When God Multiplied One Volunteer Moment!
Have you ever wondered what can come out of one volunteering moment? It is true, God takes our small efforts and turns them into big things, often beyond our imagination.
On one of the working days, Sylvia, the Executive Director of Stars Ministries Uganda (SMU) was stuck, needing a driver for the Stars’ Van. Stars are the people with disabilities that SMU serves. The SMU driver had quit without notice. The only person that came to mind was Mr. Rogers Ssekirime, because of his manual transmission driving skills. Sylvia called Rogers to come and volunteer for this one day and he accepted to come and drive the Stars for that day.
As Sylvia and Rogers drove around, picking the Stars from their homes and dropping them off at the Stars Day Care and Learning Center, they met a mother of a child with disabilities, whose child was not part of SMU, at one of the pick-up points. In tears, she asked if her little Star could join the others at Stars Day Care and Learning Center. As the teary mom told her story, Rogers was so touched and asked: “Sylvia, is this what it means? I need to do something about this”, he added.
Rogers is a founding member of Zawadi Band, a gospel singing and performing group around Kampala, in Uganda. “Zawadi” is a Swahili word meaning gift. Rogers says that they started Zawadi Band, to provide a platform for gifted Christian musicians to use their talents in service to God.
Rogers called Sylvia on the evening that he had volunteered as a driver, to share a vision of a Charity Concert that he had conceived, to raise funds towards supporting the Stars Ministry. In the days that followed the simple driving effort, Rogers led his team in preparations, publicity, and collaboration with other supporting institutions, to deliver a successful Charity Concert event on July 1st, 2018. The City Church, Luzira, was very gracious in not only hosting the event but encouraging the church members to participate at the event.
All the proceeds raised from the Zawadi Charity Concert will go towards supporting SMU. Rogers and the Zawadi Band team feel this is one way they can use their talents to serve God. The SMU team, on the other hand, feel this was a miracle, a blessing from God, an answer to many prayers for financial support. The SMU team also believed that the event was an affirmation from God, of His care and provision for the Stars and SMU.
The Zawadi Charity concert raised funds worth four months of rent for Stars Day Care and Learning Center, and one month of transportation cost for picking up and dropping off Stars at their homes.
The SMU Team appreciates very much, the Zawadi Band and The City Church, Luzira for supporting the Stars.
We are still in awe of God, for what He can do. God, indeed, takes our small efforts and turns them into big things, beyond our imagination. Volunteer with SMU today, or leave a small gift for the Stars, God will multiply it.