You Are Part of a Family

Scripture: "That is why you are no longer foreigners and outsiders but citizens together with God's people and members of God's family." Ephesians 2:19

The Family You Never Had

I always wanted a sister. A brother is what I got, and a great one at that, but not quite the same as a sister that you can dress up with and talk about women-things. But then my brother married a wonderful girl, Sarah, and my whole life changed. Not only did I now have a sister in her, but she has 4 sisters (!), and they have now become my family too. I love it, and it is all because a marriage brought our families together. Did you know that a spiritual marriage in Heaven has given you a whole new family? The brother, mother, sister, father you never had is now available to you!

The Marriage of All Marriages

This isn't the kind of marriage you're thinking about, where a boy marries a girl. No, it's far greater than that. It's where God has given His own Son, Jesus, to be as a committed husband to His bride, the Church. What is the Church? The Church is made up of everyone who would call Jesus their Lord and Savior. Ephesians 5:25 says, "Husbands, love your wives as Christ loved the Church and gave His life for it." This means, in the same way a husband commits to love and be faithful to his wife, so Jesus loves and is committed to you, as His follower--but even more so than a normal husband. As the Bible says, Jesus sacrificed His own life to make you His bride. Wow!

Meet Your Family

And as a result, He gave you a whole, big family, filled with the others who are like you: followers of Jesus. In fact, the family of God is filled with every single person who has had or will have faith in Jesus as their Savior. It is the tie that binds all of us. That means we can be family with people in different cultures, different ages, even different time periods! The great apostles of the Church-Peter, Paul, John-you are their relatives! The poor in destitute countries who trust in Jesus and the rich in plentiful countries who bow to Him as Lord: We are all family. Listen to what it says:

"You are all God's children by believing in Christ Jesus. Clearly, all of you who were baptized in Christ's name have clothed yourselves with Christ. There are neither Jews nor Greeks, slaves nor free people, males nor females. You are all the same in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's descendants and heirs, as God promised" (Galatians 3:26-29).

God Wants You to Be Cared For

Wow! God has really blessed us. He doesn't want us to be alone, struggling through life. Think of a baby that is born and thrown out into the cold…how terrible! And many of us have felt that way at one time or another, when we are really lonely and in need. No, God wants you to have a spiritual family where you can be loved and cared for, and you can eventually love and care for others. It says, "God places lonely people in families. He leads prisoners out of prison into productive lives, but rebellious people must live in an unproductive land" (Psalm 68:6).

The Privileges of God's Family

You are part of an incredible family in God's house. And as part of His family, you receive incredible privileges. Here are just some of them:

1) You get to have the God of the universe as your loving, Heavenly Father: The God that created every star in the sky and every tiny atom in the world cares for you as a Father. "As a father has compassion for his children, so the LORD has compassion for those who fear Him" (Psalm 103:13). That means you can come to Him and find the love, protection, and guidance you are looking for in a father. You may not have had a loving, active father in your life, but God can fill your heart with the love you need…more than you can even imagine. He is a "Father to the fatherless" (Psalm 68:5).

2) You have people all over the world (near and far) to support and love you as family. Family is the bond that God created to be the most secure source of care, commitment, and guidance. It is where you would find value, safety, and support to become the person God created you to be. That's exactly how God's family, the Church, is to be. In your peers, you find spiritual brothers and sisters, and more mature people become as spiritual moms and dads. Paul, one of the Church's first leaders, explained this to his spiritual son, Timothy: "Never use harsh words when you correct an older man, but talk to him as if he were your father. Talk to younger men as if they were your brothers, older women as if they were your mothers, and younger women as if they were your sisters, while keeping yourself morally pure" (1 Timothy 5:1,2).

3) You can contribute to the growth of the family. God has created you to play a very important role in His family. He made you unique, and no one will be able to perfectly fill your shoes. The Bible actually compares us all to an intricate body, with each person being a specific part: "He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love" (Ephesians 4:16). What part are you? Maybe you are the mouth, and God created you to communicate His praises. Or maybe you are the liver, and though not seen, play an incredible role in detoxifying the body and keeping it healthy. Don't know your role? Ask God, and He will show you!

