Beauty and poverty, opportunities and challenges, dreams and needs…Uganda. It is for her children that we have worked to build a school…and thus to Build Hope in Kids.

The sponsored students all wrote letters to their sponsors in June. Fr. Julius would have brought the letters with him on his trip to the U.S. in August and September, but Ebola put that plan on hold. So the Uganda school staff scanned every one of the 274 letters and emailed them, along with the students’ photos, to our Board president. Thanks to the combined efforts of a few folks, all the photos were labeled, letters printed, and cover letters sent to each sponsor.

All sponsors have been asked to write a letter to their sponsored student (PRINT, actually - - the students aren’t taught cursive writing) and get it in the mail to BHIK-U before October 1st. They’ll be sent to the kids soon thereafter. The kids will be thrilled to receive them. After all, who doesn’t enjoy getting a letter from someone special?!

Questions? Contact John Grillot, grilljw@gmail.com, 309-696-4846.

Dear esteemed readers and friends of BHIKU,

Greetings from Uganda and from St. Patrick School.

It’s time for another issue of the newsletter and I am happy to update you about our school as follows.

We have been preparing to end term two of the 2026 academic year. We started the term on May 23, and had Visitation Day for the parents on July 4. The term ended on August 18. 

Term 3 will start on September 12 and conclude on December 2. However, the P7 students will take their end of year national assessment exams (PLEs) in early November. The date has not yet been announced by the Ministry of Education.

The students have been so excited about the ongoing water tower project as is highlighted in this newsletter. 

Student to teacher ratios were reduced in grades P1 through P5, which were divided into three streams this year. Their learning outcomes are looking even better. 

As we get closer to the end of the school year, sponsored students are looking forward to getting (monetary) Christmas gifts before they go home after Term 3. We thank the sponsors who always put a smile on the students’ faces when these gifts come.

I had planned to visit USA from 19th August to the end of September 2026, but regrettably am unable to come. The USA government put a ban on issuing visas because of the recent Ebola outbreak in the neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and there were two cases in Uganda, of DRC nationals who had visited. The World Health Organization declared Uganda Ebola-free about two weeks ago since it had been over 42 days since the last case, but the US embassy in Uganda is still not issuing visas. (If I am able to get a visa in 2027, I will come to the US then.)

WE THANK GOD THAT OUR SCHOOL WAS NEVER AFFECTED BY THE EBOLA OUTBREAK. 

When I see our children grow in age and advance in their studies (our pioneers will be completing high school at the end of 2027), I can only say “THANK YOU GOD FOR TOUCHING THE LIVES OF THESE CHILDREN THROUGH OUR COMMUNITY OF SUPPORTERS.” 

Thank you all for the incredible support. You are always in our prayers.

Rev. Fr. Julius Turyatoranwa (PhD), Founder BHIKU.

Father Julius had hoped and planned to visit the U.S. mid-August through September, 2026. His itinerary was filling up fast - - parish missions, visiting with old friends, a Board of Directors meeting, and playing in BHIK-U’s 9 th Annual Golf Outing. What a busy, blessed six weeks!! But Ebola brought an end to his plans. It’s a terribly contagious serious viral disease that has already killed over 2,000 people in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Western Uganda shares a border with the DRC. The Ugandan government closed that border, but not before over a dozen Ugandans who had traveled to the DRC became ill. As of this article, Uganda has had no new cases for 42 days – meaning Ebola is not active in Uganda! But out of caution, the U.S. Embassy in Uganda had already cancelled all visa application interviews until May, 2027. So we will have to wait another year to see Father’s smiling face here. We pray for all those affected by this Ebola outbreak, and offer prayers of thanksgiving that Fr. Julius and everyone at the school are well and thriving!

Back of the new bus with an aerial view of BHIK-U campus

Building Hope in Kids - Uganda

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