Mike Atkinson, one of UgandAid’s first sponsors in 2002, with Julius

“I first became aware of the opportunity to sponsor a young person at NVI when I was involved in a trip to Jinja with the Mayor of Trafford.  We were there to establish a Friendship Agreement between the two communities.  Apart from any other activities involved in the relationship, I thought  ‘What better way to show friendship than to support a young person in vocational education?’  I went ahead and signed up and soon received a photograph of Julius; he was studying to be an electrician and he was an orphan.

I was away one weekend and met someone who told me it was good to be involved in Uganda, as the young people there needed fathers.  I remembered this when I was fortunate enough to meet Julius on my second trip to Uganda in February 2004.

I got a letter from him at the hotel – the letter opened with ‘Greetings Father Mike’ and he went on to say how happy he was that I was his father through the support given via sponsorship. I then met Julius and spent some time with him.

I discovered that he had been moved around his relatives after he had lost his parents and had become very depressed and worried about his spiritual state to the extent he had considered suicide.  He was saved through the efforts of one of his relatives from Jinja Christian Centre and his placement at NVI and was now a bright young man looking towards a future as an electrician.  I was delighted to receive an email from him recently confirming his graduation.

It has been a real privilege to be involved with Julius as his ‘father’.”