TENDER MERCIES
Tender Mercies Home
AIDSPIRIT USA continues to provide support, compassion, and resources for the Kayunga District in Uganda. On this page you'll learn about our beginning, daily life at Tender Mercies, you'll hear children in interviews speak about their experiences and more. So check back often or sign up for notifications when we add new content. Volunteer with AIDSPIRIT USA and you can be part of the travel team who visits Tender Mercies annually.
Where is the Kayunga District in Uganda?
Kayunga District is a district Central Uganda. It is named after its chief town, Kayunga.
District headquarters Kayunga in lies approximately 74 kilometres (46 mi) northeast of Kampala. Check out this Google Map for more details
In the Beginning
Since 2009, the Chairman of AIDSpirit USA, Tom Jacques and his wife Jean have traveled to Uganda 12 times with a team from the U.S. to support the children we are sponsoring and the many projects that have been initiated in support of the Tender Mercies Home. Since those early years (and with the help of our generous donors and friends), AIDSPIRIT USA has been able to:
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Move the children from a tiny two room building to the Tender Mercies home which for most of them was the first time they had a bed of their own.
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Drill 8 new water wells and Restore 6 abandoned water wells,
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Erect a security fence around the home to prevent children from being abducted and further abused.
We Began to Grow
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Provide a safe home, a family, and an education for over 70 vulnerable children.
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Conduct dozens of medical clinics and provide medicine for over 1000 children with Sickle Cell Anemia, as well as vision clinics complete with eyeglasses.
The demand for a larger space was immediately apparent with 19 children living in this small 2 room building which led the members of AIDSPIRIT who visited Uganda in 2009 to lobby friends, family, and others to build a new Tender Mercies home suitable to meet this need.
Our First Home
Tender Mercies is now home to over 40 permanent children and multiple children who have been temporarily placed in our home by the local magistrate.
Our New Home
Providing Safety
In 2015 the members of the Montana District Key Club raised the funds need to build a security fence around our Tender Mercies home. In building this fence, we have been able to provide a safe environment for our children to continue to grow and thrive in their educational endeavors.
AIDSpirit USA is in the beginning stages of creating a permaculture farming project that will help our Tender Mercies Home attain agricultural sustainability. This project will include cows, pigs, chickens, fish, and other livestock which in addition to milk, meat and eggs will produce waste by-products to fertilize the more than 5,000 pineapples, 800 banana trees, hundreds of coffee plants, 2 acres of corn and other crops that we recently planted.
This permaculture project will also provide permanent employment for some of our developmentally challenged children as well as other children with a passion for farming.
Growing Sustainability
As our work continues to grow, we look for future opportunities to make an impact in similar communities across Uganda. AIDSPIRIT remains committed to raising the funds needed to provide a quality education, clean water, medicine, and a safe home for orphaned, abandoned, and other vulnerable children who need our love and support. With your help we can make these goals a reality.