The host of ‘Beauty for Ashes’ program on Spirit 96.6 FM, Stella Aza-Madia has with the station listeners used this Christmas season to reach out to the needy families in Kizzi, located within central Uganda but inhabited by mainly the Karamojong tribe that fled north-east Uganda.
This 16 December outreach, commenced after 7 weeks of fasting (Esther fast) coupled with intense prayer, brought hope to hundreds who received kind donations inform of clothes, food among other essential items. The group also used the privilege to share Christ with the community.
Listeners voluntarily contributed as a way of raising funds towards the actualisation of the vision which happened in two phases.
“There are only two things in this Christian walk that makes us more like God which is giving and forgiving,” Stella Aza-Madia said.
“Kizzi is a luganda word translated to mean feaces. The [locality] was called so because the inhabitants [excrete] in polythene bags and throw out because some can’t afford to pay for public toilets. This area is found in Kampala at Katwe beyond the railway,” she continued.
“There are ladies who work by cleaning slaughter houses . In turn they are given some animal fats. They cook the fats and told us they add Groundnut paste and eat with Ugali which means posho,” she narated
Between 6 and 25 [individuals] stay in each house. Non of the houses we visited had a bed, mattress or chairs – Life in this place is by the grace of God because most of the houses had flies inside. Nothing is really inspiring in these houses. It’s an aroma of just survival and hopelessness,” she said.
We thought they didn’t pay rent but surprisingly it was brought to our knowledge that they rent the ground on which they have constructed each home at 50,000 shillings. Some of these ladies are just raped and fear to report such cases,” she stated.
Rescued to rescue others
Stella Aza-Madia saw countless devastating days, right from when she was an infant of three months. Her challenges started the day her mother tried to throw me in a pit latrine because she had misunderstandings with Stella’s dad.
Between the age of 7 and 10 years, her step-uncle constantly molested her, but she did not report to anyone because she did not think they would help her.
Her painful experiences led her to become a born-again Christian, which helped heal her soul. She now has a ‘Beauty for Ashes’ counselling show, where she shares her own experiences with hope that her deliverance will encourage and inspire others to overcome their fears and reach for all that life has to offer in Christ.
