March 2026 Newsletter
What’s happening?
It’s been another eventful month around here.... although, who am I kidding, there’s always something going on making things eventful around here.
We continue to have an influx of new little kids coming to the streets of Jinja, most from pretty far away. We’ve taken more than 35 little kids back home this month, interviewed parents and village members and assessed if it was a safe situation. All but 4 had only left the day before showing up at our compound, and it was because someone told them Jinja is where the most “muzungus” (white people) give money out. This is a constant battle I fight around here, but we have many tourists and teams come through our town, since we have the source of the Nile River here and a few other touristy stops along the way. The 4 children who had been on the streets longer (2 for almost 2 years, 1 for over a year, and 1 for 3 years)also got home visits but we ended up taking them to primary boarding school, due to their situation. These 4 parents/caregivers had proven to us they filed police reports for missing children, did radio announcements trying to locate their children, and actually all 4 of the parents thought they were seeing ghosts when we showed up because they each thought their child was dead. We made a prayerful, urgent decision to step out in faith and take them to school with the agreement they’ll stay with parents on holidays. Things are never black and white here, there’s more of a gray area in general about everything we encounter. Each child has a story and a situation and we always seek the Lord’s guidance in every decision we make. We stepped out in faith to add 4 more kids to our boarding school list, because we believe God will continue to provide for them to continue their education journey after this term, which will change the trajectory of their entire lives.
March brings the middle of the first term of the 2026 school year, meaning we also had 3 school visitations this month. Most of our secondary guys are struggling a bit more this year with their courses and grades. Part of that is because they were out of school for over 3 months due to the Christmas holiday and elections and only 2 of them said they revised their books. Part of it is they are all in harder classes this year and are learning a new way of government standard for testing. We had counseling with all of the students and teachers and we expect grades to improve by end of term. First term back after a long holiday is always the hardest. Between getting back in routine and getting focused again, it’s a lot of readjustment. Some of our primary students are in the same boat, but then some of them are excelling already, especially the 4 newest ones we took 3 weeks into the term. One of our candidate students in Primary 7 is still maintaining the position in his class of being #1. We are so proud of him! He’s been #1 in his class since the 2nd term we took him to school, 4 years ago. We had a few pretty major issues to deal with at primary school, regarding teacher conduct, but after a meeting with the Headmaster, teachers, and school director, we pray it’s all sorted out now. General Ugandan school culture, even though it’s technically illegal, is to “cane/beat” students for anything and everything. This isn’t just a “paddling” as we know it, they literally beat students for speaking another language or not tucking in a uniform, in an aggressive and reckless manner, from head to toe, just wherever the stick hits . This has been a hard no for me since the beginning, again it is ILLEGAL here anyway, but recently we found out one of the teachers has been seeking out 1 student in particular every day to verbally abuse and beat, to the point he escaped school. Mama bear had to come out, yet again, and provide counseling of my own about trauma responses and history, not to mention showing the law of illegality, yet again. We pray this is resolved now and we don’t have any more issues.
We also got to go visit Edwin, my sweet little guy with special needs, at his new school. He’s doing amazing now since he has a 1:1 aid and classes appropriate for his learning disabilities. He’s such a little social butterfly that he is also now a head prefect (class leader) and is friends with everyone...most especially the cook! His teachers and headmaster had nothing but great things to say about him, which makes us so happy!!
On the way back from his school, my car started making a funny noise and the drive shaft broke. Always something happening with these old cars and bad roads! Thankfully we made it home safely and the mechanic got it replaced 2 days later, after getting the part from Kampala .
In the middle of all of this, I had one of the longest, most intense migraines I’ve ever had....13 days to be exact. I had to make multiple trips to the chiropractor, multiple IV infusions of a migraine cocktail an old ER doc taught me, and lots of labs, meds, heating pads, ice packs, and rest. Thankfully as I write this, it’s gone, but it was a really rough 2 weeks for sure!
