WWW.WATOTO.COM | WINTER 2015 | ISSUE NO.1

WHAT WE DO ORPHANED CHILDREN | VULNERABLE WOMEN | COMMUNITY TRANSFORMATION

WELCOME HOMEWe were thrilled to graduate over 10

toddlers from Baby Watoto to our Watoto

Suubi Village this February. The bubbly

infants were welcomed by excited moms

and siblings in their new families. It was a

momentous occasion for all.

Babies rescued by Baby Watoto find a

permanent home in a Watoto village when

they’re old enough. It was a rainy morning,

but not even the weather could dampen

the spirits of both moms and babies. “I am

excited for my new bundles of joy. I’m going

to love and care for these two boys with all

my heart. My other children are in school,

so I have quite a bit of time to dedicate to

the babies during the day,” said mama Rose

Nabulime. “The toddlers’ graduation to the

homes is an opportunity for them to be in a

new environment, with siblings to grow up

with,” said Fred Katoogo, Baby Watoto Team

Leader. A month before the toddlers moved

to the village, their new mothers spent time

with them at Baby Watoto. This helped in

the bonding process, which is key to their

security and development. “This practice is

encouraged to help the mother and child

get to know each other and also build a

relationship. At the time of graduation the

mother is no longer a stranger to the child

but rather a person who loves and cares

for them,” said Katoogo. Since 2007, over

1,000 vulnerable babies have been rescued

through Baby Watoto. They now have a

chance at a real future. Partner with us to

rescue babies. Log onto www.watoto.com/sponsorship to sponsor Baby Watoto now.

A NEW STARTLucy Anyanyo is one of 191

women who joined Living Hope

Gulu last year and experienced

the power of community.

When Lucy was bedridden and

hopeless, she received a visit

from Florence Acaa, an HIV+

woman who has been empowered

through Living Hope. Florence

is now a community leader for

Living Hope in Gulu. She works

at her stall in the market, but

is actively involved in finding

women like Lucy who are hiding

because of their HIV status. When

Lucy’s husband died of HIV/AIDS,

Lucy lost all hope. “I was certain

that the next thing for me was

death, and that my children would

lose their mother. I thought the

stress alone would kill me,” she

said. Florence had met Lucy at

the clinic and recognized her as

a neighbor. When she noticed

that Lucy was becoming very

sick, Florence knocked on her

door and shared her own story

with Lucy. “I couldn’t tell that

Florence was also HIV positive

until she disclosed it. Florence

convinced me that I could

live,” she said. With Florence’s

support, Lucy took her first steps

toward recovery. Florence was

there to pray with her as Lucy

overcame the strong effects of

the ARV treatment. Last year,

Florence helped Lucy sign up for

Living Hope. “Through trauma

counseling I was able to release

the stress and pain from my past.

I learned that God loves me no

matter what,” she said.

The ladies from our 2014 intake

have experienced our embrace,

but this year they will also be

empowered through one of our

many skills departments. We are

excited to see them thrive as

they continue to grow in different

areas. Lucy is learning how to sew

Living Hope’s new Amito doll,

which is on sale with the Watoto

Children’s Choirs this year. The

allowance she makes as a trainee

at our center helps her support

her three children and pay her

rent. Email us at livinghope@watoto.com if you would like to

help us empower women like

Lucy so that they also become

leaders who engage with their

community and bring hope to

others.

ACHIEVERS2014 was indeed an incredible

year. And the academic

excellence achieved by our

students added to the jubilation.

The release of the 2014 Primary

Leaving Examinations and

Uganda Certificate Examinations

brought Watoto such pride

and joy. The students of our

schools, Hope Junior School and

Hope Senior School, performed

well beyond our expectations.

Jeremiah Mutyaba, the best

For many students, high

school is all about spending time

with friends, playing sports and

trying to survive the next week’s

biology exam. But for some, like

Coleman Mitchell, it was all about

making a difference. Coleman

was a junior in high school when

he first realized that God had

called him to help care for the

orphan and the widow. The

Watoto Children’s Choir visited

his church in Charlotte, N.C. and

he instantly fell in love.

“Our lives were changed after

hosting five precious little boys

and two very special uncles

during that time,” said Angela

Mitchell, Coleman’s mother. “Our

son’s desire from then on was

to travel to Uganda and visit

the boys who stayed with us.”

