Ethiopia

We’re working a few hours south of Addis in a place called Nazret which at this time we are fully running and caring for an aids orphanage (it does not mean that the children have aids, but they orphaned due to aids from the parents).

We have also in this area built a school from the foundations up, which is actually being used for the children at this time, and along with that, we do a feeding program of about 165 children per day.

Our upcoming project for Ethiopia is that we’re building a new orphanage that will have a restaurant and a bakery with it, where the children can learn a trade as well. This orphanage will be used for children mainly from the age of 13 or 14 years old up.

(Copies of the orphanage blueprint coming soon)

Uganda

Most people know that we’ve been working in Uganda for several years.

We have one home in Kampala where we have 15 children from south Sudan are being schooled, and along with that, we support the school in the Kampala area.

We feed over 770 children per day, and this feeding program has been going on for nearly 6 years.

We also have a home in Gulu where we have children that we have had this base for over a decade and we house approximately 15 children at this base as well.

All of these children are being school in Uganda being educated in Uganda for one of our upcoming projects, we’re building a 4 storey building in Kampala, which this orphanage one of the floors will be used for older children who are going to universities.

And the rest of the building will be used to generate money as well as to teach trades to these children.

A restaurant, a supermarket, a salon, and hotel rooms on one of the floors which will be rented out.

So it’s not just about education, it’s about teaching a trade to these children for the years to come.

Everyone knows our 3rd country is Sudan where we have had an ongoing project for the last 15 years.

In Another Man’s War, follow Sam Childers’s remarkable transformation from violent thug to a man of faith, and his ongoing battle to save children in one of the world’s most lawless areas.

Click here to get your copy

Click this link to see the exclusive short of the MGP documentary

The true story of Pennsylvanian (USA) biker Sam Childers, who overcame a life of drugs and violence to embrace Christianity and wage a 13 year war to free enslaved child in Northern Uganda and Southern Sudan, Africa.

Stay tuned for a FINAL release date of this powerful documentary

Click this link to find out more

In hindsight, the journey to Darfur was equal parts exhilarating, daunting and horrifying.

Leaving the relative safety of the orphanage at Nimule we didn’t know what to expect, although we had considered that this journey could be our last.  The particular region we intended to visit had been off-limits for years and anarchistic rebel forces continued to destabilise the area.

We made slow progress, mostly due to the wet season turning the roads into a coarse muddy soup that threatened to swallow our vehicles.  On either side of the sea of dirt, thick stems of green grass burst from the earth to tower above our heads.  The growth formed a beautiful natural wall on either side of the road but also provided the cattle rustlers and bandits who tried to rob us with acres of cover.  In the end though, circumstances always seemed to tip in our favour (it may have had something to do with all the guns) and we made it to our target. 

We scouted the border and discovered that the other NGOs had abandoned the area.  We visited regions without fresh water, watched hundreds of orphans scamper the streets in search of food, and passed thousands of squalid shanties that appeared to have been hit by a tornado.  Such was the devastation.

As we made to leave, we spotted a corpse beside the road: the body of an elderly woman. I distinctly remember looking at her hands.  Her fingers clutched at the dirt as though somehow, if she could have just held on to the bare earth, she might have lived. 

And then she moved.

We sprang from the vehicle, bundled her emaciated body into the back of the tray and sped toward the local medical centre.  We carried her into the shallow building, where the reek of defeat and lack of hope crushed against our chests like a slab of grief, and laid her on an empty gurney.  The well-fed doctor arrived, diagnosed her with cerebral malaria and gave her an IV injection that saved her life.

The doctor was administering the last scraps of medicine left behind two years ago by a retreating NGO.  We had no medication to give him but promised to do what we could.  We pushed on, thinking that we had seen the worst this region could offer.

But Turalei was worse.  As we entered the town we were greeted by a toothless madwoman who cackled and beat at her chest.  It was an ominous display of the human misery we would soon encounter. 

Within a few minutes we knew this town was in bad, bad shape.  Villagers were eating mud and drinking sewage to survive.  Haggard adults, more bone than flesh, limped across the carcass of earth to beg us for food. 

