EKISA

What is EKISA?

In 2007, Grace Community Church established the EKISA team to focus on building a partnership with an indigenous Ugandan organization known at the time as AIDS Orphan Education Trust (AOET). The vision for Ekisa (which means "Grace" in the Lugandan language) is to work with fellow Christ-followers in another part of the world to glorify the name of God by serving the poor, the sick and the inderprivileged. That vision persists today in the following four areas:

We are heavily invested in promoting and supporting Child Sponsorship, buidling mutually beneficial relationships with AOET staff members, and providing financial support to AOET projects.

We want to use our know-how in business and project management to help AOET provide care for the poor and those affected by HIV/AIDS.

We want to use what we learn from partnering with AOET to foster an awareness for the needs and rights of the underprivileged right here in Baltimore and Washington through community events.

We want to share out enthusiasm for supporting AOET by providing training and guidance for mission teams and building community through discipleship-oriented community gatherings.

The team consists of a board of volunteers who provide overall direction on these goals and a growing group of volunteers who take on specific tasks thoughout the year. As with any ground-breaking ministry, building this partnership is both challenging and rewarding, and we hope it will grow and transform communities both in Howard County and Uganda.

Who is AOET?

AOET, recently renames Action for Empowerment, is a larger organization than the team we deal with in Uganda - it has grown in 10 years into five African nations. But, EKISA's focusing on the AOET Uganda missionsis a good place to start. AOET does many things, but our partnership focuses on these components of their overall vision:

Heathcare - increase the supply of medicine; build new centers to serve the community, and raise the visibility of AOET with USAID (a source of funds for AOET).

Improve Child Welfare through Child Sponsorship, operate state of the art schools, and manage the Children's Village - a neighborhood of single family homes made available to families who adopt and support orphans.

Empower orphan caregivers by operating income generating centers of commerce, developing and cultivating pastor networks, providing leadership development through the pastor network.

Our counterparts at AOET are eager to learn more about western business processes and to gain greater support from churches in America. But, it doesn't take much time in interacting with AOET to learn more of God's grace and mercy working with the staff and volunteers of AOET.

What Can I Do Today?

Sponsor a Child for $35/month. Or contact Bonnie for more information.

Join the EKISA prayer team. You will receive weekly updates by email to join with the team on Mondays at 9pm in prayer.

Serve on the EKISA team. Use your gifts to serve the Grace body and AOET~Uganda.

Learn more and apply for the Child Sponsorship Short-Term Team in November.