Inspired by the positive spirit

and the strength of the Watoto

children, Coleman planned

a trip to visit Uganda and to

participate in Watoto3600 after

graduating high school. However,

before Coleman could fulfill the

dream of visiting Watoto, his

life was tragically cut short in

April of 2013. Despite the loss

of their child, the Mitchell family

was determined to carry on

Coleman’s passion for Watoto.

“We are forced to navigate

life in a way no parent or family

should ever have to know,” says

Mitchell. “But we are thrilled to

know that the heart of our son

will forever be present in the

lives of others through this event

held in honor of our Coleman.”

The Coleman’s Camo 5K event,

held last May, raised more than

$50,000 to help build a home in

Watoto’s Gulu Village. “We were

overwhelmed by the outpouring

of the runners and support,” said

Mitchell. “We plan on continuing

to honor Coleman’s love for

Watoto by sponsoring a mother

and children who will live in that

home. We are just so grateful to

give to Watoto, a place where

our son’s heart will always be,

even though his feet will never

go.”

Coleman’s story teaches

all of us that we can make a

difference. Watoto is honored

by the kindness of the Mitchell

family, as well as so many others

who have a heart to serve

faithfully to bring life to the

hurting in Uganda.

CLOTHES OF COMPASSION

Changing a life can start with

just a needle and thread. Just

ask 11-year-old Cora Coletti,

who recently donated more

than 500 articles of clothing to

the children in Watoto’s Gulu

Village. “It all started when we

were invited by friends to see

the choir perform at our church,”

said Dawn Coletti, Cora’s mother.

“We fell in love with the children

and began to sponsor. Then one

day our daughter Cora asked,

‘Why don’t we go to Africa?’ We

began looking for mission trip

opportunities, the fundraising

followed, and God carried us the

entire time to Uganda.” In 2013,

the Coletti family spent 16 days

at Watoto and it was there that

Cora was inspired to do more.

“Before we left for our trip, my

performing student at Hope

Senior School, ranked among the

best performing students in the

country. Jonathan Muganzi at

Hope Junior School achieved 5

aggregates in 4 subjects, a pass

with several distinctions.

As a result of these and other

performances, our primary school

finished as the top school in

the district and our high school

finished as one of the top 10

schools in the district. Your

faithful giving has contributed

to these accomplishments.

Jonathan’s dream is to become

a medical doctor, and Jeremiah

wants to study food science and

technology.

“I want to solve the problem

of wide spread hunger in Africa.

That’s why I thought it would be

good to become a food scientist,”

says Jeremiah.

If you already sponsor a child,

get somebody else on board in

this worthy cause. Direct them to

www.watoto.com/sponsorship.

There’s no place like home. For

many of us, home is where you

belong, where you feel loved,

and where you’re free to dream

impossible dreams. But for many

children in Uganda, home is hard

to find. At the young age of 10,

Edwin Kigozi and his brother

found themselves without a

home. Their mother had passed

away from HIV, and they now had

nowhere to belong. Both boys

were soon brought into a Watoto

village and given a second chance

at life. Edwin found a place where

he was loved and cared for by

his housemother and siblings.

Watoto quickly became the place

where he not only lived, but

belonged. Watoto became home.

Edwin’s life would forever change

again after joining the Watoto

Children’s Choir in 1998. “When

I came to the United States for

the first time, life started to make

sense,” he said. As a now 13-year-

old, traveling with the Watoto

Children’s Choir showed Edwin

his incredible passion for music.

He says, “I realized I could dream

big.” Watoto had given him a

home and belonging, and he was

now free to dream big, perhaps of

someday becoming a musician.

That dreaming never stopped

and today, at age 29, he is a

drummer for Watoto Church’s

worship band. He has also

returned to the United States 16

years later as the Team Leader

for Watoto Children’s Choir Tour

68. Edwin is now able to travel

the world helping to spread

the message of Watoto. He

continues to share the powerful

story of finding a home where

he belonged, and shares with

others how we all have a place we

belong in God’s family.

A PLACE TO CALL HOME

CARRYING ON FOR COLEMAN

grandma taught me how to make

pillowcase dresses and when we

got back, I decided I wanted to

make them for the children of the

village,” said Cora. “I made 235

dresses, 168 shorts and collected

142 shirts with the help of my

friends. The clothes also include

a tag of encouragement and love

that we wrote. I was so thankful to

God because I knew that not only

our sponsor child Sandra, but the

entire village would receive a new

article of clothing.”

