Bright Hope serves widows in Uganda

Uganda (MNN) — Sharing common bonds of loss, disease, poverty and fear, approximately 100 women formed a community in the jungles of northern Uganda.

Known as Apac, these remote jungles are home to HIV-positive widows struggling to provide for their children and grandchildren on limited or no income.

A Bright Hope International Women of Uganda Project focuses on this group of women.

"This group of women had the work ethic and the desire," said Mike Rutter, a Bright Hope worker who recently visited Apac. "They just needed encouragement in the form of a little gift to get them started."

Bright Hope is providing encouragement through micro loans that will help the women start small farming and sewing projects to generate income. Many of the women lost their husbands to war, disease, or AIDS and were forced to take shelter in refugee camps after fleeing from a violent group known as the Lord's Resistance Army. Most live in small mud huts, and their children are in need of food, clothing and shelter. In addition to these overwhelming challenges, the widows are in need of medications to prevent their disease from becoming full-blown AIDS.

Eagle's Nest Ministries, a Bright Hope branch in Uganda, shares the love of Jesus Christ to the people of Uganda through education, relief, community support and church planting. Gifts for these women will go toward the micro loans. If you feel led to give, please click here.