MALAYAKA HOUSE and United Church of Ludlow
OUR MALAYAKA HOUSE MISSION
While we are a small church, we want to have a big impact. That is why we are so careful in selecting organizations to support. Here in Ludlow, we concentrate on helping Black River Good Neighbor Services, an organization that is a first-class and efficient provider of assistance to those in need. Internationally, our favorite is Malayaka House (“MH), a small orphanage in Entebbe, Uganda, that has lots of ties to Vermont.
The children at MH are those that you would expect to have the least chance of flourishing – many were abandoned in the streets, malnourished and mistreated, and all have daunting medical issues. Due to Ugandan law, it is nearly impossible for any of these children to be adopted internationally – so these kids are in it for the long haul. Fortunately, MH is a safe and loving home dedicated to helping the children grow into educated, self-supporting citizens having bright futures.
MORE ABOUT MALAYAKA HOUSE
Malayaka House (“MH”) celebrated its tenth anniversary on December 13, 2015 – which also happens to be the tenth birthday of the first of the children, Malayaka. Today, that home in Entebbe, Uganda, provides love, shelter, education, nutrition, medical care, safety and opportunity to a beautiful family of about 45 children. This is possible due to support from friends around the world and, increasingly, by the efforts of the children and the local women or “aunties” that serve in so many roles at MH – from mother to nurse to counselor and much more.
Robert Fleming traveled to Uganda and became aware of the urgent needs of ill and abandoned children. An unlikely activist, he was inspired to found MH to serve as a community center that has become a model for developing sustainable resources in rural communities. As seed money, Robert emptied his retirement and other accounts.
Originally from California, Robert’s path led him (via 10 years in India) to Vermont’s St. Michaels College to develop the college’s Mobilization of Volunteer Efforts by arranging trips to the developing world. Robert travelled to Uganda to scout locations for the next student service trip. While in Entebbe, he was entrusted by local police to care for a newborn baby that had been rejected by her mother. More children soon found their way to Robert, who not turn his back on these innocent lives. He decided to remain in Uganda to raise these children, started the orphanage home and called it Malayaka House, named for the baby who started it all.
MH is very proud that its children not only attend an excellent private school but are also excelling. In addition, several skills-training and income generating projects have been set up, both inside and outside the house. These projects provide opportunities to learn vocational skills, identify career paths, earn money and develop confidence. Through MH’s Pizza Night restaurant, bakery, craft-making business, IT department, permaculture farm, catfish hatchery, Bobo’s coffee, MH Safaris and other projects and business ventures, the children learn how to become self-sufficient. Having real skills is extremely important in Uganda due to its staggering unemployment rate.
Another benefit of these educational efforts is progress toward MH’s goal of financial stability without the need for donor support. MH makes progress toward that difficult goal each year. As Robert says, “We are a family, and we never give up.”
For both children and adults in Uganda, the ability to read opens a world of possibilities. A Vermont school teacher visited MH and wanted to determine whether she could help five students who were having a particularly hard time with reading. She trained several tutors and kept track of the students’ progress on a state of the art online reading program. In the course of four more visits, she trained another tutor, brought books and organized a library space for guided reading with the children to improve their literary skills. All of the “MH Five” have made significant reading progress, with four seeking additional formal education and one electing to pursue further vocational training. The program has expanded to include nearly 30 school age children.
MH is situated very close to Lake Victoria and, in fact, received a donation of a parcel of land on its shore several years ago. The parcel has been turned into a farm. While slashing MH food expense, the children now have healthy, delicious organic food every day. One of the achievements is raising more than 3,000 chickens each year. Entebbe is close to the equator but has moderate temperatures, generally in the 70s year round due to the huge lake. This permits four growing seasons per year and high agricultural productivity. The related skills are in high demand.
Support for MH comes from many places. Spanish doctors provide medical and dental care for each child and each of the children have extensive and detailed individual medical records. The Ludlow Rotary Club has had several MH projects in recent years, the most extensive of which resulted in enough solar energy for all of MH’s needs. The local electrical service is unreliable, often only available for a few hours each day. One of the related safety issues fixed as a result of reliable electricity was the need for the children to complete their homework by candlelight. A full-length documentary of MH activities was completed several years ago and MH receives a variety of professional assistance. Robert Fleming visited United Church twice in recent years and he often is asked to speak to a variety of groups during his usual summer visits to Vermont and the other United States. He is a wonderful, captivating speaker and rarely leaves anyone with dry eyes.
MH is a 501(c)(3) organization and, accordingly, US donations are deductible for income tax purposes. MH’s US address is Malayaka House, PO Box 9352, South Burlington, VT 05407. The www.MalayakaHouse.com website includes a wealth of information, including the life story of each of the children.
