Christine Moyes reflects on the challenges being faced by Teso Development Trust (TDT) during the pandemic
‘… those who hope in the Lord … will soar on wings like eagles.’ Isaiah 40:31
2020 and the outbreak of the pandemic have not only brought greater physical challenges, but also psychological, behavioural, and financial worries. The disruption to livelihoods by the closing of trading markets has been felt by many who now have no way of earning even a meagre income.
One way to learn about what another person’s life is really like is to read or listen to their testimony. This is certainly the case in TDT when we try to consider the issues that challenge the people served by our partner churches.
Salume’s story
We have recently received a testimony from a mother of 11 children which makes for difficult reading. This mother, Salume, is doing her best to organise and manage her large family daily to keep them all occupied. The boys work in the vegetable garden and the girls are involved in household tasks and fetching water. The boys also look for work for the following day. Salume sets herself a daily earnings target of 4,000 Ugandan shillings (£1). This helps pay towards food and medical needs (most of the children have malaria). Sometimes the family eats only once each day or sometimes not at all. Salume always ends her day in prayer.
Mosquito nets have become very expensive and drugs to treat malaria and HIV are in short supply, which, sadly, results in more deaths. The evil one is always ready to pounce and Salume is concerned that some youth are turning to theft, smoking drugs, abuse of young girls, and not helping out at home. Some girls as young as 12 years old have been taken into child marriage. These are indeed dark days, but, through our supporters, we have been able to bring Hope by way of the supply of relief food, seeds for planting, and soap. We pray that the financial support will be forthcoming so that we can continue to support these people in need.
I have been invited to become Secretary and a Trustee of TDT from October after our AGM – all in God’s perfect timing of course as I now have some years’ experience behind me.
Please continue to pray for and support our Ugandan church family members. They need us now more than ever.
God bless,
Christine Moyes, TDT representative
