Special Initiatives
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Mapalo Scholarship Fund
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In Sub-Saharan Africa, many children do not expect to graduate primary school, let alone secondary school or college. Because of the success of the Covenant Mercies Orphan Sponsorship Program, we have students who are equipped and envisioned for higher education.
Photographer David Sacks (l) with friend Joshua Kemba and Executive Director Doug Hayes (r) in Uganda
In 2016, we created the Mapalo Scholarship Fund for eligible Sponsorship Program Graduates pursuing higher education. Mapalo is a Bemba word that means “blessing.” Mapalo was also the African name given to the late world-renowned photographer, David Sacks. David traveled with Covenant Mercies to Africa five times, capturing treasured “Portraits of Hope” images that now appear in the photography book, True Africa. The Mapalo Scholarship Fund honors David’s legacy, and will bless the lives of thousands of children to come.
“Being a Mapalo Scholarship recipient makes me feel proud always as I rejoice in God’s favourite plans for my life. This is because I’ve grown up in a society where most children, especially the orphans, do not get a chance to proceed with their studies after primary level due to financial challenges. However, with the help of Covenant Mercies and Mapalo Scholarship program, I’ve managed to proceed with my studies up to where I am now. Indeed Covenant Mercies has been a blessing to me and my family as a whole.”
I am very grateful to the Lord for the good work He has done in my life… Covenant Mercies, together with the Mapalo Scholarship, has enabled me to achieve my academic success up to this level. This is not only a success but a very great opportunity that has opened my life to a better living… I thank my guardians, sponsors, and friends at Covenant Mercies who managed to bring me this far. Glory be to God.”
Medical Clinics
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In Sub-Saharan Africa, the lives of many children are disrupted or even lost due to preventable, treatable, and curable diseases. Local clinics can be distant, understaffed and ill-equipped. These issues create obstacles to the health and wellness of our children, especially in our rural programs.
To address this situation, Covenant Mercies launched a clinic in Eastern Uganda in 2008, followed by a clinic in Western Uganda in 2016. These clinics provide sponsored children and guardians with immediate access to in- and out-patient care, disease prevention education, wellness checkups, pharmacy services, nutritional assessments, and treatment for HIV and malaria. Covenant Mercies nurses have also hosted health and hygiene seminars for the benefit of the local community.
Sustainable Farm Projects
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Since Covenant Mercies’ inception, sustainability has been a goal in all our endeavors. We want to minimize the long-term need for foreign donations, while modeling self-sufficiency and productivity for our children. To that end, we launched a sustainable farm project on our property in Eastern Uganda. Our crops include watermelon, maize, pineapples, ground nuts, tomatoes, rice, and a eucalyptus tree grove. We also launched a poultry project in 2017 for the sale of eggs and chicken meat. In 2019, Covenant Mercies purchased farmland in Western Uganda near Hope Community Primary School which has been used to build a goat farm. Revenue from meat sales will be reinvested into the farm and primary school. We also plan to build multi-purpose rooms in our partnering schools as a way to both serve the student body and provide weekend rental income for school programs.
Sustainability is much more than being able to fund our programs with local revenue streams. It also reflects a critically important value for our children. We want our children to live out the truth that God has made them to be productive, creative workers, and positive agents of change in their communities as His image-bearers in His world.