Leadia of Africa

Graham Johnston: Health Update: Off to Melbourne

2010-09-14T23:39:00.000-07:00

Graham Johnston: Health Update: Off to Melbourne: "Greetings friends, On Tuesday, Sept. 14, Tracey and I are flying to Melbourne to meet with Dr. Malcolm Feigen to investigate the possibili..."

Graham Johnston: Wendell's Thoughts

2010-09-14T21:25:00.000-07:00

Graham Johnston: Wendell's Thoughts: "Wendell & Martha Johnston (Graham's parents) visited the family in Perth from June 25 to July 27, 2010. The following are Wendell's thought..."

Leadia Soymilk Project

2010-03-29T00:00:00.000-07:00

View the pictures beginning from below upwards. The pictures show the process it took us to make soy milk. The first picture here shows members pounding soy using motors and pestles, second- adding water, third- sieving, Fourth-boiling, fifth- members observing the process, sixth-tea being served.

The Leadia Soy milk Project

In Uganda, milk is synonymous to cows. When Leadia team learned about other sources of milk, we were reluctant to share it with the members of the fifty families that have just harvested soy.However, following our resolve for innovative change to boost people choices, we decided to introduce the soy milk project. Following our instinct that actions are better than words, we were convinced that a practical demonstration of how to make soy milk would do the magic. And that is what happened. By the end of the day, family representatives who turned up to participate in the demonstration of how to make soy milk were very impressed and kept on asking, how can 1.5 kilogram of soy produce enough milk to make tea for 59 people? One member summed up the experience, "a miracle unfolded before our very eyes, but why did it take us long to discover that soy is a source of milk? Other members could not hide their excitement and amazement: "soy milk is easier to access than buying a cow"; give me a break, you mean milk is hidden in soy; it is real milk, you missed it; soy is going to be part of my family forever".
Milestone: One of the goals of leadia is to stir up the ingenuity and creativity of our people to maximize their potential and multiple the values of their resources at hand. The soy project has opened the floodgates to this dream. Members have realized that they need to explore new possible uses of the resources they have and how to improve upon their values. So far, we have discovered that if we get a milk processor, we can maximize milk production to cater for the nutritional needs of children and the community at large.

The Impact: As a result, many more families have decided to plant soy to improve upon their potentials, health and savings. This is a boost to our dream.

Although there are many major giants on our way, we are confident that the ingenuity and creativity of our people that the soy milk miracle has unlocked to maximize their potential and multiple the values of their resources at hand will overcome them all. Please, pray for us and support us in whichever way you can whenever you are able. Share with us any idea/information you have about this project.

Leadia Pushes on with Living Hope against HIV/AIDS Pandemic (December 09 Update)

