We are so excited to share the news that we are now an organization called Saint Francis Ministries under which the St Francis de Sales School for the Deaf will be operated! Through this change Saint Francis Ministries and the Saint Francis School are positioned to grow as much as God wills. While the Saint Francis School for the Deaf will remain the main focus, this enables Saint Francis Ministries to look towards the future and establish and enhance more far-reaching and beneficial programs such as our expanding Young Adult program. If you’re interested in making a donation, visit our donation page.
One of the first and most exciting steps Saint Francis Ministries is taking as an organization is creating a new location for the St Francis School for the Deaf near Paidha, Uganda. We were blessed by God through Bishop Wanok, the bishop of the Nebbi Diocese, with 23 prime acres of land for the new location. Once the details are confirmed and contractors have been found we will start fundraising for the construction of a school that will house and educate 300 deaf students. This school will be the first and the largest Deaf school in all of the West-Nile region of Uganda. A truly blessed and fantastic development we are ecstatic to share with you!
As mentioned before, our Young Adult program has been expanding. Through the blessings of God and donor sponsorship, there are now four students above the age of 16 that Saint Francis Ministries has been able to provide a quality secondary education for at the Wakiso Secondary School for the Deaf in Uganda’s capital city Kampala. Along with this we have 6 other young adults that have been hired to be a part of the Saint Francis de Sales School for the Deaf’s staff as cooks and gardeners. Through their employment Saint Francis Ministries has been able to empower these young adults with financial responsibility and working skills through jobs that would otherwise be unavailable to them in the village. While working at the school these young adults are also in contact with our younger students who, for the first time in many of their lives, have other Deaf to look up to as role models. Saint Francis Ministries hopes that through this young adult program, these gifted young adults, their friendships, and their prime examples we can help cultivate a supportive Deaf community reflective of Christ’s unwavering love for all of humanity.
Finally, as you may have noticed, we’ve updated our website! Please have a look around! We’ve updated everything to provide a more user-friendly and engaging experience. If you’d like to start your exploration of the updated site, try starting at our brand new homepage!