I think the Mother Kevin program is wonderful, and I am happy to have found out about the program.  I personally don't like to just 'throw money' at charities. I like to know where my money is going and how it is being spent.  And I also like to have some type of personal experience that lets me know I'm making a Real difference in someone else's life.  This is why I sent my original e-mail asking for more information on Ritah, our sponsor child, and the program. I was led to CARITAS in my search for some type of charitable program that would allow my family to offer help to children in Africa.  I have a strong desire to teach my own children about the world around them, especially children in other countries who are much less privileged than they are.  I agreed to donate to the Mother Kevin program with hopes of establishing some type of relationship with a child who did not remain nameless or unknown.
      I want my children to become actively involved in this experience and hopefully over time come to learn more about our sponsor child and their homeland in Africa. My children are young and this is when their desire to help others blossoms and grows. It is my hope that when they are adults, they will seek out programs like CARITAS on their own, with a deep-rooted desire to help others around the world.

Cindy J. Naperville, Illinois
Sponsor family
Mother Kevin CARITAS Program

A message from Reverend Sister
Immaculate Nabukalu, LSOSF
Headmistress,
Stella Maris Boarding Primary School
Nsuube Nkokonjeru,
Uganda, East Africa

Dear Sisters and Brothers and friends of CARITAS:

It always gives me a lot of joy to be availed an opportunity to proclaim to the whole world what CARITAS For Children has done for us.

It all started in 2002 when the Lord opened the door to the poor, disadvantaged and orphaned children of Nkokonjeru Parish. It was a prayer answered when our first child by the name of Prossy joined Stella Maris on the CARITAS Programme. You should have been around to witness the joy that she had to be in school and to know that someone cares.

Little did we know that it was the beginning of smiles, joy and hope for those children who didn’t see any meaning in life. Little did I know that our partnership with CARITAS was going to be a source of joy and a true, pure and admirable manifestation of love to the children who have been denied parental love by the cruel pangs of death.

Poverty combined with lack of love brings a lot of anxiety, hopelessness and depression to the orphans. As one young Californian volunteer working in Nkokonjeru parish observed the situation and commented: “What we have here is a state of emergency. We need to call in rescue workers.” What she termed as emergency is the situation under which the Little Sisters work on daily a basis. Orphaned children yearning for food, clothing, education, love, name it.

It is on this note that I hail the CARITAS’ Programme for coming in to rescue the situation. Working together with CARITAS has made life worth living for the children. Not only that, it has made my work as a religious more fulfilling. CARITAS has shown us love and facilitated us to carry out our apostolate with joy and satisfaction. They have made me more dedicated to my religious calling. It is such a fulfilling and joyous experience to look at children who were once miserable are but now happy, opening up and enjoying life.

We are on the ground, we see what is to be done but we lack the resources and facilitation to be able to do it. Caritas for Children was very timely. We as the Little Sisters wouldn’t have been able to do what we are doing now without the generous hand of Caritas.

Without Caritas we would never have been able to get the sponsors. Nobody would have brought our cause to this side of the world. The world has become so small. The children are in close touch with their “parents” as they call them. The parents love their children and the children feel loved and they love back.

However, the struggle is only beginning. There are thousands of these children still in the villages. Now that they know me, they keep coming to me to tell me their stories. It is such a sad experience for a child to cry and beg me to include her on the programme. Yet without the help of Caritas, the sponsors and other good hearted people, I cannot take the children on board.

It is on this note that I appeal to the kind hearted people to join us in this struggle to take care of the orphaned children around and among us.

I thank you all and pray to God to bless you.

Sr. Immaculate Nabukalu, LSOSF