Building Program
Challenges for children
PHYSICAL CHALLENGES
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The current lifestyle of most children in Uganda is very poor. Most homes are made of cinderblocks and typically have only two rooms for an average size family of 4. The living space is small and overly crowded. Often times, there may be many other family members living in this size home. These homes have neither running water nor a private bathroom. The children typically share one bed, and oftentimes it is only a piece of foam on the concrete floor.
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When children are enrolled in school, they bring a snack or bring small money to buy a snack for the morning break, receive a school lunch and then will have a meal at home; however, the portions and nutritional values are not sufficient.
MEDICAL CHALLENGES
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Because of extreme poverty, parents will frequently neglect the child’s medical needs, even though there are local clinics nearby. Most of our sponsored children would not receive medical care if DLM was not present in their lives. Many local schools do not even have a nurse on staff to provide first aid.
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Malaria and typhoid are two major illnesses that can be easily prevented or treated.
ACADEMIC CHALLENGES
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Classrooms are small and overcrowded. For many local schools in Uganda, the average class size is about 60 students with three or more children sharing one of these wooden desks.
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The majority of schools in Uganda do not hire qualified teachers because they lack the funds or refuse to adequately pay these teachers for their qualifications.
SPIRITUAL CHALLENGES
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Most of our sponsored children are not attending churches that teach the Truth of the Good News; rather, they are being taught the prosperity Gospel. Fifteen percent of the population practices Islam, and a few of our children attend the local mosque.
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The majority of children do not own a Bible. Most families don’t even own one Bible.