Give Back: Volunteering with Mercy Childcare Part 3!
~ Natalia Radcliffe ~Give back.
That’s what Meggan was taught from a young age in Iowa, a habit encouraged since she first earned allowance as a child.
It’s a habit she’s carried with her into adulthood. Meggan’s always made a point to set aside a portion of the money she makes toward the church or charity. When she started her business at Prospector Ranch, it only made sense she would give a portion of what she makes to a charity.
The question was: what charity?
Well, Meggan already had an answer.
Mercy Childcare/ Worship House in Uganda. The funds for both go through their U.S. partner Children to Love.
Having supported it for a couple years already, it was the perfect choice.
One of the reasons Meggan decided to support Mercy Childcare in the first place is that they truly walk the walk.
To put it another way, they practice what they preach.
Pastor Wilfred Rugumba and Pastor Wilson Bugembe (the founders) are genuinely invested in helping people. They want to see them succeed and better their lives, and the lives of their families. The money that’s donated goes directly to the charity so they can help even more people.
Just recently, Pastor Rugumba and his wife Vena adopted a baby girl who was rescued by Mercy Childcare. The child had been abandoned by her mother.
According to a story written by Children to Love, the mother, needing a place to stay for the night, met a Christian man and asked if she and her baby could spend the night at his home before continuing on the next day. He prepared a place for them to sleep in his living room, but the mother did not stay. Instead, she placed the baby on the makeshift bed, walked outside, and never returned. The man contacted the police and his church, and the baby was put in the hands of Mercy Childcare. When Pastor Rugumba met the little girl, he felt an immediate bond with the child. As his wife was longing to adopt another child into their family, he told her about the baby who he felt such a strong bond with. After that point, it was pretty much all said and done. Shortly after, the baby was adopted by the family and christened Lily Joy.
Lily Joy Rugumba! Photo by Meggan Kimberley
While volunteering with the charity, Meggan had become close to one of the orphans rescued, a young boy named Don. The two have such a strong bond, that Meggan calls him her African son. She met the boy when he was 8, and has known him for about 4 years. When he heard Meggan was going to be visiting this year, he was so excited. She has a voicemail on Whatsapp from him saying that even though he didn’t know when exactly she was coming, he was excited to see her whenever she got there. It’s not just Meggan that calls him her African son. Don likes to call her “Mom Meggan,” cause he loves her. It warms Meggan’s heart, seeing him blossom into a happy child, not letting the trauma he experienced when he was younger stop him from running forward in his life.
Meggan with her African son Don! Photo by Meggan Kimberley
Meggan’s husband Chris has gone with her on multiple occasions when she visits Mercy Childcare. As he’s a professional electrical contractor, he will often help with any electricity issues the village might have.
Let’s go back in time for just a moment.
The first time visiting with Meggan, Chris had no idea what he he could help with. Was he going to be holding babies, helping paint a new room? It turned out he was going to utilize his professional skills he’d honed for so many years. He realized some of the dwellings the babies were in had no electricity whatsoever. As he was an electrical contractor, he took upon the project of giving the houses electricity. This was not an easy task, as their wiring was quite rustic compared to ours here in the United States.
Every time he goes there now, part of his volunteer work is to help out with the electrical. Last time, it was helping with a new generator. Most of the people who live in the village figure things out by trial and error. To have a trained person utilizing his expertise is invaluable. As there are programs set up for people to gain the skills necessary to be successfully self-sufficient, Chris could easily teach a class on electrical skills. But, though he hasn’t officially taught any classes, people will still gather to watch him while he works, learning anything they can of the basics.
Meggan’s husband Chris at work helping with the electrical, accompanied by a helper. Photo by Meggan Kimberley
Mercy Childcare is a charity that focuses on getting people back up on their feet. To paraphrase a popular saying, they teach them to fish, rather than just giving them a fish. They give people opportunities to learn new skills to help themselves and lift them up. This way, people can use newly acquired abilities to make a better life for themselves and their families.
It’s an organization that’s doing their best to try and bring good into the world, even if it’s helping merely one person.
Because, making a difference starts with just one.
More information on Mercy Childcare, or if you want to donate: https://www.mercychildcare.org
Thumbnail: background picture by Valentin Antonucci on Pexels.com