There’s still more happening!
Some super exciting things are happening though.....Morris got accepted into Nursing school and will start in July!!! We are so very proud of him!!! This brings a much larger school expense for him since it’s a professional level course and has more expensive requirements as well. We are looking at roughly $1000 per semester ($2000 per year) vs the $250 per term ($750 per year) he required in Secondary school. He will remain in boarding school throughout the 2.5 year program, only coming home for a 3 week holiday between the 2 terms and a 5 week holiday at Christmas. Every term we have to pay for national testing and starting 2nd term he will also be required to pay for his clinical placement, which can be located anywhere in Uganda. Meaning we have to pay room and board plus transport for those, as well, apart from the general clinical fees. We are crossing into new ground with this type of program, but if anyone feels led to help Morris in this journey of further education, please reach out to me! We know his journey isn’t over yet, and having one of our boys work for us as a nurse will also be another huge milestone and benefit for the ministry in the future!
Kenneth, our S6 candidate who was the last to receive scores, finally got his results as well! He scored #1 over all at his school, and he was also #2 in the district where the school is located, which is quite large! We are also so very proud of him! He worked so hard to get these scores! Kenneth wants to do an agricultural innovation program for his further education. University programs, after S6, start in August, so we are actively looking at options for where he can go for the program he wants and weighing our options for the best possible scenario for him. Until that time he will continue coming to our daily programs and working in the evenings to help his family at home. His program will also be significantly pricier than his secondary level was, since it’s University, so we are also actively asking for someone to help him also further his education.
Both of these young men have worked so hard to get where they are now. They had a lot to give up and a lot to change over the last 4.5 years that they’ve been with Experience Hope, but we are seeing such a beautiful new life unfold each and every day with them both. We are now seeing full circle rehabilitation moments in several young men. As they change, grow, and advance in skillset/learning, they soon will be able to be self sustaining on their own, something they had given up on, long ago. Education is not only a great tool to help someone get off the street, it’s also instilling a positive and successful future for these young men.
As we grow, as we learn, as we continue to find our way forward with each and every young man we work with, will you please continue to pray about how you can be a part of what’s happening here in Uganda. I’ve seen growth, change, and hope come back into so many lives, and each day proves that the work is not even close to being finished. The longer I’m here, the more new guys come to the streets, from near and far. It’s a vicious, and sometimes exhausting cycle, but God continues to pave a way for us and for them. My team and I can’t do any of this without prayer and financial support from others. But, I assure you, lives are being changed for the better, daily.
What’s to come?
We are still actively looking for land, but there’s nothing available in town, where we have to be, currently. However, we are also now even more urgently looking for a new rental space for the time being. The new landlord of the current project house has allowed us to stay while we continue looking for another safe housing spot in town, although we aren’t finding anything available right now. However, he’s also raised our rent significantly while we are still occupying the place, and it’s not worth the price at all and much over budget. Specifics we need for a new place are as follows: a gated/walled secure compound, within central Jinja town, safe structure, minimum of 2 rooms and a living room space. Otherwise, we are very flexible. We don’t need fancy, we just need safe, secure, and convenient to the young men we work with and the bodas who drop them at our gate in emergent situations.
April entails our normal Bible studies, feeding programs and medical care as needed, until our students all come home for 1st term break the last week of the month. As we continue to have an influx of new boys, we are really focused on doing home visits as soon as possible with any living relative and trying to get to the bottom of the why’s and how's and what role we need to play in rehoming or schooling. This is an all hands on deck project and a lot of driving all over Uganda searching for family in the meantime.
