Kingsway Ministries

When you see the enthusiastic smiles and energy of the kids at Kingsway Christian High School, you’d never guess their stories. Some were conceived by rape. Others have lost parents to AIDS. They, like many in Uganda, have endured much suffering in recent years.

In the 1970s, almost two million Ugandans died during the rule of Idi Amin. In the early 2000s, the Lord’s Resistance Army terrorized northern Uganda and destroyed countless families and communities, leaving many with nowhere to go.

Rev. Dr. Milly Erema grew up in northern Uganda and endured these horrifying realities herself. She was just thirteen when she watched insurgents burn down her home before fleeing to live as a war refugee for almost two years. Later, four of her brothers were murdered by the Lord’s Resistance Army, leaving Milly responsible to raise their 22 children.

In 2008 Milly and her family founded Kingsway Christian High School, to provide a desperately needed education to her orphaned family members and others who had endured the horrors of war.

Since then, they have now educated over 300 students and given them a chance to build a better life than they could ever imagine.

“Unstoppable with Christ” is the school’s motto, reflecting Milly’s earnest faith and awe for Christ who has accomplished miracles in the lives of her students. Some have gone on to university and good jobs, a fate impossible for impoverished youth otherwise.

Check out the video below for an introduction to Kingsway from Dr. Erema:

Kingsway Christian High School has historically operated independently and sustainably, by enrolling paying students whose fees allow impoverished youth to attend for free.

When the COVID shutdown ended in January 2022, Kingsway was in crisis. The pandemic had devastated families financially and few had money to pay school fees. Many schools shut down completely. Even now, many needy children are completely unable to attend school in Uganda.

When Kingsway reopened in 2022 they accepted less than 20 students (instead of 40-50 students, like normal) and worried they wouldn’t survive. On top of this was the need to build a girls’ dormitory that the government required. Because of your support, Kingsway was able to make it through 2022 and even have funds to continue building the dorm. Encouraged, Milly accepted 30 more applicants for 2023 to come back to full capacity of 50.

At the beginning of the year, a crowd of families stormed Kingsway’s offices, begging them to admit their children too. Other schools had increased their fees and stopped offering assistance to needy families. So Kingsway prayerfully decided to accept several more impoverished young people. They enrolled over 60 students for 2023, trusting that the Lord would provide.  All I can say is wow.

2023 – A Good Year so Far

You can see the students here are surrounding a young woman in a brown sweater, and that is Comfort, Milly’s daughter who is 29 and has taught at Kingsway for several years.

This year she is headmaster and is greatly beloved by students. She teaches several classes as well as leading Bible study and devotions. The abundance of smiles shows that many children have been greatly blessed, learning from her and growing in love for God and others this year.

Another thing that has been popular this year is their new football (soccer) program. Both their boy and girl teams have won nearly every match they played! Kingsway would love to expand their sports offerings to attract paying students, because sports are very popular with youth in Uganda.

Girls’ Dormitory – Progress so Far

The Ugandan government requires Kingsway to build a separate dormitory for girls.  The dorm will have two levels, with the lower level for the girls and the upper level for administrators to live. Because of your generosity, Kingsway was able to raise over $20,000 in 2022, which allowed them get much of the construction started on the lower level.

As of November 2023, they are now plastering and painting the interior and exterior walls, finishing the floors and and will install windows soon. Then the girls can move in.  They need about $30,000 more to finish both levels.

Plastering is one of the final steps, and it is finally getting done! Hooray! Check out this (Nov. 2) blog for new pictures.

Girls checking out their future home

Why is building the dormitory so critical? One reason is that it is unsafe for girls to walk from home to school each day. Young women and girls are increasingly preyed upon by boda boda (motorcycle taxi) riders and other young men who solicit sex or even rape them.

Milly explains the need in the video below:
 

School Transportation Need

What Kingsway prays for most right now are vehicles. Right now they have no car, van or bus, so they often do errands by paying a boda-boda (a motorcyle taxi) to take them into the city. This is very dangerous – all of Milly’s family have been injured in accidents this way, some very seriously. When they need to purchase larger things they call a taxi or rent a car which is costly too. They urgently need a small car (about $10,000). 

Their current lack of vehicles greatly limits who Kingsway can enroll, because they can’t send out a van to pick up students who live too far to walk. Yet many children live in the area, just a little too far away to walk to school.

If they had a school van, they could attract a larger group of paying students to support the many needy students who attend. It would be a strategic asset that would move Kingsway toward its goal of sustaining itself independently while helping vulnerable children. It would cost about $30,000.

Applicants Turned Away:

Your ongoing monthly support allows Kingsway to transform many more lives. The school has a long list of needy applicants who they are unable to enroll. These children may lose their only opportunity to get an education.

Last year we asked folks to sponsor students, but Milly did not bother to wait for the money to arrive. She just accepted needy children anyhow and stepped out in faith.

If you’ve ever wished you could directly help the poorest in Africa, you’ve come to the right place. 

Check out Kingsway’s Wish List

Hundreds of students have attended Kingsway and have been nurtured in faith as they’ve received essential education for life’s journey. Here is where you’ll hear and see them share.

Letaa Ivan Bob

(Credit: Kari Tverberg for video editing)

Trinity Yikiisi

Here is Milly along with Trinity Yikiisi, who graduated from Kingsway in 2014.

Trinity’s father died when she was a baby and her mother had no money for school fees. Her education would have ended in the 7th grade but Milly sought her out and enrolled her at Kingsway, where she did very well. When extended relatives heard how well Trinity did, they pulled together the money for her to attend university.

Trinity has since attended university and is looking for her first job.

Kingsway Ministries is a fiscally sponsored project of the Christian Ministry Alliance. The Alliance is a U.S. registered 501c3 tax-deductible charity with the Internal Revenue Service and has a Candid Platinum Seal (formerly GuideStar), the highest rating available for nonprofit transparency and accountability. [Tax ID: 46-3408177]

The Kingsway Ministries US Financial Oversight Board is in Holland, Michigan.

Lois Tverberg, Chair (616 212 9910)
Patricia Bartlett
Fred Bartlett
Elizabeth West
Tim West

To make a donation by mail, please make your check payable to Christian Ministry Alliance with this note in the memo line: Fund #3134 – Kingsway, and mail to

Christian Ministry Alliance
P.O. Box 7735
Goodyear, AZ 85338

You can also easily give from a Donor Advised Fund, Private Charity, or from non-cash assets like stocks, bonds or real estate. To do so see the Kingsway Ministry page at Christian Ministry Alliance.

You are welcome to contact us for more information by emailing KingswayMinistriesUganda@gmail.com. 

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