The Vision
Abba Father’s House is an outcome of Juliet’s Najja’s encounter with God in 1997 which happened after she responded to an invitation from a friend called Nightingale to a prayer meeting, not knowing that it would be night to be remembered for her lifetime. Juliet attended the prayer meeting just to please Nightingale and she did not expect anything to happed at all, but on that auspicious night, she was miraculously touched, and she received a revelation which radically changed and gave her a different perspective to life. Juliet felt her burdens lifted and a great peace overwhelmed and healed her from her hurts. In just an instant, her focus was radically changed and she started believing in God. That led to changing of her priorities and she chose to seek and find out more about God. Prior to this Juliet was leading an ordinary life working and studying in the UK.
After her encounter with the Lord, Juliet had two visions and both were about comforting orphans and widows. Although, the visions and dreams she had were confirmed by the word of God and prophecies and later on by an audible voice, Juliet could not understand why God would give her such a big task given her own upbringing and circumstances at the time, but He did any way. Juliet wrestled with the call for a while and sought advice from experienced people, whilst she continued loving and seeking God and with time the call became clearer. There seemed to be no possibility at the time but I guess, it was also necessary for Juliet to be equipped for the work concerning the call, but when she accepted the call and asked God for help, she was filled with a deep love and a desire for the call and immediately doors and miraculous connections began to open up, long story.
Soon, an opportunity came up and Juliet connected with a Pastor who was already in this business and he offered to help, and she started AFH ministry by purchasing a 2-acre piece of land followed by registration of the charity in Uganda in December 2004. By Faith, Juliet began construction of phase 1 in August 2005 and at finishes stage, she started receiving practical and financial support from friends towards completion of Phase 1. AFH was registered in the UK and a board of Trustees was formed. The vision became a reality in March 2006 with little Doreen who was 6 years at the time, followed by placement of many other children.
Abba Father's House
AFH is Children Centre located in Jinja, Uganda's second largest town. It is a Christian charity formed to create homes for disadvantaged children, especially orphans who have lost both their parents, to give them hope and to encourage them to positively look forward to the future by putting their trust in Jesus Christ our saviour. We also support widows to develop a God dependence attitude so that Christ may be formed in them too.
The heart of AFH is to rescue disadvantaged children and widows from the oppression and depression caused by poverty which comes as a result of the death of their loved ones. Our passion is to build homes where disadvantaged children can live safely and have the chance of a better life and we aspire to continue giving the children and widows love, hope, comfort, practical and emotional care, skills training, confidence and hope for the future with God’s provision. Please visit our website www.abbafathershouse.org to find out more about what life means to vulnerable children and widows in Uganda.
This is how AFH is making a difference to children and Widows so far
Since March 2006 when the home opened with little Doreen who was 6 years at the time, many children have been given a chance for a better future, and some have completed their studies with university and college grades, and even found work hence now living independent lives. The children under our care are living in a safe environment and they receive all the care and nurturing they need to enable them to grow in every way. We provide a safe, comfortable environment, good education, nourishment, skills training, medical care, and a variety of staff who are able to meet their needs and also share the love of God, teaching children the way of a better standard of life through learning to receive, give and share God’s goodness as well as overcoming self pity.
March 2023 marked out seventeenth year in operation. So far, we have achieved construction of three other building; the poultry house, mushroom house, the widow’s house to equip children and widows with saleable skills and to also generate some income for the home locally. In December 2021, we launched the opening of phase two which has given us the opportunity to separate children according to their sex in order to comply with the Uganda NGO requirements. We currently have 20 children in placement with vacancies waiting for sponsors to offer placement to more children.
Depending on God’s leading and availability of funds, we hope to extend our branches across Uganda and into other nations where God will open doors and also make provision according to His will based on the vision He gave Juliet.
Future plans
Phase 3 - construction of the main building to offer professional studies to our children which will also be open to the community at a charge which will bring income to support the service.
Phase 4 – construction of a place of worship.
Phase 5 – to multiplication.
God has been faithfully helping us to continue standing in His gap to remember the less privileged. As the bible says in Genesis chapter 1, God made the world and everything in it and commanded every seed kind to produce fruits of its kind, this vision is a product of God’s seed of love working in Juliet and her partner’s which is bearing fruit of God’s kind of love by helping orphans and "proclaiming the good news of Jesus Christ to the poor".
Reason for increased need for aid in Uganda
Historically, since independence in 1962, political instability hit Uganda up to 1986. Many people were killed during this time and many children were left without parents or guardians. To-date people are still being killed from political wars and riots caused by struggle for power and causing unnecessary loss of lives. To-date insurgency in the North continues to claim lives, hundreds of children have no shelter, and hence no education or hope because their parents are either dead or lost. The Aids epidemic is still claiming people as many still depend on sex trade to live because they reckon that there is no difference between death from HIV/AIDS and dying from hunger and poverty. As you know, it’s usually the vulnerable people that feel the impact from crisis situations such as HIV/AIDS, covid and wars which results in limitation of supply of goods hence unaffordable prices for good and essential goods.
Although Uganda now has a stable government the struggles continue and poverty is still rampant, and the Government has not yet established a welfare fund to assist orphans/widows and unemployed people and lots of children are leading very rough lives even to the point of death. Our aim is to fully equip the children raised at AFH with knowledge and skills to enable them to live independent lives so that by the time they leave us we hope they are ready to become responsible adults who could also carry this vision to the next generation.
We also help widows to understand their needs and we encourage them to adapt and apply the skills and knowledge that we give them into their individual circumstances and that gives them courage and motivation for the future. We have established connections with the local authority to ensure support for various children’s and widow’s needs and we have received visits and some donations from some of the local officials.
Today, Juliet goes on to share the vision to all who cross her path putting emphasis on God’s word from the book of James 1: 27 pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this; to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and not keep oneself unspotted from the work. God inspired Juliet to create a charity named “Abba Fathers House” where children have a place of residence to call their own. Isiah 61:1-3 and Isiah 58: 6-7 shows us the heart of God, which is to support orphans and widows in order to partner with God. This is already happening and the children call Abba Father’s House home and their day-to-day living needs such accommodation, education, feeding, clothing, treatment, nurturing and encouragement to have hope regardless of their circumstances are being provided.
90% of our services are offered voluntarily apart from the salary given to the 5 members of staff based at the children centre and that has enabled us to make much progress within the last year. We send school reports, newsletters and children letters from children on request to their individual sponsors letting them know of how the children they support are getting on.
How to support our vision?
As you can imagine, the need is big and requires all sorts of support. Please come aboard AFH team so that we can labour together to dispense the individual gifts that God has given us with the less privileged orphans and widows so that we can be God’s hands and feet. As the Bible says in 2 Corinthians. 9:8-9 "And God is able to make all grace abound towards you, that you always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work. As it is written, he has dispersed abroad, he has given to the poor, His righteousness endures forever." As you’re aware, times getting tougher and we need your help please.
We have not doubt that God will bless you in return and Juliet can testify to this.
Please come aboard AFH, and help us become conduits of love together. Please browse through our website and find out ways you can stand with us to make a difference. Please email juliet@abbafathershouse.org or visit our website www.abbafathershouse.org to find ways you can help us to keep helping these loved ones.
May God bless and keep you always
Juliet Najja