April 8th also marks 5 years since I came to Uganda full time! What an adventure it’s been! I’ve been looking back over pictures and journal entries through the years and so many things have happened, both good and bad. But, at the end of the day, God has truly changed so many lives of so many young men I’ve encountered along the way. Hearts have been softened, lives have been surrendered to Christ, businesses have been born, education is ongoing and constantly growing. So many lives have been saved via medical care or emergency surgery. Some have taken that opportunity to totally change their lives, and some are still struggling with friends and influences they’re not ready to walk away from yet. Almost every day a new young man walks through our gate for hope in something and in that moment they get to meet Jesus in a new way. I’m humbled and honored to be a part of what God is doing here. It’s not easy most days, as a matter of fact some days it seems impossible, but God continues to grow me, stretch me, and teach me, as I step where he leads, with each and every situation He brings.
Thank you
Thank YOU! Thank you for praying for us and with us! Thank you for donating, so that we can provide the great needs to these young men, that otherwise aren’t available to them.
Thank you to the seed sowers who have donated to help us purchase land soon, and we would be ever so grateful if others feel led to also give toward this great need so that we can purchase outright and not have a loan to pay. Prices have drastically increased over the last couple of years, but we know our time is near.
Thank you to those who donate to help us keep our boys in school, and add new students every year. Something that the students and families have given up on because of the great expense, but something so important to better increase sustainability in the community and lives of these young men..
Thank you to those who give faithfully to help us continue to do daily bible studies and feeding projects, keep boys housed, and provide both basic and life saving medical care for each and every street connected child/young adult we encounter.
These seemingly simple acts of love are life changing for the guys we work with. They now have a hope and a future in Jesus and in life in general, and for that we are grateful.
Reuniting at home visits
Admission into Nursing School for Morris!
Packing school cases for 4 new students mid term
A sweet birthday brunch on the Nile to celebrate our friend
We have a new wall of spiders forming on the compound!
Max and I both struggled with a 13 day migraine! He was so sad the whole time I was down.
School visitations
These are 3 of the 7 water filters on my house that I clean weekly and change monthly. Our water is disgusting here!
Max’s new favorite seat in the house...on my shoulder like a bird
Drive shaft repair/always something with these old cars and bad roads
Primary Visitation
We encourage parents to come for Visitation days also
Some of secondary VD
New littles ready for their first day of school
Beautiful Nile River views
How can you help?
Prayer requests:
URGENT NEED: Safe, secure, convenient project house, as soon as possible!
Prayers for wisdom with all of the new influx of children we are encountering on the streets and at the project, daily.
Pray for God to continue to give us wisdom and resources to help the many many medical cases we continue to have dropped at our gate. For both physical and spiritual healing for the boys and strength to not go back to the streets
Prayers that God puts the best fit of land/housing for the best price in our path, with no legal issues along the way so we can have our permanent ministry home.
Pray for all of our students for health and wisdom as they are at school, and for them to make wise choices to keep their opportunities.
Pray for more seed sowers who can help partner with us to do the work that GOD has called us to. It’s only by HIS will that we are here doing what we are doing and we need financial partners to do this work. Tangible things such as a safe room, food, school fees, and medical care show these young men that they’re not given up on, like so many people here tell them. Education and Medical are typically our biggest expenses and both are life changing for these young men.
How is God calling you to partner with us?
Through prayer? Through financial giving? We believe that even as just one of these young men changes, there’s many more ready to start a new life also, due to the testimony of the one. God calls some of us to go, some of us to stay, some of us to give and some of us to pray. Where do you fit in? Please consider joining us in bringing hope and healing to these precious young men! So many in their community have given up on them, but we know that God has called them to more!
TAX DEDUCTIBLE CHECKS mailed to:
GoSendMe Global
PO Box 913106
Sherman, TX 75091
(Make checks out to “GoSendMe Global” and include a note with the check- but not written directly on the check- that it is for me, Tara Henson, Uganda)
VENMO: @Tara-Henson-1
PAYPAL: @TaraHenson
ZELLE: thens1213@gmail.com
How to Connect
EMAIL: thens1213@gmail.com
Isaiah 1:17 (CSB)
“Learn to do what is good.
Pursue justice.
Correct the oppressor.
Defend the rights of the fatherless. Plead the widow’s cause.”
