by Dr. David Sanders
As the former Hebrew slaves encamped around Mount Sinai they were given their mission: “Be a light unto the nations.” That phrase was the seed for a project to bring much needed solar lamps to rural communities in Uganda. The scope of the project expanded to also provide filtration systems for water purification.
After years of planning, I was looking forward to leaving this Sunday for Uganda. It would have been my first trip to the continent of Africa. Our mission was to bring 500 water filter systems and 500 solar lamps to rural communities and schools in the Mbale district where the majority of the Jewish population lives.
When I told people in our community that I was going to visit the Jewish community in Uganda most looked at me quizzically. They had never heard of the Abayudaya—the People of Judah. I would respond that I had never heard of them either until 2019. Semei Kakungulu, a Christian preacher, converted with his followers to Judaism in 1919. They were celebrating their centennial.
It was a chance encounter with a young Ugandan woman who came to the United States to be a summer counselor at the JCC Ranch Camp in Colorado. Her name is Simcha Katalima. Her father, who later died during the Covid pandemic, was the head of the Jewish day school, and her uncle, Rabbi Gershom Sizomu, is the current Chief Rabbi of Uganda. Simcha became a family member. We learned about her life in Uganda and how the necessities for life that we easily take for granted, clean water and electricity, are in short supply. The electricity goes out at times for prolonged periods. Many children get sick and most families have had a child die from water borne diseases.
“It takes a village,” so I started to gather the village which led me to John Keith and Leah Weinkle who had been involved with the non-profits Mighty Water and Shine on Rwanda. They had also never heard of the Abayudaya but were actively involved in those two charitable organizations. Mighty Water distributes and trains people to use their water filter systems around the world and had recently extended their footprint in Africa to Uganda. Their CEO, Rob Miller, enthusiastically accepted our proposed project which included distributing and training people to use his simply designed water filter systems. Another organization, Let There Be Light International, would provide support for the distribution of the solar lamps. We were heading to Uganda to educate and empower people to improve their health and well-being.
Simcha was our woman on the ground, having meet with community leaders and identified those most in need for clean water and solar lamps. All of the supplies had arrived, thousands of units, awaiting our arrival this next week. Then we learned of the Ebola outbreak in the Congo and in Uganda. Some of us felt it was too risky to travel. Thanks to Rob Miller, the Mighty Water CEO, the project is moving forward as he will travel to Uganda and with his volunteers there will meet up with Simcha and distribute and train people to use his water filter system. To see how they accomplish this watch the video https://mightywater.org/
I am bitterly disappointed not to be joining Rob and Simcha and so grateful to Rob for fulfilling what has been in the making for years. As with all inspiration and nascent ideas, it takes time and effort for them to manifest. Many fail to materialize or may not work out according to plan. Thankfully, this time, the everyday burdens of the Abayudaya and their neighbors will be lightened just a bit and their thirst quenched by clean water.
