Van vicent Ijala is one of the founders of Branches of Grace Ministries, a Church-based organisation which was started in 2017 in Obule village, Ocokican sub-county in Soroti District. His main aim was to help the war victims to overcome poverty and the bad conditions caused by the attack of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) rebels in 2003. He told his story to Lilian Ntege.
Starting up
Ijala, with his seven colleagues, came up with the idea of doing community service particularly helping different people through providing scholastic materials to school going children, training community members in entrepreneurial skills and providing other basic necessities to those persons affected by the conflict.
They started with areas of Ocokican, Obule, Abango, Apokor, Ajera, Moruapessur and Orwadi.
In 2019, Ijala and his team partnered with Ibas Nursery and Primary School, Sororti, to provide food and sanitary items to the vulnerable families.
In addition, they introduced these families to commercial farming by giving them mango and orange seedlings. On harvest time, they would give 30 per cent back to the organisation and take 70 per cent.
Ijala says they also promote evangelism through helping Churches build permanent structures.
“We have helped in construction of Churches like Time for God Ministries, Pentecostal Revival Mission, Hands of Hope Fellowship Mission, and The Grace Pentecostal Mission, all in Soroti district,” Ijala says.
In November 2020, they started ‘Skills for Life’ project which is mainly to empower single mothers to overcome poverty.
Under this project, they provide the women with baking and tailoring skills. So far, 15 women have graduated from this training.
Ijala says currently, they are carrying out a sanitation campaign where they move to the villages sensitising women and girls on menstrual hygiene. They also supply sanitary wear to those that cannot afford.
Fourteen-year-old Agnes Aseno, a primary six pupil of Obule Primary School is grateful for the benefits she has got from Ijala and his team.
“I cannot stop thanking the Branches of Grace Ministries. They have helped me understand and improve my personal hygiene,” she says.
She adds that her family has also gained financially through the farming skills and seedlings that Ijala and his team gave them.
They planted mangoes and oranges, which they are selling to get money to buy home necessities.
Achievements
Over 250 children have benefited from their programmes. These children are registered under Branches of Grace Ministry orphanage, which caters for their school fees, scholastic materials, basic needs and also mentor them with the Word of God.
They have also preached to and mentor children. Each child in the orphanage owns a Bible donated to them by a US-based Church.
They have also partnered with various companies like Opportunity Bank, Soroti branch to give back to the community.
Challenges
Ijala says they have a challenge with limited funds though they try to procure grants from donors. Also, because they are located in Soroti town, they face difficulty while accessing some villages which have poor roads.
He adds that they some times run short of manpower because people do not want to volunteer in their entirely charity ministry.
“People do not want to work with us for free; so, we at times struggle with finding volunteers,” he says.
Future plans
Ijala says they are planning to open up a hospital, a secondary school and an institute within their orphanage so the children can have all these services at once.
“We also plan to establish a Bible college that will groom and train the children and other preachers of the Word of God,” Ijala adds.
He also says they are considering leadership trainings for all their beneficiaries.
This, they hope will groom future leaders who will represent the vulnerable people in the Eastern region of Uganda at large.
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