St Jude's Orphanage in Gulu, Uganda

Here is the monk that is running the orphanage

Kayla is playing with some of the babies

Today I met an angel.  he is truly an angel sent on earth that is helping hundreds of orphaned and disabled children.  these children would die without his help.  He has been doing this for over 30 years. Let it be known that there are angels among us.  St Jude's Orphanage was a hard place to visit.  Don't get me wrong though.  The children were wonderful.  It's just that I was so sad that all these childen had lost their parents.  The conditions, although better than nothing, was still short of a desirable situation.  The funding for the orphanage is sporatic and they have so many needs.  the child to staff ratio is quite high.  When we picked up a child, he would cry when you tried to put him down.  They needed more arms to hold the babies than they had.  There were so many little babies napping on the ground on little mat.  There were so many children without parents. There were so many disable children with cerebral palsy, deformed limbs, or crippled from other injuries. 

Me with a couple of the babies

Ben is holding a young one with cerebral palsy

We all sat in the office when we first arrived to listen to the story of the orphanage and their needs.  In the corner slept two week old new born twins who still had their unbilical cord on.  Their mother died during child birth.  The orphange will train and support an aunt for about 6 months to raise the little ones.  They were so cute!  We toured the facility and the school and did what we could for them.  I definitely think we will do more for the orphange next year when we come again now that we know what they need.  I hope and pray they can find permanent steady funding.  Although the children need so much more, the orphanage is doing the very best it can with what it has.  One of our Rotarian members bought a supply of vitamins for the whole orphanage!  Others gave money, and some the great gift of a brand new soccer ball!

Week old twins in the orphanage