We love you very much and want the very best for you. If you need anything, please respond to this e-mail and let us know how we can help you!

BABY PRODUCES ANOTHER BABY

A 12-year-old girl has given birth to a bouncing baby boy in the eastern district of Soroti at the regional referral hospital.

The young mother, whose names are withheld, delivered the baby by Caesarian-section at 11.45am on Wednesday.

Dr. Els Van Teylingen, the director of Amecet N’Ainapakin Children’s Home confirmed the birth.

The two-kilogram baby boy was in a good health condition at the time of birth.

The youngest known mother in the world was five-year-old Lina Medina from the South American country of Peru.

At first, her parents had assumed Medina had a tumor, and when they took her to hospital, she was found already seven months into her pregnancy.

But the man or boy responsible for the pregnancy was never identified due to lack of substantial evidence.

WHERE IS THE MAN AND WHY IS HE NOT FOUND IF WE ARE REALY HELPING AND PROTECTING THE CHILDREN?

GO GREEN PEACE TREE PROJECT-FUN AS PLANTING BEGINS IN St. Katherine Girls Secondary School

TEENS MEDIA GROUP-CAMERA CREW WAS IN ST. KATHERINE YESTERDAY EVENING; and here we bring to you the excitements of planting the PEACE TREES given by Children Chance International through THE UNITY PROJECT.

U.S. Peace Corps Hosts Second-Annual Peace Camp for Ugandan Youth

U.S. Peace Corps Volunteers hosted 78 Ugandan youth at the second-annual Peace Camp Greater North Uganda in Gulu from August 12-18, 2012. Peace Camp is a week-long participatory camp for Ugandan youth aged 17-25 from the Acholi, Iteso, Lango, and Alur tribes, which were deeply affected by the war in northern Uganda. 

During Peace Camp, held at Gulu’s Ocer Champion College, Peace Corps Volunteers, Ugandan co-counselors, cultural elders, and reconciliation consultants offered campers peace-building and leadership training to empower them to become peaceful leaders in their communities. Throughout the week, campers shared their experiences through song and prose; cultural elders emphasized the importance of maintaining traditional song, dance, culinary, and social customs; and counselors and consultants led practical trainings on leadership and empowerment skills.

Peace Camp co-Director Mari Kelley told the Ugandan participants that “Peace Camp will help you to begin developing the peace-building skills necessary to establish and maintain violence-free homes and communities and to heal your own mind, body, spirit, and soul. My vision is that you develop compassion, respect for each other, the ability and willingness to listen, openness to learning, and the skills needed to heal yourself physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually through peace-building techniques.”

Peace Corps Country Director Loucine Hayes echoed these sentiments, saying she hoped campers would find peace both with themselves and within their communities. “Peace building is a process,” Hayes said. “It requires work every day. This work is hard but if done willingly, with love and commitment, it becomes a song for your heart. That song starts with forgiveness and flows then to your families and communities to build a peaceful country that prospers with hardworking, fun-loving, and responsible citizens like each and every one of you.”

Given Uganda’s large youth population, equipping young people with the skills to succeed is essential to Uganda’s future. As empowered peace makers, Peace Camp alumni will carry these lessons with them for the rest of their lives.

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) funded Peace Camp 2012 through a Volunteer Activities Support and Training (VAST) grant. Gulu Youth Development Association (GYDA) and Comboni Good Samaritans are Ugandan co-sponsors.

AHF Lauds Rep. Alcee Hastings for Congressional Letter Cautioning Gilead On Pricing of New AIDS Drug

One dozen Members of Congress cosign letter to Gilead CEO John C. Martin writing they are “troubled” by media reports indicating Gilead may charge thousands more than exisitng AIDS drugs for its latest HIV/AIDS drug known as the ‘Quad;’ Congressmembers urge Gilead “…to consider sustainable pricing strategies for its products that would help… provide treatment to as many individuals as possible.”

