In 2011, John Mugowa founded Develop a Child Africa Ministries (DACAM), a Christian non-governmental organization (NGO) based in Kampala, Uganda. The ministry currently works with 200 families, including 500 children, in three locations: the Katoogo Slum on the outskirts of Kampala in Gaba, Kyagwe Mukono across Lake Victoria from Gaba, and Lugazi Kasokoso, an undeveloped community just 80 km east of Kampala.

The Kotoogo Slum lands are government-owned, and the people live on them illegally because they have nowhere else to go. DACAM provides school fees, urgent medical needs, food, clothing, vocational training, and Christian counseling for the families living in the slum.  DACAM believes that these families will have the ability to support themselves, send their children to school, and eventually relocate from the slums to better homes and be able to take better care of their families. A vital part of their ministry is having regular discipleship meetings to share the gospel with adults and children. 

Engage Hope began its partnership with DACAM in 2018. Since that time, Engage Hope and its donors have helped DACAM meet the following needs:

·       provide rent for office space where they hold discipleship, counseling, and vocational training

·       provide rain boots for the families living in the flooded Katoogo Slum

·       provide funding to help relocate desperate families whose homes were utterly overcome by floodwaters

·       provide sewing machines and fabric for DACAM’s vocational training

Engage Hope also offers assistance through the following initiatives:

Short-Term Mission Trips: Our summer short-term mission trips include visiting the Katoogo Slum, delivering needed supplies, holding medical clinics, participating in food distribution, praise and worship, and the children’s program.  The goal of each Engage Hope trip is to share the gospel of Christ and make disciples by first meeting physical needs, which opens the door to meeting spiritual needs.

 COVID Relief Fund – To prevent the spread of COVID, the Ugandan government locked down the country, including closing schools and prohibiting public and private transportation.  Engage Hope raised funds to send to Ministry Partners to help them purchase food for families of sponsored children and other families in their ministries who were going hungry. 

 Yearly Christmas Party – For years, Engage Hope has raised funds to give to each of our ministry partners to allow them to provide a Christmas party for the children in their programs.  The parties include a meal for the children, fun activities, and sharing the Christmas story of Jesus’ birth.  Children look forward to these parties all year long!

To learn more about DACAM, please click here to be redirected to the DACAM website.