2009-12-18T20:41:00.000-08:00

Our vision to revive hope among people living with HIV/AIDS through empowerment towards holistic transformation is bearing fruits. The HIV/AIDS projects focuses on prevention, care and support, and channels of hope through empowerment as a crosscutting issue.
As UNDP puts it, HIV/AIDS is a multifaceted epidemic that calls for multifaceted and concerted approach arrest it. With poverty being its brooding ground, living hope still remains the only antidote available within the means of communities that are committed to responding to the epidemic which is comparable to the bubonic plague of 1340s. Our efforts have so far struck code with local communities and we now have every sign to believe that living hope is a formidable antidote to the pandemic.
Size of the Project: We target mainly children and youths aged between 5 and 24, people living with AIDS who need care and support, the rest of people infected with and affected by HIV/AIDS, and families wallowing in poverty. We currently support 320 households. Each household has an average of five people. Overall, there are 1600 clients who attend our program.
Challenges we are responding to: So far, we have witnessed that disempowerment due to poverty is the leading challenge to the efforts to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS pandemic and reduce its effects. This disempowerment takes the form of marred human identity and vocation, and unjust relationships. These obstacles have rendered the affected people poor, physically weak, isolated, vulnerable, powerless, disenfranchised from social, economic, political and state power, and entangled in the vicious cycle of absolute poverty of being. These challenges require structural and societal change as well as personal. We have a three-tier program to address these challenges: in tier one we focus on material necessities, tier two we focus on social, economic, political and state capital (vocation and just relationships), and tier three we address worldview, culture, marred identity, and principalities and powers (human identity).
Programs of Intervention
Vision Club: Sex has been a taboo in many of the local cultures and traditions. In this era of HIV/AIDS and information technology, we are breaking the silence and modeling community oriented information on HIV/AIDS, sex, life vision and skills among others to empower especially the youths with a basis for vibrant and resilient life. So far, we have mobilised 4 primary schools and hope to expand it to include secondary school students as well. Our target is to address cultural roots of abuses of sex by changing sex narratives. Besides training teachers, community leaders, parents and student leaders as the vanguards of this program, we have established social activities for the youths which include soccer, netball, drama, community services to redirect their energy to positive actions. (Picture of soccer club in a training session- Pic 1)
Food Security: In order to restore and maintain the health of people who are infected and affected by HIV/AIDS, we decided to launch organic farming beginning with soy project. We have so far bought two oxen and one ox plough to help people plough new fields for crops-(pic 6). We gave out five kilogram of soy seeds to a total of fifty households as a micro loan project. Upon harvest, they will give back five kilograms that we will give out to another set of fifty households. They will also sell a portion of the harvest to set up funds for micro loan scheme. (Picture of work in the soy garden- pic 5)
Piglet and goat project: We have given out piglets and goats to boost household capacity to engage in production for consumption and income. (Picture of piglet project- pic 4)
Community Based Initiative for Care and Support: With the resolve never to let people die alone and unattended to because of HIV/AIDS and poverty, we launched out a program to identify with them at the time of need by offering support and care. We have trained a total of 21 home caregivers who monitor households ensuring that their physical, social, spiritual, emotional and moral environment is conducive for their well being. We still need more home caregivers to cover 200 people who have AIDS. (Picture of home caregiver team- pic 3)
Child Sponsorship and Education: We have 60 orphans we support through school out of over 400 orphans we have identified. We support them with scholastic materials and school uniform. (Picture of children holding up the books they received-pic 2)
Areas of Expansion:
-Vegetable and fruit gardens in each household
-Cow/goat and Chicken projects
-Music lessons, soccer tournaments, and computer lessons
-Micro finance and community cooperative society
-Wellness center as the main referral for treatment and coordination.
Challenges: Despite the numerous successes we have registered, general and specific challenges continue to bog down our operations. In order for us to expand our programs, we need financial and material support. We still need more of each of the following items to fully cover phase one of our program
Ox plough @ $140, Ox @ $280, piglet @ $14, goat @ $34, chicken @ $6, Soy @kilogram $1.50, football @17, netball @ $17, child sponsorship @year $100, cabbage @kilogram @ 6, onion @ kilogram $8, keyboard @ $1,150, generator @$1400, projector@ $850, TV screen @ $500, Video deck @ $170, DVD player @ @ $230.
You can support us by making financial contribution, prayer and telling someone else about what we are doing.
For any feedback contact David Ofumbi at 6266025010

Leadia Updates

2009-09-13T19:31:00.000-07:00

Dear friends it has been a while since we last updated our blog. Leadia 09 Program updates are coming up soon. Please check our blog for the milestone achievements we have made since last year. We are also happy to inform you that our refurbished website is coming up soon-leadia.org. Thank you for your continued interest in and support for Leadia.

2007-09-14T22:30:00.000-07:00

David's recent visit to Uganda-- updates coming soon.

Training for transformation

2007-06-29T04:35:00.000-07:00

Seminars and conference updates:

LEADIA continues to pursue its vision of “nurturing spiritual leaders” We have therefore embarked on aggressive training of Pastors and church leaders. In July we are going to hold a number of Leadership and Biblical training seminars. Below is a schedule of some of our activities during the months of June and July;

June 25 – 29 Kampala: Kampala Center for Biblical Leadership (KCBL) 4^th Session – Essentials of the Christian Faith” with Pastor Emma Akatukunda
July 10^th - 12^th Tororo: Leadership Conference for Pastors in Eastern Uganda and Western Kenya at Link Way Business College.
July 14^th Gulu: Symposium on “The War in Northern Uganda and a Christian Response” at Acholi Inn. Gulu District Chairman, Norbert Mao expected to attend.
July 15^th – 17^th Tororo: Conference on “The Church in Response to HIV/AIDS” at Link Way Business College
July 18^th Kampala: Symposium on “The African Church in the face of the Global Challenges Today” at Hotel Equatoria. A number of Church, government and other opinion leaders expected to attend.
July 21^st Kigali, Rwanda: Symposium on the “Role of the church in reconciliation”. Mr. Antoine Rutayisire of Africa Evangelistic Enterprise (AEE) expected to attend.
July 23^rd – 28^th Kampala: Pastors and Church Leaders conference (Basic Bible and Theological Courses for Pastors) at Kyambogo University. 100 pastors are expected to attend.