Research suggests Gilead’s new once-daily, four-drug HIV/AIDS pill represents only a marginal improvement over existing medications, but is expected to come with steep commercial price tag

WASHINGTON (August 16, 2012) — AIDS Healthcare Foundation today lauded United States Representative Alcee L. Hastings (D, FL 23rd Congressional District) for a letter he wrote—and which a dozen of his fellow Members of Congress cosigned—to Gilead Sciences’ CEO John C. Martin in which the Congressmembers state they are “troubled” by media reports indicating Gilead may charge may charge thousands more than exisitng AIDS drugs for its latest HIV/AIDS drug known as the ‘Quad.’ In the letter, the Congressmembers also urge Gilead “…to consider sustainable pricing strategies for its products that would help allow ADAP to provide treatment to as many individuals as possible.” 

Fellow Congressional cosigners of the letter to Gilead urging restraint on HIV/AIDS drug pricing include: Eleanor Holmes Norton, (D, Washington, DC); Corrine Brown (D, FL 3rd District); Sam Farr (D, CA 17th District); Luis V. Guttierez (IL 4th District); Maxine Waters (D, CA 35th District); Lynn C. Woolsey (D,CA 6th District); Janice D. Schakowsky (D, IL 9th District); Raul M. Grijalva (D, AZ 7th District); Maurice D. Hinchey (D, NY 22nd District); Lucille Roybal-Allard (D, CA 34th District); Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D, FL 20th District) and Ted Deutch (D, FL 19th District).

In the letter, dated August 1, 2012, the Members of Congress wrote:

“As Members of Congress who are committed to ensuring access for people living with HIV/AIDS to lifesaving treatment, we write to express our concern regarding the implications of Gilead’s recent price increases for certain antiretroviral drugs in the commercial market on our nation’s AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP). It is our understanding that, while Gilead currently has a price freeze in effect through 2013 for drugs provided to ADAP, the price of HIV/AIDS drugs in the commercial market have indirectly exacerbated the ongoing ADAP funding crisis. In addition, we are troubled by media reports that indicate that Gilead may charge as much as $34,000 for its new drug, known as the “Quad,” in the commercial market. … Therefore, we urge Gilead to consider sustainable pricing strategies for its products that would help allow ADAP to provide treatment to as many individuals as possible.”

“Recent news reports place Gilead CEO John Martin as the tenth highest paid CEO in America, with reported earnings of over $53 million last year. We applaud and thank Representative Hastings and his fellow Members of Congress for acknowledging Gilead’s contributions to the fight against HIV/AIDS over the years, but also writing directly to Mr. Martin to urge him that Gilead now show some restraint as it prices the Quad when bringing it to market later this year,” said Michael Weinstein, President of AIDS Healthcare Foundation. “It would be unconscionable—but, sadly, not entirely unexpected—if Gilead priced the Quad higher than similar drugs already on the market, particularly when the Quad is only a marginal improvement over other existing medications. In the long run, the cost to Gilead to actually produce the Quad will be a small fraction of its selling price, which means Gilead can show restraint on Quad pricing and still make an enormous profit.”

In closing the letter to Martin, Hastings and his fellow Congress Members wrote:

“We greatly appreciate Gilead’s continued commitment to developing new, more efficacious drugs for people living with HIV/AIDS. … It is our sincere hope that Gilead will support our nation’s ADAP by considering sustainable HIV/AIDS drug pricing in the commercial market—particularly for the Quad—, as well as supplemental price reductions and rebates, that bolster the ability of ADAPs nationwide to provide lifesaving drugs to all those in need. Thousands of people living with HIV/AIDS are depending on it…”

“Recent news reports place Gilead CEO John Martin as the tenth highest paid CEO in America, with reported earnings of over $53 million last year. We applaud and thank Representative Hastings and his fellow Members of Congress for acknowledging Gilead’s contributions to the fight against HIV/AIDS over the years, but also writing directly to Mr. Martin to urge him that Gilead now show some restraint as it prices the Quad when bringing it to market later this year.” 

Background on the ‘Quad’

According the New York Times (AIDS: New Four-Drug Pill Taken Daily Tests Better Than Other Regimens, by Donald G. McNeil, Jr., July 2, 2012): “A new once-a-day pill combining four AIDS drugs has proved slightly better than two existing once-a-day regimens, according to studies published in The Lancet last week. The new pill, called Quad, had roughly the same side-effects rate, though some were different. For example, it appeared to cause more nausea but fewer rashes than Atripla, a common three-drug pill. It appeared to cause more kidney problems than a four-drug two-mix pill, but fewer patients stopped taking it.”

