“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” – Matthew 5:14-16

In 2021, a young man captivated my heart with his relentless love for helpless children in Uganda. I came across him and his cause through Twitter and felt a great desire to help him and understand his mission even further.

This is the story of Richard Ssentambule and how the Nelish Ministry came to be…

Richard was born in the Luwero district in a remote village of Nvunanwa in 1991. He was the only boy amongst four sisters. His father was a local carpenter and his mother sold tomatoes by the roadside. There were many sad times growing up though, where his family struggled to obtain food, clothing and medical services. Richard spent many days away from school so that he could help his father secure resources they needed.

Eventually, Richard’s father brought his family with him to live where he was working a humble employment. During this time, Richard’s sister contracted measles. Unable to pay for medical expenses, the family turned to local herbs but found she was also drinking from a contaminated water source that worsened her condition. She passed away and they buried her as a family without ceremony since they did not have the funds for a proper burial.

As Richard grew older, he left the village and went into town taking to brick laying, fetching water and doing whatever he could to help support his family. He would also clean local bars in exchange for a place to sleep since he was homeless at the time.

“I remember on certain nights when the bars had not opened I could resort to sleeping on the street and culverts where we would struggle for sleeping space because it was first come, first serve and these are the nights I’ll never forget for they bring tears to my heart.”

Richard began to feel very hopeless and found himself lost with no direction to go. Then the love of Jesus Christ found him through one of his sisters, who had become involved with an evangelist ministry from Australia. He gave his life over to Jesus and was filled with the hope of being born again in Christ.

He credits the ministry with helping him understand his strengths and weaknesses and understand God’s calling for his life. Richard has realized that he has developed a deep compassion for others and a sense of generosity towards their needs. Seeing so many helpless children, without parents, without hope, without anyone to care for them, he took it upon himself to be the light in their world.

“My mission is to give hope to orphans, the under privileged, the needy, vulnerable, sick and hopeless children like I once was.”

Now he is doing everything he can to bring in enough funds to provide for more than 30 children at the Netlight Shelter (NeLiSh) Ministry that he founded and the number of children in his care is rising all the time. With what he is able to save and receive from some outside donations, Richard provides each child with at least a plate of food per day and also some porridge to supplement.

Through God’s grace and help from generous donors like you, Richard will continue to save as many children as he can from starvation while teaching them the loving principles of Jesus and looking towards a greater goal of providing a permanent shelter, farmland, medical services, a school and chapel for these kids.

By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him? Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth. – I John 3:16-18