Sioport Pastors' Library Launched

2007-03-28T03:12:00.000-07:00

In our bid to train more pastoral leaders in Africa, we have continued with our one-week-modular conferences. Sioport is one of the five Pastoral Training Centers (PTCs) that LEADIA conducts. On February 12^th to 17^th 2007, we held our fourth training session in Sioport, Kenya. We covered topics on: Preaching and Communication, Church ministry and Administration, and Old Testament Survey. We also held workshops on youth and family ministries.

In addition to this kind of training, we launched a Pastors Lending Library with over ten books, and we intend to keep building on this.

Kampala Library

Our first library was launched in Kampala at the end of 2006 and now has about one hundred books (commentaries, dictionaries, and other Bible study and theology guidebooks). We are grateful to our friends who have contributed to this.

One of the greatest challenges in the African Christian ministry is having access to ministry and study resources. We call on all those who have a heart to help pastors in Africa, to consider this as a critical need indeed. You could forward this note to churches, colleges, or seminaries, who update their libraries often, so that they may send those books and resources (CDs, Tapes, DVDs, etc) they no longer use. We will of course appreciate brand new stuff as well!

Some comments from the pastors who attended the conference:

“If we had been taught these things before, our ministries would have been different”

"It is good that we are being taught how to prepare Biblical sermons; before we used to preach [attacking] people.” Pr. Gilbert Bwiire – Harvest Fellowship Church.

“We are changed; we will never be the same again” Pr. Alphonse Makolomba – Assemblies of Christ Church.

“We were not allowed [by our denominations] to go to theological colleges. Thank you for coming to us.’ One of the youth pastors after the conference.

"This is a great milestone in our ministry.” Brother Aurah, commenting after the launch of the resource library.

Thank you to all who have identified with our cause of multiplying spiritual leaders in Africa.

If you would like to know more about LEADIA, about our programs please contact us on the address below:

LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVE AFRICA (LEADIA)

Attn: Emmanuel Akatukunda,

P. O. Box 28848, Kampala, Uganda.

Phone: 256-712-355049, 256-712-954205

E-mail: eakatukunda@yahoo.com

LEADIA.org

2007-01-15T01:10:00.000-08:00

LEADIA.org website is in the works. This will be the internet portal to all pertinant info regarding LEADIA. The leadiaofafrica.blogspot.com blog will still be used for updates, pictures and opinions. This blog will have a direct link on the main LEADIA.org website. We will let everyone know when the webpage will be up.

LEADIA UPDATES

2007-01-13T01:55:00.000-08:00

LEADIA has been able to set up an office in Banda, Kampala, Uganda. For now it doubly serves as an office and a Pastors’ Resource Library. It is equipped with a desk, computer, printer and bookshelf with books(read library). We still need a small stand-by generator to help us cope up with the unpredictable power cuts in Uganda.
We also need a photo copier, and binder to aid us in the production of the Pastors’ training manuals.

There is a LEADIA Executive meeting on January 18th 2006 at Banda

Sio Port (Kenya) Mission is scheduled for 12th – 18th February 2006

Kampala Center for Biblical Leadership (KCBL) first Module [Bible Study Methods ] Interpretation] – 26th – 31st March

Women Ministry: Changing Lives for the better

2007-01-13T01:52:00.000-08:00

“Women are meant to be in the kitchen.” These are some of the comments you hear many an African man mention when they meet in any social gathering. Some women have begun to defy this notion. They are now convinced that they can do more than kitchen work (which is also a noble work).
Hellen Akatukunda mobilizes women to discover their God-given potentials and to use them meaningfully. “Every fortnight we meet and contribute 10,000 Uganda Shillings (about US $6) each and give the day’s collection to one of the 13 members. They have used money for a number of things that range from paying their children’s school fees to boosting their small businesses”, narrates Hellen.

