Building Hope for Kisiizi Orphans

As many of you know (or don't know) my husband, Jason Beaver, made a trip during 2013 to Uganda with "Mercer on a Mission".  He and several other students worked for a month on improving water and sanitation in certain areas, one of them being Kisiizi. This is where our journey begins.

The man above is Akatwijuka Simon, and I am proud to call him a friend.  Simon runs the Kisiizi Good Shepherd Orphanage and School. It is in a remote location in Kisiizi accessable only by a long walk up the mountain on foot.  Jason and some of his team had the priveledge of meeting Simon and all the children at the Orphanage. While there, they were exposed first-hand to their way of life and how these children survive day to day, thanks to Simon and his helpers.
Above you see Jason, Simon, some of the other teachers and team members, as well as some of the children.

Since Jason returned home, Simon has also become my friend. He often shares photos and stories of the children's progress and successes. To get an education they must persevere in their studies as any other child must, only without many of the luxuries we take for granted in other countries. Their school is a simple structure no bigger than one of our living rooms and can hold up to 50 kids.
They use wood benches, as seen above, to study their subjects and praise God with song! Simon and his helpers care for and teach these children the best they can, but often without the basic necessities. They rely upon donations of soap, clothing,food, and school supplies. He stresses cleanliness, hard work, and gratitude to God daily to the children.

Simon is currently working on building a new school in the same location, but one that is built with bricks and made to withstand the elements. These children often take their lessons underneath trees outside or crowded together in one of the small rooms in the older school. There are apx 260 children being cared for at the orphanage.
Simon has begun contruction, but it is a VERY slow process. The majority of his funds go to the everyday needs of the children. We are seeking funds to pay for bricking materials so that he can continue building his school. Hence the name Building Hope!!
Here we see the foundations for the new school classrooms and some of the materials already accumulated.
They are working very hard towards building this new school, and any donations are so greatly appreciated! It is one thing to hear about people and places in need on our everyday media, but when you know someone personally it starts to hit home. Anything donated will go directly towards building these children a better education and life!

This is a photo of the children playing, wait for it... not "duck, duck, goose!" but "cat, cat, Lion!"

You may get updates through GoFundMe.com or Simon's Facebook page. If any of you belong to churches or organizations that are interested in assisting beyond this please feel free to contact me, Shaya Beaver through GoFundMe or Simon at [email redacted] but any and all donations are humbly accepted.
Simon is truly doing God's work and has expressed that he cherishes his friendship with us! We recently sent him an American flag, which he requested, to be raised at the school to symbolize our friendship.  Thanks to all who took the time to read this and empathize with our journey to help Simon and all the children at the Kisiizi Good Shepherd Orphanage and School. The amount we are requesting is only 10% of the total needed, and again all proceeds go directly for building materials!
Thank you all again and may God continue to bless you!