The ‘Quad’ will hit the market later this year and will likely be priced nearly two times as much as the most expensive drug that state AIDS Drug Assistance Programs (ADAPs) purchase, without representing a significant improvement over existing medications. State ADAPs—which provide lifesaving HIV/AIDS medications to low-income Americans—are facing a funding shortage. As of August 9, 2012, there were 1,125 individuals on ADAP waiting lists in seven states, according to ADAP Watch, a publication of the National Alliance of State and Territorial AIDS Directors (NASTAD). Rising drug prices are a key contributor to the current ADAP crisis—the program simply cannot afford to provide medicines to an increasing number of people in need.

In June, AHF’s call for Gilead to price the Quad reasonably was echoed by California State Treasurer Bill Lockyer who sent a letter to the California-based Gilead urging the company to set an initial price the “Quad” that is “…sensitive to ongoing state budget difficulties,” and which will also “…provide the means to keep people with HIV/AIDS alive and as healthy as possible.” In his letter dated June 18, 2012 and addressed to Gilead CEO John Martin, Treasurer Lockyer also stated:  “…I hope that Gilead will get ahead of the drug pricing curve and set a price for the Quad that will help to protect the financial integrity and security for the ADAPs in California and elsewhere.” 

The sharp increases in AIDS drug costs are fueled by the skyrocketing prices of each new generation of drugs. By law, ADAP drug prices for existing drugs cannot increase more than inflation. However, there are no restrictions on the price charged for new drugs. The companies have exploited this fact, increasing the price of their new products by tens of thousands of dollars in order to offset the discounts they must provide to ADAPs and other programs. 

This trend could not be clearer: Since 1995, the average price of new AIDS drugs has increased 163%.

The ‘Quad’

Currently, there are several drugs in development that will pose a huge threat to ADAPs if they are priced higher than the current generation of antiretrovirals. Chief among them is Gilead Sciences’ so-called ‘Quad’. The Quad combines Truvada with Elvitegravir (an integrase inhibitor similar to Merck’s Isentress) and Cobicistat (a blood booster similar to the decade-old Norvir). The FDA is currently reviewing Gilead’s application to approve the Quad, but it is expected to hit the market sometime this year. The Quad may end up costing nearly two times as much as the most expensive drug ADAP purchases, and in some cases three or four times as much as other drugs.

Support, Don’t Punish, Our Youth

Drug laws established to protect youth too often present the greatest danger to young people, who suffer imprisonment, harassment and marginalization. The emerging discourse on drug policy reform needs to incorporate the experiences of young people who use drugs – because, for too long, the rhetoric has not reflected their reality.

In the Middle East, Central Asia, Southeast Asia and Africa, Youth RISE continues to see too many young people who use drugs stigmatized and isolated. They experience severe human rights abuses, a lack of health services and appropriate treatment, in addition to being barred from education and employment.

In Nigeria, young people who use drugs are increasingly at risk of what appears to be a growing HIV epidemic among young users. This is driven by high-risk drug using behavior, a consequence of drug polices based on criminalization and subsequent persecution and social stigma. Research by Youth RISE our members in Nepal has shown the major barriers young people experience in accessing drug and HIV prevention services. Unjust harassment and persecution by police officials is also commonly experienced in Lebanon. Here, Youth RISE members have facilitated workshops at a women's prison, where treatment for these young women’s dependencies is non-existent and sexual abuse is common. Similar themes have been found in Kyrgyzstan where a partner organization of Youth RISE interviewed 30 young women who use drugs. These women reported widespread sexual abuse by law enforcement officials and a lack of access to appropriate health services.

Punitive policies are often justified as necessary for the protection of young people. However, the logic that these policies deter young people from using drugs is clearly false and is not supported by academic evidence or by what we see on the ground. It is well documented that harsh penalties for drug offences compromise public health and increase the risk of drug related harms including HIV transmission by driving drug use underground into risky environments.