While we are a small church, we want to have a big impact. That is why we are so careful in selecting organizations to support. Here in Ludlow, we concentrate on helping Black River Good Neighbor Services, an organization that is a first-class and efficient provider of assistance to those in need. Internationally, our favorite is Malayaka House (“MH), a small orphanage in Entebbe, Uganda, that has lots of ties to Vermont.
The children at MH are those that you would expect to have the least chance of flourishing – many were abandoned in the streets, malnourished and mistreated, and all have daunting medical issues. Due to Ugandan law, it is nearly impossible for any of these children to be adopted internationally – so these kids are in it for the long haul. Fortunately, MH is a safe and loving home dedicated to helping the children grow into educated, self-supporting citizens having bright futures.
MORE ABOUT MALAYAKA HOUSE
Malayaka House (“MH”) celebrated its tenth anniversary on December 13, 2015 – which also happens to be the tenth birthday of the first of the children, Malayaka. Today, that home in Entebbe, Uganda, provides love, shelter, education, nutrition, medical care, safety and opportunity to a beautiful family of about 45 children. This is possible due to support from friends around the world and, increasingly, by the efforts of the children and the local women or “aunties” that serve in so many roles at MH – from mother to nurse to counselor and much more.
Robert Fleming traveled to Uganda and became aware of the urgent needs of ill and abandoned children. An unlikely activist, he was inspired to found MH to serve as a community center that has become a model for developing sustainable resources in rural communities. As seed money, Robert emptied his retirement and other accounts.
Originally from California, Robert’s path led him (via 10 years in India) to Vermont’s St. Michaels College to develop the college’s Mobilization of Volunteer Efforts by arranging trips to the developing world. Robert travelled to Uganda to scout locations for the next student service trip. While in Entebbe, he was entrusted by local police to care for a newborn baby that had been rejected by her mother. More children soon found their way to Robert, who not turn his back on these innocent lives. He decided to remain in Uganda to raise these children, started the orphanage home and called it Malayaka House, named for the baby who started it all.
MH is very proud that its children not only attend an excellent private school but are also excelling. In addition, several skills-training and income generating projects have been set up, both inside and outside the house. These projects provide opportunities to learn vocational skills, identify career paths, earn money and develop confidence. Through MH’s Pizza Night restaurant, bakery, craft-making business, IT department, permaculture farm, catfish hatchery, Bobo’s coffee, MH Safaris and other projects and business ventures, the children learn how to become self-sufficient. Having real skills is extremely important in Uganda due to its staggering unemployment rate.
Another benefit of these educational efforts is progress toward MH’s goal of financial stability without the need for donor support. MH makes progress toward that difficult goal each year. As Robert says, “We are a family, and we never give up.”
For both children and adults in Uganda, the ability to read opens a world of possibilities. A Vermont school teacher visited MH and wanted to determine whether she could help five students who were having a particularly hard time with reading. She trained several tutors and kept track of the students’ progress on a state of the art online reading program. In the course of four more visits, she trained another tutor, brought books and organized a library space for guided reading with the children to improve their literary skills. All of the “MH Five” have made significant reading progress, with four seeking additional formal education and one electing to pursue further vocational training. The program has expanded to include nearly 30 school age children.
MH is situated very close to Lake Victoria and, in fact, received a donation of a parcel of land on its shore several years ago. The parcel has been turned into a farm. While slashing MH food expense, the children now have healthy, delicious organic food every day. One of the achievements is raising more than 3,000 chickens each year. Entebbe is close to the equator but has moderate temperatures, generally in the 70s year round due to the huge lake. This permits four growing seasons per year and high agricultural productivity. The related skills are in high demand.
Support for MH comes from many places. Spanish doctors provide medical and dental care for each child and each of the children have extensive and detailed individual medical records. The Ludlow Rotary Club has had several MH projects in recent years, the most extensive of which resulted in enough solar energy for all of MH’s needs. The local electrical service is unreliable, often only available for a few hours each day. One of the related safety issues fixed as a result of reliable electricity was the need for the children to complete their homework by candlelight. A full-length documentary of MH activities was completed several years ago and MH receives a variety of professional assistance. Robert Fleming visited United Church twice in recent years and he often is asked to speak to a variety of groups during his usual summer visits to Vermont and the other United States. He is a wonderful, captivating speaker and rarely leaves anyone with dry eyes.
MH is a 501(c)(3) organization and, accordingly, US donations are deductible for income tax purposes. MH’s US address is Malayaka House, PO Box 9352, South Burlington, VT 05407. The www.MalayakaHouse.com website includes a wealth of information, including the life story of each of the children.