We stayed overnight, helped the people we could and shot some video to ensure that we could raise the funds to return.  And then we left.

We began to fight towards home, only this time we took another route and were soon surrounded by stranded vehicles and tractor-trailers that had fallen sideways to be swallowed by the earth.  We passed an airliner that had crashed in a paddock, shot Hyenas that were harassing local villagers and drove through bandit territory in the dead of night.  We made it through but the guy ahead of us wasn’t so lucky: he was shot and killed as he struggled to guide his van in the sludge.

By this stage our Mitsubishi L200 King Cabs were beginning to disintegrate.  We had lost the braking system on one truck and were reliant on gears alone to slow us down.  The other vehicle was also plagued with problems.  In the end, we had to drive slower and slower just to keep the cars on the road.

As we neared Nimule we began to relax but we weren’t out of danger yet.  We rounded a corner and hurtled in a tribal clash between the Acholi and Madi tribes.  4,000 fighters, armed with pangas (machetes), rudimentary bows, spears and clubs, stormed back and forth looking for someone to fight.  In amongst the drunks I saw an elderly man poised for battle and a young woman with a bow in her hand and a baby slung across her back.  As the situation escalated we had no choice but to lock and load.  Shots were fired and we drove through the screaming remnants of the volatile mob.  Luckily, no one was killed.  We rolled down the range, careful to stay in low gear lest we plummet off the side of the mountain, and snuck back into Nimule.  The Children’s Village, an oasis of safety in a country at war with itself, welcomed us with open arms.

Building a Brighter Future

The Children’s Village

The Children’s Village is currently home to 200 orphans, but over 1000 kids have been housed and educated by the project in the last 13 years. The village isn’t much to look at, just a modest collection of dormitories, a rudimentary Church, a school and a kitchen, but by Sudanese standards it’s a stately home. It even has its own soccer ground (last year, the Children’s Village team were the best in the district!).

A dedicated group of Sudanese staff oversee the day to day operation of the orphanage, many of whom are orphans or widows themselves. The security detail is also Sudanese, and these tireless SPLA (Sudanese People’s Liberation Army) combat veterans patrol the grounds 24 hours a day.

Building a Stronger Community

Raising Infrastructure in War Ravaged Villages

Unfortunately, the situation in Southern Sudan has continued to decline despite the 2005 ceasefire. Most of the people in this region live on less than US$1 a day and don’t have access to clean water, food, medicine and basic bathing and toilet facilities.

In addition to the 1,200 meals a day provided free to the citizens of Nimule, AOEA has also assisted the greater Southern Sudanese population by operating a mobile clinic, transporting food to the SPLA frontlines and raising infrastructure to provide electricity and running water in remote villages.

Continuing the Fight

Rescuing Children from Hostile Forces

Although the Second Sudanese War technically ended in 2005, Southern Sudan is still plagued by militant rebel groups, bandits and slave traders. In fact, it’s estimated that 10,000 children and young adults were abducted into slavery in the last five years.

The infamous Lord’s Resistance Army also continue to raid the western regions of Southern Sudan, capturing, enslaving and torturing children who are forced to repeat the cycle of violence as child soldiers. As long as these threats exist, the Machine Gun Preacher will continue to lead the SPLA deep into enemy territory and fight to bring the children home.

Making a Difference

How Can You Help?

There are many ways you can help. First and foremost, you can raise awareness by telling your friends, family and social networks about the Machine Gun Preacher cause. You can also buy some of our merchandise and wear it in public to raise our profile (the money you spend will also go to the cause). If you prefer, you can also make a donation by clicking here. For those of you that like to get a little more hands on, why not consider joining one of our regular mission trips to Nimule, Southern Sudan. That way, you can see our projects for yourself and become an active agent of change!

Travelling Information with Angels of East Africa

Travelling info to Uganda and South Sudan, Africa.

If you are interested in coming on a trip to help in the work that MGP is doing in Uganda and Southern Sudan please look at the following
information: When travelling It is recommended that you check with your travel doctor before making any arrangements.

• Affidavit of Purpose
• Background Check Questionnaire
• Confidential Ministry Application
• Medical Form
• Mission Trip Application
• Mission Trip Brochure