History of ACT

The most frequent question that gets asked about ACT is, "How did all this start?" Follow this link to a short video that describes the beginning of ACT.  The text below provides additional information.

It all began in the spring of 2003, when Richard and Generous Turinawe (now living in the capital city of Kampala, Uganda), sent out fifty handwritten letters to individuals and  agencies around the world requesting a partnership to help the communities in Muko sub-county where they had grown up.  Generous, who was a teacher, said that she used to have sad experiences seeing orphaned children suffer and live a miserable life in the midst of others. She said she had a dream that God was calling her to serve Him by starting a ministry that can benefit the most disadvantaged people and that compelled her to form what would result in ACT (Agape Community Transformation) which operates in Muko Sub-County -Kabale District.

It is a rural, very poor area in the very southwest corner of Uganda.   From those original handwritten letters, they received one response from a woman, Sue Waechter, of Midland, Michigan, who operates a consulting business assisting non-profit agencies in strategic planning.  Cooperation began, resulting in John and Sue Waechter eventually visiting Uganda in the fall of 2006.  A major purpose of this first trip was to present an ambulance which had been purchased by donations at Memorial Presbyterian Church in Midland, as well as to meet people in the area and begin developing relationships.

ACT Michigan is a registered non-profit charity  comprised of various churches and their members.  There is a board of directors both in Michigan and Uganda and 8 teams to carry out the programmatic work.

Sue Waechter is the Director of ACT Michigan. Lynn Pottenger is the Chairperson of the Board, John Waechter is the Secretary and John Parsons serves as Treasurer.  Generous Turinawe is Director of ACT Uganda.  Charles Tuhaise is a Principal Research Officer at the parliament of Uganda and is Chairperson of the Board.  Father Bruno Byomuhangi is Vice Chair.   Josiah Nankunda is a teacher and secretary of the Board.  Julius Kyarikunda is an Anglican minister and serves as Treasurer.

In the year following this initial visit, two major efforts were begun.  As we all realize, HIV/AIDS is a disease that is prevalent in many areas of Africa, including Uganda.  There are many orphans in Muko sub-county whose parents (one or both) have died from HIV/AIDS.  Seventy of these orphans have been taken in by relatives or other families.  ACT has identified sponsors in Michigan who have agreed to provide financial assistance to a specific child.  ACT Uganda staff members see that they receive supplies for school, clothing, monitor the home setting periodically, provide other items such as mattresses and mosquito nets and generally try to improve conditions for these orphans.  In 2009, the orphans began attending better schools and the tuition was covered by their sponsors.

As part of a second program called Muko Empowerment Program (MEP), there is a group of women (some infected with HIV/AIDS) in Muko who create beautiful handmade baskets and jewelry.  We have assisted with bringing shipments of these items to the US where they can sell at substantially better prices than the local market in Uganda.  Proceeds help to insure care and medications for this group of women and additional profit realized goes back into the program for building a better facility and for training.

In early 2008, there was a second trip to Uganda by a team of seven people from Memorial Presbyterian Church and St. John’s Episcopal Church.  A major accomplishment on this visit was the installation of three solar panels and a vaccine refrigerator at the Ikamiro Health Clinic.  These panels allow refrigeration for medicines and vaccines at the clinic.  These panels are the sole source of electrical power in the village.

During the latter part of 2008, an effort was initiated to provide a source of fresh fruits and vegetables for families in the Muko region.  Hope Seeds is an organization based in Florida that provides seed packets to a variety of areas in the world including Haiti and Uganda.  They provided two hundred packets of seeds for crops such as tomatoes, watermelon, radishes, turnips and more.

At about the same time, a laptop was sent over for the ACT staff to use in their work for caring for the orphans.  Previously all paperwork had to be done by hand.  This will greatly facilitate their work for the programs they oversee.  Additionally, bicycles and other goods were sent to the volunteers who support ACT by being the communication links (since there are no phones or newspapers.)  Transportation is such an obstacle in accomplishing many things in the area.  The terrain is extremely hilly with limited roads.  People are spread out over large distances and walking is the common way of getting from one place to another.  Simple means of transportation such as the bicycles will ease the burden of making visits to those who need help.

This is currently the history of ACT along with some of its major accomplishments.  You can learn more about what's happening with ACT by reading about some of our Ongoing Programs.