Other Ministries of Jubilee Centre

Raise your hand if you think that the Jubilee Centre is an education NGO? For those of you that raised your hand, first that is weird. Second, you are incorrect. I don’t know if I have mentioned it before but the Jubilee Centre is actually a Christian NGO that trains churches in holistic ministry. When we say holistic ministry, we mean that the gospel of Jesus Christ should reach all aspects of a community. That means that we train the pastors theologically while also helping them set up ministries to their communities. That includes ministries to the orphans and vulnerable children in the community. That is where the teacher training comes in. Many of the churches that we work with run schools which educate the orphans and vulnerable children (community schools). Lawrence, the Executive Director of the Jubilee Centre, saw the need in these schools and recruited me to come in and help. We will expand the training to schools outside our network of churches, but this is where we have begun.

That is all good and great, but why am I writing about this now. Well, because the Jubilee Centre helps facilitate the ministries of these churches, it has many branches of work ranging from youth ministry to HIV/AIDS home-based care. Over the past two weeks, I have had the opportunity to visit some of the other projects run by the Jubilee Centre. One of the projects that affected me the most is a kitchen run in a compound called Chifubu. Fifteen churches in this compound provide volunteers and resources to run this kitchen, and six days a week this kitchen feeds children who are either orphaned or infected with HIV/AIDS or TB. Some receive meals three days a week while other receive meals all six days (it just depends on the severity of their situation). I had been to this kitchen before, but on Saturday, I truly realized the situation of these children. And it struck a cord with me. The fact that the only meal that some children receive is from the kitchen would not leave me. You could say that this thought haunted me.

I don’t know why seeing these children being fed affected me so much. When living here, after a while you forget that many of the situations you encounter daily are very difficult. You begin to see it as normal, but I am glad for the times that tug at my heart. I am glad for the times that remind me that I should be concerned and that I should feel compassion for these people. When this work becomes a job instead of a calling, I am in trouble. And when my compassion dwindles, I will also be in trouble. Thankfully, I don’t see that happening right now. I increasingly feel a calling to fight for and have compassion on those who do not have access to the basic necessities of life. Through all the difficulties, that is why I enjoy my job.