When she was asked about women who can’t afford to contribute the money, she had this to say: “… we have every woman in mind. We are not only concerned with their financial wellbeing but about their holistic growth. We want to see that we grow together in our relationship with God and one another. So, we meet to pray, chart, and learn some skills to help us live productive lives. For instance we learn how to make handbags out of local materials. Our only challenge is raising the money to buy raw materials and getting the ready market for the bags finished.”

The women desk also organizes forum for wives of pastors and other church leaders to meet pray and learn together.

It is a long journey that has already started with just a few strides. With God’s help they are up to change the lives of many women for God’s glory.

Children Ministry: Nurturing Tomorrow Leaders Now

2007-01-13T01:30:00.000-08:00

LEADIA’s passion is to nurture emerging indigenous African leaders for the ultimate transformation of Africa. In a bid to achieve this vision, we have embarked on helping needy children to go to school by providing tuition scholastic materials.
Dawudi Mutambi is one of these kids who benefit from the Tumaini Children Education Sponsorship Scheme.
Dawudi aged 9 and joining Primary 3 had to start late because he comes from a dysfunctional family. “His father refused to pay for his school fees and I have no money to take him to school”, her mother regretted.

Now you can see a smile on both mother and son with the hope that Daudi will now be able to achieve his dreams, thanks to the LEADIA Tumaini (hope) Children ministries.
“It is more than just sending kids to school,” says David Ofumbi, LEADIA’s Team Leader, “we are preparing them for future leadership roles in Africa. In fact our goal is to open a leadership academy to nurture them from the time they are just starting school.”

It costs about US $150 to take 1 kid to primary school for a whole year.

You can be a blessing by helping nurture future leaders by helping more needy children to go to school go to school.

Kampala Center for Biblical Leadership

2006-06-03T14:58:00.000-07:00

In February 2007, LEADIA will open a leadership Development Center in Kampala, Uganda.

VISION:
KCBL exists to “Raise native Christian leadership models in the church and the market place, who will champion the task of fulfilling the great commission.”

MISSION
“To Equip Christian Leaders with appropriate Biblical and life skills necessary for effective ministry and community transformation.”

It is LEADIA’s model school – pattern that other Pastors Training Centers may follow.

The Founding Principles of KCBL
1. Given the fact that Africa is faced with so many leadership challenges, there is need for such an institution as KCBL that will produce leaders who are equipped spiritually, morally, and intellectually and professionally to transform their communities to be a reflection of God’s reign.
2. KCBL serves the church in her efforts to fulfill the Great Commission by equipping Christian men and women with relevant ministry and professional skills appropriate for serving their communities in a bid to reach them with the saving love of Jesus Christ.
3. Although we stress academic excellence, we realize that students’ character based on their personal faith in Jesus Christ is paramount. Therefore our training aims at helping our students nurture their God-given gifts and callings for effective service in the ministry. We seek to integrate worship, Bible study, intercession, and small group fellowships in every academic discipline. This is further strengthened by the staff-student relationships.
4. At every level of training and instruction, whether preschool or university, KCBL seeks to raise leaders with hearts of integrity and skillful hands (Ps. 78:72).
5. We seek to develop courses that address the needs of the communities in Africa –both apparent and inherent- from a Biblical perspective.

OUR UNIQUENESS:
 We integrate Spirituality in the day-to-day life experiences (practical spirituality) as reflected in our curriculum. Thus our target is for people in Christian ministries and those in ‘secular vocations’
 We integrate a Christian worldview in indigenous Christian ministries and vocations.
 We focus on developing the pastors’ and church leaders’ spiritual and intellectual capacity to handle the ministerial, organizational and developmental challenges that they face.
 It is our goal to provide a simple, affordable and first-class biblical and leadership instruction to native church and Christian leaders.
 We provide a modular training that enables our students to study while attending to their other ministry engagements.
 We are committed to the historical Christian faith.

KCBL’s vision is in line with LEADIA’s statement of purpose, which is “to realize African leaders of integrity with skillful hands for impacting their communities.” Our training therefore focuses on the whole person i.e.

 The heart - spirituality
 The head - intellectuality
 The hands - productivity.

OUR ETHOS
We believe that Authentic Christianity can only be lived out in a community of genuine relationships. Our definition for community is “living for one another.” Therefore our key phrase at KCBL is ‘meaningful relationships.’

