Our Journey Toward Solar and a Praise Report on Shalom Hope Fund

October Issue 

This issue highlights two stories: Our Journey Toward Solar and a praise story from the Shalom Widows Hope Fund. 

 a) When the Lights Went Out: Our Journey Toward Solar

A few years ago, we brought electricity to the community we serve through advocacy. See the previous blog on electricity here. 

It was a big moment, and yes, we still celebrate it.  Since then, though, Uganda has struggled with an unreliable power supply and poor management of it for the past three years.

In June, the problem hit close to home. The transformer serving our community blew. The government says it is waiting for a replacement, but no one can tell us when it will come. Months later, we still have no power.

This has made our work much harder. Our work with the school has been disrupted, and much of our office work has stopped. Anything that needs electricity now means traveling elsewhere, which costs us time, money, and energy that should be going into the community.

This crisis has pushed the Shalom Project to look seriously at solar power. Solar would:

• Give us reliable power so the school and office can keep running, whatever happens with the national grid
• Cut our ongoing costs by reducing or removing monthly electricity bills, freeing money for ministry and community programs
• Fit our setting by using Uganda's plentiful sunshine and caring for the environment
• Build long-term sustainability so the community depends less on systems outside its control.

Costs 

It will cost us USD 6,000 or UGX 23M to fully install solar in the three existing buildings.  

Please pray for;

• Wisdom as we plan and choose the right solar system
• Provision of the funds we need
• Our students, teachers, and staff as they keep going through these challenges
• Pray that we can get organizations that would be willing to partner with us in this project. 

b) Shalom Widows Hope Fund

We are overjoyed by the responses we keep getting and the financial support we continue to receive from our donors for this widows' microlending project. 

Last month, we kicked off training for Shalom Widows Hope Fund on practical business, financial, and group-management skills needed to use a loan responsibly, grow a viable business, and sustain repayment. 

We have successfully disbursed the first 20 loans interest-free. Loan repayments will be reinvested, allowing the fund to grow over time and support additional widows. 3% loan interest on the second loan will provide more capital for lending. We hope the savings group strategy will provide mentoring and accountability, strengthening ownership and long-term sustainability. 

We have a reinvestment budget and a group investment plan that will keep growing the group; if you are keen, you can continue to give. 

Keep praying for these widows as we come alongside them to uplift them financially, socially, and emotionally. Their monthly meetings will continue, and we will ensure they have a support system. 

Pray also that these resources will help them pivot in their businesses and agroforestry so they can support their children and themselves. 

We are glad to partner with one of our long-term donors, who is volunteering her time with widows. Doreen, who retired from a commercial bank in Uganda, has also been instrumental in facilitating our church leaders' programs in partnership with Apollos Training USA. She also brings experience in trauma counseling. Dennis Wandera, the officer in charge of the Hope Fund micro-lending project, is assisting Doreen with implementing the project.   

Thank you for your continued support of our work over the years and for all your prayers. May God bless you 

For God's greater Glory. 

yours faithfully

Robert Edube 

Director 

1st Oct 2026