children to me through different people. He placed the idea of teaching children with special needs on my heart. I talked to Mama Maria About it and she encouraged me.
Our story continued...
The children’s English was not very good, so I could not assess their language skills as a therapist. I wanted to learn a Luganda worship song and got help from Jonah. He came to school every morning for 30 minutes over the course of a week and learned the song with me and the children.
One day, he volunteered to stay longer at school. I thought he would be a great fit for our school since he is patient with the children and loves working with them. I wasn’t sure if I should ask him if he would like to help out at the school full-time.
That night, I woke up thinking about the school and Jonah. I knew it was from God and shared my thoughts with him. To my delight, he felt the same. Jonah is now also working with me at the school.
What God accomplished in those three months was truly amazing! At that time, the school was not officially established. The children from the orphanage showed significant improvement and progress, and two of them were sent to another special needs school in Kampala. I accompanied them there, but I quickly realized that this school was not the right fit for these specific children. I spoke with those in charge about it, but unfortunately, no changes were made.
The children had to remain at this school. One of them said to me, “I don’t want to stay here!” I felt the same way, but I couldn’t do anything about it.
Our story continued...
Jonah, my daughter Julia, and I visited these children every two weeks at the school. With each visit, we noticed how the glow in their eyes faded more and more. It truly broke my heart, and I knew something had to be done. I spoke with Mama Maria about it, and she, with her big heart for all children, wanted them to come back. Unfortunately, it didn’t happen at that time. I realized I had to let go of the children I had grown so fond of and place them in God’s hands and His protection.
“But we know that for those who love God, all things work together for good.” (Romans 8:28)
A few weeks later, I spoke to Mama Maria about the children again. She invited me to attend a leadership meeting. I joined but wondered why I was there. During the meeting, she told the leaders that the two children should return here and assured them she would take full responsibility for it. I was overwhelmed by God’s grace and goodness. A few days later, the children came back and rejoined the school.
Construction of the new classrooms
We recently completed the construction of new classrooms at Spring of Joy! These spaces were designed to meet the unique needs of our special needs students, providing a safe and inspiring environment for learning and growth.
This milestone reflects our unwavering commitment to empowering every child to reach their full potential.
