“Guardian Angel” is the best way to describe the Reverend Hamlet Mbabazi, who is dedicated and focused to helping others who are less fortunate in his country.  Our club was first introduced to Hamlet when, back in 2002, he was completing his PhD. at Fuller Seminary (he is an Anglican minister), and joined us for lunch.  Bob Novell immediately realized the need to help Hamlet by spearheading a water project, which  brought water to 35,000 people in Uganda.

 It was moving to hear Hamlet talk about the extreme poverty in Uganda, and how he continues to seek the help of Rotarians worldwide.  He gave us facts like: “more than 61% of the population is under the age of nineteen years old”, and that “87% never complete a secondary education”.   Due to poor nutrition and healthcare, the average lifespan is forty-eight years of age in his country.  It is no wonder that Uganda is listed as one of the five worst in material and infant mortality worldwide.  He lives in a country where the average income is $400 per year, and where even graduate unemployment is 90%.  Hit especially hard are the Pigmies, many are committed to slavery and exploited.  The women and children perform the labor duties, including farming, and are in desperate need of schools and hospitals.  Yet Hamlet describes Uganda, and especially his area of Kampala as a “land of celebration”, “a land of unbreakable spirit”. 

 Hamlet’s future strategy is to create funds for his region by bringing international university students who would pay fees to study in the area, selling tour packages that would subsidize education, find specific markets for poor people’s products, mobilize venture capital for social enterprise and find business partners.  The land produces an abundance of coffee and fruits and a flood of grasshoppers, all of which are sold on the open market.  It is Hamlet’s dream that help is not only on the way, but will be sustaining in the years to come.  With the help of Arcadia Rotary and Rotary International that dream can come true. 

 (Pat Dolphin)