When we would visit the villages with a mission team it did not go unnoticed how many children are there when they should be in school. We had been visiting Kayepas village since 2010. A child, Lookit James, who was 2 when we first met him, was 9 years old and he had NEVER been to school! That was not okay.
The closest school is over 5 miles away. Remember, they do NOT have cars to drop their child of at school. Schools in Uganda NOT free. So even if there was a school around the parents cannot afford to send them.
In May 2016, an elder of Kayepas village was addressing our short-term mission team and expressing the struggles of the village and their needs. The first man stood and said they really needed help with gardening tools and seeds for planting. The second man stood and said "Do you see all of these children? They should be in school but they aren't because there's no school for them." It hit our team in the heart. We discussed it as a team afterwards and decided to pray and see where God leads us. After a couple weeks the team sent Becky, our director, back out to Kayepas to talk to village about what we could do. They offered us 8 ACRES of land at no cost to us to build a school and signed it over to us that very day. We believe that showed their level of commitment and love for their children and grandchildren.
Ezekiel 37 Ministry is standing on the scripture of 2 Corinthians 5:7 "Walk by faith, not by sight." When we stand back and look at the size of this project it's easy to get overwhelmed by it. However, we serve a mighty, powerful, awesome God who can do all things! We know that He wanted this school to be built and it will bring many souls into His kingdom. The school will be a Christian school where children will hear the word of God.
As the scripture Jeremiah 29:11 says the Lord has plans for each of us. Plans to give us hope and a future. We believe that this school is all in God’s plan and it is to give HOPE to these children and future generations. The word HOPE in the Karamajong language is Akigyeno. That is why we have named the school Akigyeno Nursery and Primary School. The school motto is “God is Our Hope”.
The school provides jobs for adults in the village. We have hired cooks, compound cleaners and security guards. The property is large. There is space to have our own garden, poultry and goat houses. Our plan is to grow food in our own gardens to offset the cost of buying food for the school. The locals have been involved in the actual construction of the school. There is an alumni of our older Ezekiel 37 sponsored students who are sewing the uniforms for the children.
The vision for the school is that it will not only educate children but it also serves as a place to hold church services for the community and Sunday School for the children. The Karimojong people have long suffered from lack of almost everything but especially of hearing the word of God. We now have a facility for them to come to. For the children to learn in Sunday School and we will raise up a new generation of believers in Karamoja!
Nothing is too hard for God. We know that with Him on our side that all things are possible!
To date, we have constructed:
Classroom block with 3 classrooms, an office and storage room. (Completed May 2018)
14 stall pit latrine (bathroom). The latrine is large enough that it will service the school even when we reach full capacity of a nursery and primary school. (Completed May 2018)
Semi-permanent kitchen. (Completed May 2018)
Multi-purpose Hall for having church services on Sundays as well a space for the children to eat their meals. (Completed January 2019)
Chicken House. (Completed October 2019)
Goat House. (Completed January 2020)
Classroom block of 4 classrooms. (Completed March 2020)
Classroom block of 3 classrooms. (Completed January 2024)
There are different ways to get involved.
1) PRAY PRAY PRAY - Please pray for this school project. Prayers really are the most important need. We can do NOTHING without the Lord's guidance, wisdom, and provision.
2) Support Construction - You can give financially to support the school with either a One Time Gift or Monthly Giving. Click the DONATE button at the top or bottom of this page and you will have the option to give electronically. Or go to our Contact Us page for our mailing address.
3) Support a Child - There are 185 kids in the school with many more wanting to come. We need sponsors for the children so that we can pay the teachers and staff, feed the children, supply the school supplies, etc. You can see our students at the link here: http://www.ezekiel37ministry.org/akigyeno-students/
4) Join an upcoming mission trip please see the page for Mission Trips. http://www.ezekiel37ministry.org/missiontrips
These children want to be in school. They want to learn. They want to be able to read and write and help their parents and their community as they get older. They want to change Karamoja and Uganda. These children need your help. Won’t you please consider how you can be involved? This school is going to affect not only this generation but the ones to come as well.
With God all things are possible...
What do the local government and parents think?
