Emily was the inspiration to help raise funds to build the school after she was diagnosed with cancer
The dark days…
Fighting back…
Defying medical advice and showing great courage she travelled to Uganda and spent 4 months as a volunteer to help improve the lives of street children in Jinja. Later she returned to Uganda for 5 months whereupon she met Martin Duhimbaze, a social worker, in Rukungiri, with a vision to save orphaned children from the terrors of living on the streets without provision or protection.
Emily still stayed closely in contact with Martin sharing his vision and although she wasn’t able to stay in Uganda she returned to England determined to encourage her family and friends to support Martin’s efforts. When she learned that he had rescued 8 children and was trying to start a school with accommodation to remove them from danger and give them a chance in life she persuaded more people to sponsor these children. Then there were 8 now there are over 120 with many of them being sponsored through Emily’s efforts. Martin has continued to develop this good cause into a fully regulated charity which is now officially recognised both nationally and internationally as Our Father’s House Ministries.
Where do we go from here?
Our Father’s House Ministries continues to save more children but their needs have grown too. Especially as it is now building a kindergarten/Elementary School to rescue even more children from the streets. In memory of Emily’s commitment and efforts OFHM decided to call it The Emily Collins School. It will need at least another £250k to finish building the school now that the ground floor is built and the school has opened.
We are determined to help Martin carry on the vision that Martin and Emily first discussed, so enthusiastically – to take orphaned and unprotected children off the streets and give them a chance in life…
So please help us to help them.
Thank you!
Martin is here on the left with LtoR – Patience Kasande, Loyce Fussell and Justus Chizie. Further details of his fellow directors and team can be found here on the OFHM website…
Who is Martin Duhimbaze?
A Ugandan born in the hills of Mt Muhabura-Kisoro District, Martin served at North Kigezi Diocese as a social worker for eight years seeing poverty and planning and praying for better ways to help children before establishing Our Father’s House Ministries. Martin’s charitable work is growing. He has great faith and energy and he dreams big dreams.
Martin is here on the left with LtoR – Patience Kasande, Loyce Fussell and Justus Chizie. Further details of his fellow directors and team can be found here on the OFHM website…
Emily still stayed closely in contact with Martin sharing his vision and although she wasn’t able to stay in Uganda she returned to England determined to encourage her family and friends to support Martin’s efforts. When she learned that he had rescued 8 children and was trying to start a school with accommodation to remove them from danger and give them a chance in life she persuaded more people to sponsor these children. Then there were 8 now there are over 150 with many of them being sponsored through Emily’s efforts. Martin has continued to develop this good cause into a fully regulated charity which is now officially recognised both nationally and internationally as Our Father’s House Ministries.