Land AHOY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
“The ache for home lives in all of us. The safe place where we can go as we are and not be questioned.”
We own land! Coordinates: 0.318497 latitude, 31.964672 longitude
To build the foundation of anything worth building takes time. Eleven years ago Kids Inspiring Kids set out to build something that would last for, not just years, but generations. Working diligently with the same group of people for all these years we are seeing tangible changes within a community that we were told would never change. Building a foundation of hope is a hard thing to do for a country torn apart by generations of war and disease. Hope unfounded is a waste of these people’s time. Diligently, and day by day we have laid each seed and 2017 is the year of the harvest.
KIK now owns 97 acres of land near Lake Wamala. There are crops in area including, but not limited to, coffee, corn, cassava (yucca), sweet potato and passion fruit. There is clay for bricks and a water source less than 25 feet from the surface. Electricity is less than 1 kilometer away that we can tap into as well. Being so near Lake Wamala, there is a stream that flows across the property.
Negotiations for the land took several weeks and were finalized with a cash purchase. Checks aren't really used often here in Uganda, but it works out in our favor due to the exchange rate. Needless to say, walking around the streets of Kampala with a backpack full of millions of Ugandan shillings, was an adventure.
This land is the beginning of Place of Refuge Village. Within a year 97 acres will become almost 500 acres as we finalize the purchase of the land available. The first thing we are building is a water-well. Without a sustainable water source we cannot begin the building process. The next step will be to construct a barracks for volunteers and carpenters to live in while the building phase is on-going. We need boots on the ground. Anyone with any skills sets able to contribute to the beginning phases of this project are greatly needed. Eleven years went by in the blink of an eye; this coming year will pass in the snap of a finger.
We cannot wait any longer. The Kampala City government is reclaiming the land the current Banda Ghetto sits on and thousands will be displaced, again. These people deserve the basic human right of a place to call home. Our hearts cry for these incredible and fortuitous Acholi people and the struggles they have faced thus far in life, but it is time to take swift action. They are ready, and so are we.
Just as KIK has diligently served these people for the past decade, these people have also shown their diligence with their willingness to inspire those around them and rebuild their families through our programs provided. We are so excited to show them what can happen when you step out in faith and trust God.
Please consider being a part of a Place of Refuge Village for these inspiring people. Whether it is through a monetary donation or a volunteer opportunity, we want you to experience a once in a lifetime opportunity to affect thousands of people’s lives.