The Colettis’ story and heart for

Watoto is an inspiration to anyone

who wants to make a difference

and see life-change happen in

the world around them. “Just

do it,” says Cora. “It’s not every

day that you can be in another

country doing the work for God’s

kingdom, but I know that when

you put your heart to making

a difference it really helps. Our

whole family put our hearts into

these dresses and it made me

change my perspective on life.

Before we went to Uganda, I was

selfish and since we returned, I

haven’t wanted to stop helping.”

God used a needle, thread and

Cora’s dream in a big way to

change the lives of hundreds of

children in Africa and He can do

the same through you.

A NEW STARTLucy Anyanyo is one of 191

women who joined Living Hope

Gulu last year and experienced

the power of community.

When Lucy was bedridden and

hopeless, she received a visit

from Florence Acaa, an HIV+

woman who has been empowered

through Living Hope. Florence

is now a community leader for

Living Hope in Gulu. She works

at her stall in the market, but

is actively involved in finding

women like Lucy who are hiding

because of their HIV status. When

Lucy’s husband died of HIV/AIDS,

Lucy lost all hope. “I was certain

that the next thing for me was

death, and that my children would

lose their mother. I thought the

stress alone would kill me,” she

said. Florence had met Lucy at

the clinic and recognized her as

a neighbor. When she noticed

that Lucy was becoming very

sick, Florence knocked on her

door and shared her own story

with Lucy. “I couldn’t tell that

Florence was also HIV positive

until she disclosed it. Florence

convinced me that I could

live,” she said. With Florence’s

support, Lucy took her first steps

toward recovery. Florence was

there to pray with her as Lucy

overcame the strong effects of

the ARV treatment. Last year,

Florence helped Lucy sign up for

Living Hope. “Through trauma

counseling I was able to release

the stress and pain from my past.

I learned that God loves me no

matter what,” she said.

The ladies from our 2014 intake

have experienced our embrace,

but this year they will also be

empowered through one of our

many skills departments. We are

excited to see them thrive as

they continue to grow in different

areas. Lucy is learning how to sew

Living Hope’s new Amito doll,

which is on sale with the Watoto

Children’s Choirs this year. The

allowance she makes as a trainee

at our center helps her support

her three children and pay her

rent. Email us at livinghope@watoto.com if you would like to

help us empower women like

Lucy so that they also become

leaders who engage with their

community and bring hope to

others.

ACHIEVERS2014 was indeed an incredible

year. And the academic

excellence achieved by our

students added to the jubilation.

The release of the 2014 Primary

Leaving Examinations and

Uganda Certificate Examinations

brought Watoto such pride

and joy. The students of our

schools, Hope Junior School and

Hope Senior School, performed

well beyond our expectations.

Jeremiah Mutyaba, the best

For many students, high

school is all about spending time

with friends, playing sports and

trying to survive the next week’s

biology exam. But for some, like

Coleman Mitchell, it was all about

making a difference. Coleman

was a junior in high school when

he first realized that God had

called him to help care for the

orphan and the widow. The

Watoto Children’s Choir visited

his church in Charlotte, N.C. and

he instantly fell in love.

“Our lives were changed after

hosting five precious little boys

and two very special uncles

during that time,” said Angela

Mitchell, Coleman’s mother. “Our

son’s desire from then on was

to travel to Uganda and visit

the boys who stayed with us.”

Inspired by the positive spirit

and the strength of the Watoto

children, Coleman planned

a trip to visit Uganda and to

participate in Watoto3600 after

graduating high school. However,

before Coleman could fulfill the

dream of visiting Watoto, his

life was tragically cut short in

April of 2013. Despite the loss

of their child, the Mitchell family

was determined to carry on

Coleman’s passion for Watoto.

“We are forced to navigate

life in a way no parent or family

should ever have to know,” says

Mitchell. “But we are thrilled to

know that the heart of our son

will forever be present in the

lives of others through this event

held in honor of our Coleman.”