However, for the majority of young people who use illegal substances (many for only brief periods in their lives), the biggest hindrance to them fulfilling their potential is the impact of drug convictions, cautions and criminal records. In countries around the world, criminal charges for drug offences based on the possession of small amounts of substances result in young people being denied a proper education through, for example, school expulsion or denial of financial aid. The barriers they experience to education continue into their adult years where the same obstacles to gaining meaningful and long term employment exist.

We hope by raising the voices of young people, we can advance change in how drug issues are addressed, especially among the younger generation who will be integral to future policy formulation. Young people remain a population at risk, and they need to be given the opportunity to fulfill their potential. Humanism, pragmatism and the protection of the health and development of our youth must guide drug policy formulation. This requires support, not punishment.

This campaign is calling for:

• National governments to remove criminal sanctions for possessing drugs for personal use. Drugs must be prioritized as a public health issue rather than a law enforcement one, prioritizing the health, human rights and life chances of young people who use drugs.
• International institutions to support countries to move towards decriminalization and assist them in adopting public health based approaches for addressing young people who use drugs.
• Civil society organizations and NGO’s who support human rights and youth development to support the call for the decriminalization of young people who use drugs.
• Young people to be active in making their voices heard in this campaign and participate in drug policy reform.

Here is the face of a typical Ugandan man

It is one of those painful stories that captivate us, and then get lost in the madness we call “the hustle and bustle of life.” But for some, such stories not only leave an imprint of sadness etched onto our souls but are a mirror to what we are as a society.

New Vision reported on this young girl in Kamuli, Rachael Namulondo, who walked for ages just to get to the nearest clinic to collect her ARV’s. She passed away recently because her body could not take the toll that combine, poor feeding and the deadly disease, HIV/Aids. 

Now the walking for kilometres aside, what was quite painful according to the story was the fact that her father had disowned her saying he could not waste his “resources” on someone whose fate was sealed. 

Now here is a plea to our police chiefs; please could you arrest Amuza Lugandha, father to the deceased 17-year-old girl, Namulondo. This is a father who has no clue about compassion, care and love. This is a father who would have you pulling your hair out of your head, wondering how on earth they qualified to be called fathers. However, here is the most disturbing bit about Lugandha; this is a father who in a scary way mirrors many fathers out there in Uganda.

Have you ever witnessed how fathers in villages treat their wives and children? Think of a mix between Saddam Hussein and your close relative who suffers from a mental problem. It is that crazy. The relationship between husband and wife plus children is dominated by abuse of all kinds and neglect of duty.

We are talking about fathers, who beat up their wives in front of the young ones, when they come home late, drunk and the wife has the “audacity” to question whether drunken behaviour from daddy is good for the children. These are fathers, who will stop paying fees for the child feigning lack of money, but come home every day, drunk.

If ever there was abuse that these women organisations that champion for “equal rights” need to address, then it is high time they moved their offices from the air conditioned buildings of Kampala and quickly re-locate in these villages of ours. But it is not the village father that is crazy! No. 

Even the iPad-holding dad, who works in the bank, has some serious mental issues. He might not batter the wife or refuse to pay school fees for the children. But he will sleep with the children’s sitter, maid, intern and that campus lady whom he has been promising a job in the company for the last three years!

We men, have some disturbing issues, when it comes to the way we treat our women and children. It looks like we need psychological help to crack open our brains and try and get to the bottom of failing to even help your dying daughter! God bless the poor soul, Rachael Namulondo.

TMGS VALLEY COMMUNITY GETTING HOT; FROM EPISODE 45-52 ROCKY AND MARY COMEING TO SURFACE AS OTHERS FIND THEIR WAY DOWN DROWNING

TWO GIRLS AND ONE BOY Mary and Gorrety share the same mother but they do not know this fact. Mary and Rocky suffer from human folly. rejected and imprisoned by their step mother. helped out of prison by a kind city lawyer. without a single sheet to create a roof over their hair, Rocky and Mary thinks the world has stopped moving. in the middle of the storm, Uncle Con sends the two packing and for over twenty kilometers in the night, the two seeks shelter in  a community catholic church................................. IN  a coincidence Rocky meets Gorrety and the two are intimate friends, love and romance is what Gorrety is in for. The two are saved form incest by a sudden call by Gorrety's mother. Gorrety LEAVES VALLEY COMMUNITY HOPPING TO COME AND MARY ROCKY......