CAMPUS LIFE: Our campus life is a reflection of our ethos – meaningful relationships. This can be summarized in three words
 Worship (both individual and corporate), which involves a life of integrity and our chapel activities.
 Community, which involves Care groups, Bible Study, Retreats, Student Leadership, Games and sports, etc.
 Missions. This involves out reaches.

OUR SLOGAN: “Spiritual Leaders for a transformed Africa”

OUR VALUES:
1. Non Denominational
2. A Holistic Approach To Ministry
3. Emphasis On lay ministry
4. Practical spirituality
5. Meaningful relationships
6. Biblical approach to contemporary issues.

OUR PROGRAMS:
1. Christian Ministry
2. Theology (market place, biblical, sysmatic, spiritual etc)
3. Christian Leadership
4. School of Evangelism and Missions.
5. Biblical Counseling
6. Christian Music.
7. Early Childhood Education
8. Vocational Studies.
9. Developmental Studies
10. Journalism and Communication
11. Community Development
12. Information Technology
13. Family life

QUALIFICATIONS FOR ADMISSION
1. Must be born-again (recommendation form pastor or spiritual leader is a requirement.
2. Must be in active church or Christian ministry.
3. Certificate: Able to read and write English
4. Diploma: O’ Level with good credits.

PROGRAMS SO FAR

2006-05-28T21:16:00.000-07:00

Leadership Training Centers in Uganda and Kenya
Mobile Evangelism Centers
Tumaini Children Ministries
Campus Outreach Ministries
HIV/AIDS Support Center
Marriage Enrichment Ministry
Economic Empowerment
Lay leadership and ministry development

Ministry Profile

2006-05-18T14:32:00.000-07:00

Leadia exists to transform Africa.

Preamble

We believe that the church is the genesis of transformation that embraces the whole spectrum of life. It is a proactive arm of society with supernatural and natural resources to combat human encumbrances in order for the people of God to enjoy life as God intended.

The challenges in Africa and Uganda are to build internal native resource capacity to lead the efforts to eliminate, poverty, mortality, AIDS/HIV, illiteracy, unemployment, corruption, just to mention a few, to create the political, and the socio-economic stability.

At this point in time, Africa and Uganda are in need of, leadership models and institutional building, a biblical spirituality and worldview, meaningful relationships, resource development and acquisition, information accessibility, involvement, compassion and environmental conservation. At the pinnacle of all these is the quality of leadership.

Problem
There is lack of self-realization and actualization alias self-identity and dignity due to,
ideological, theological, sociological, educational, civic and leadership gaps.
Visible signs: Political instability, poverty, high infant mortality rate, HIV/AIDS, disease, low average life expectancy, high illiteracy rates, high unemployment rates, dependence, refuges (internal and external) corruption, social injustice, denominationalism, cults and nominalism.

VISION STATEMENT
“We exist to transform Africa to become a reflection of the Rein of God (kin-dom).”

PURPOSE STATEMENT
“To realize leaders of integrity with skillful hands impacting communities.”

Motto: Resource for excellent service.

Slogan: Spiritual Leaders for a transformed Africa.

OBJECTIVES
To preach the Gospel of the Kingdom of God so that people may know Christ and make Him known.
To create an environment that builds warm and mutual relationships
To teach and nurture exemplary and visionary leaders
To train and equip potential leaders with necessary and appropriate skills
To sensitize and develop capacity of leaders to generate and appropriate material resources
To provide relevant and adequate information

VALUES
The Bible, spirituality, relationship, leadership, resource development, involvement and compassion

GOALS (CRITICAL MEASURES OF TRANSFORMATION)
§ Health: Low Doctor to patient ratio, low infant mortality rate, high average life expectancy. Low cases of AIDS/HIV and malaria.
§ Education: An enlightened, responsible community.
§ Leadership: Exemplary, servant hood and visionary.
§ Production: Creation, management and multiplication of wealth.
§ Employment: Acquisition of wealth with dignity.
§ Spirituality: Discipled, pioneering, propagating and self-sustaining community (life style and culture)
§ Environment: Protect and conserve the environment

OUR HOPE
§ The Judeo-Christian worldview after the fall of humanity is that of deliverance and development.
§ These goals are inherent desires in every human being that underlie the essence& purpose of being
§ Man is a prisoner of hope and not tragedy
§ This is God’s purpose for man.
§ Time: man’s destination has always been a matter of time once realized and acted upon.