The Coleman’s Camo 5K event,

held last May, raised more than

$50,000 to help build a home in

Watoto’s Gulu Village. “We were

overwhelmed by the outpouring

of the runners and support,” said

Mitchell. “We plan on continuing

to honor Coleman’s love for

Watoto by sponsoring a mother

and children who will live in that

home. We are just so grateful to

give to Watoto, a place where

our son’s heart will always be,

even though his feet will never

go.”

Coleman’s story teaches

all of us that we can make a

difference. Watoto is honored

by the kindness of the Mitchell

family, as well as so many others

who have a heart to serve

faithfully to bring life to the

hurting in Uganda.

CLOTHES OF COMPASSION

Changing a life can start with

just a needle and thread. Just

ask 11-year-old Cora Coletti,

who recently donated more

than 500 articles of clothing to

the children in Watoto’s Gulu

Village. “It all started when we

were invited by friends to see

the choir perform at our church,”

said Dawn Coletti, Cora’s mother.

“We fell in love with the children

and began to sponsor. Then one

day our daughter Cora asked,

‘Why don’t we go to Africa?’ We

began looking for mission trip

opportunities, the fundraising

followed, and God carried us the

entire time to Uganda.” In 2013,

the Coletti family spent 16 days

at Watoto and it was there that

Cora was inspired to do more.

“Before we left for our trip, my

performing student at Hope

Senior School, ranked among the

best performing students in the

country. Jonathan Muganzi at

Hope Junior School achieved 5

aggregates in 4 subjects, a pass

with several distinctions.

As a result of these and other

performances, our primary school

finished as the top school in

the district and our high school

finished as one of the top 10

schools in the district. Your

faithful giving has contributed

to these accomplishments.

Jonathan’s dream is to become

a medical doctor, and Jeremiah

wants to study food science and

technology.

“I want to solve the problem

of wide spread hunger in Africa.

That’s why I thought it would be

good to become a food scientist,”

says Jeremiah.

If you already sponsor a child,

get somebody else on board in

this worthy cause. Direct them to

www.watoto.com/sponsorship.

There’s no place like home. For

many of us, home is where you

belong, where you feel loved,

and where you’re free to dream

impossible dreams. But for many

children in Uganda, home is hard

to find. At the young age of 10,

Edwin Kigozi and his brother

found themselves without a

home. Their mother had passed

away from HIV, and they now had

nowhere to belong. Both boys

were soon brought into a Watoto

village and given a second chance

at life. Edwin found a place where

he was loved and cared for by

his housemother and siblings.

Watoto quickly became the place

where he not only lived, but

belonged. Watoto became home.

Edwin’s life would forever change

again after joining the Watoto

Children’s Choir in 1998. “When

I came to the United States for

the first time, life started to make

sense,” he said. As a now 13-year-

old, traveling with the Watoto

Children’s Choir showed Edwin

his incredible passion for music.

He says, “I realized I could dream

big.” Watoto had given him a

home and belonging, and he was

now free to dream big, perhaps of

someday becoming a musician.

That dreaming never stopped

and today, at age 29, he is a

drummer for Watoto Church’s

worship band. He has also

returned to the United States 16

years later as the Team Leader

for Watoto Children’s Choir Tour

68. Edwin is now able to travel

the world helping to spread

the message of Watoto. He

continues to share the powerful

story of finding a home where

he belonged, and shares with

others how we all have a place we

belong in God’s family.

A PLACE TO CALL HOME

CARRYING ON FOR COLEMAN

grandma taught me how to make

pillowcase dresses and when we

got back, I decided I wanted to

make them for the children of the

village,” said Cora. “I made 235

dresses, 168 shorts and collected

142 shirts with the help of my

friends. The clothes also include

a tag of encouragement and love

that we wrote. I was so thankful to

God because I knew that not only

our sponsor child Sandra, but the

entire village would receive a new

article of clothing.”

The Colettis’ story and heart for

Watoto is an inspiration to anyone

who wants to make a difference

and see life-change happen in

the world around them. “Just

do it,” says Cora. “It’s not every

day that you can be in another

country doing the work for God’s

kingdom, but I know that when

you put your heart to making

a difference it really helps. Our

whole family put our hearts into

these dresses and it made me

change my perspective on life.

Before we went to Uganda, I was

selfish and since we returned, I

haven’t wanted to stop helping.”

God used a needle, thread and

Cora’s dream in a big way to

change the lives of hundreds of

children in Africa and He can do

the same through you.

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