For over a year, Oscar talked to his boss about wanting to visit Africa. When the opportunity arose to send someone to Kampala, Uganda, his boss sent Oscar! Once there, Oscar started making connections with people he met. One new friend led to another, and Oscar ended up at Deliverance Church Makerere Hill. There, he heard about Pendeza Uganda for the first time and met the founder, Christine.

“There’s a Peruvian saying that there is a link between poverty and seeking God,” Oscar shares. “I see leading people out of poverty as the practical side of the gospel.”

In talking to Christine and witnessing the work Pendeza Uganda does among the slums of Kampala and out in the village of Kiruuli in Nakaseke District, the mission and vision of Pendeza—to be the salt and light Christ in the community—greatly impressed Oscar.

“In the context of extreme needs, Pendeza Uganda represents God’s love,” he says. “People have names and faces. Pendeza Uganda embodies the Church by humanizing people. It’s not just about the Savings & Loan program—Pendeza Uganda has a heart of service. They bring happiness in the midst of challenges and darkness.”

During their conversations, Oscar learned that just $420 a year can send a child to school. Even though he had never fundraised before, he felt touched by God to bring together a group of people to support one of the children from the Pendeza Uganda waiting list.

In just two weeks, God provided the financial resources needed from people all across the world! Australians, Canadians, Chileans, Ecuadorians, Japanese, Peruvians and Rwandans all invested in Oscar’s idea to jointly sponsor a child for a year.

“We can all pray for one another,” Oscar mentions, “But there is also the practical side of supporting the opportunities and dreams of others. By dreaming with God, we can boost the inspirational message of the gospel.”

Oscar is now back in Peru, but his link with Pendeza Uganda is not over! He sees himself as an informal ambassador of the organization. After his taste of seeing the field programs of this ministry, Oscar wants to do more fundraising for Pendeza Uganda and would love to return to Kampala someday.

One of Oscar’s underlying goals is to see more Latinos get involved in helping alleviate poverty in places like Uganda. He estimates that Latinos are walking ahead of Africans by two or three decades as far as economic development.

“Many people want to help, but don’t know how,” he explains. “This is a reminder that Latinos can help and empathize with those who are not as far along. Giving back is powerful for them,” he continues. “Historically, Latinos tend to think that they need to wait for external support.”

But by remembering that God is the Divine Giver, Oscar says that Latinos too can help with poverty alleviation in other parts of the world. “There’s a whole cycle of blessings available to us all,” he says. “We can be blessed by blessing others, giving of either our time or our talents.”

In addition to giving financially, Oscar advocates for people who want to help others to gain listening ears as well as a humble heart and servant attitude. “People just want to be heard,” Oscar muses. “They want others to validate their thoughts and feelings.”

“Be open-minded to how you can help,” he concludes. “Be flexible to both teach and learn. And if you’re going to Kampala, definitely visit Pendeza Uganda!”