Every end of year Stars Ministry Uganda (SMU) celebrates both our volunteers, the children, and their families. This is done in two different functions. Previously, we would celebrate with the Stars (children with disabilities) at the Day Care and Learning Center,
together with the Stars’ parents sharing Christmas gifts with their children, while SMU prepares a special Christmas meal. We would have music, dance, and many other fun activities. The year 2020 was different due to COVID-19. A lot of our ministry activities were
disrupted by the COVID-19 lockdown, restrictions in numbers and movements, and by the daily curfew. It was not business as usual. Nevertheless, SMU still went ahead to organize and celebrate Christmas with our Stars, their caregivers, and the staff.

For the Stars, SMU had four of our staff deliver a gift from SMU to each of the Stars at home. We couldn’t have all of them together at the Center for a Christmas celebration.

SMU purchased a special Christmas gift for each Star, depending on the child’s need. “The Stars were very happy to receive a gift” reported the SMU Director. “We had to explain to the Stars why we couldn’t have a big party as always”, she added. This was our unique way of having a Merry COVID-19 Christmas! The SMU staff/volunteers Christmas celebration was held away from our premises. It’s always a special day characterized with gift exchanging. Each person picks a name and
prepares a gift for that person. The gift is then handed to the person they picked as a pleasant surprise, at the Christmas party. Preparations for Christmas and end of year celebration start in January of each year. SMU staff/volunteers have a savings group where they keep away some little money in preparation for celebration and personal emergencies, among other things. It is part of these savings that SMU staff and volunteers share, in the form of gift items to the person they randomly picked.