Dolphine Abangi—Uganda-South Sudan Annual Conference
Dolphine Abangi, a surviving spouse in Uganda, has used her Central Conference Pensions (CCP) program benefit for three primary purposes:
- She built a permanent home for her and her family. She previously lived in a house with a grass thatched roof.
- She opened a kiosk where she sells vegetables and tomatoes.
- She supports her children.
Abangi thanks God for the support she has received from the CCP program.
Ajiambo Joyida Egesa—Uganda-South Sudan Annual Conference
Ajiambo Joyida Egesa is a surviving spouse in Uganda who said her life as a widow was difficult prior to receiving CCP program benefits. She is thankful for The United Methodist Church (UMC), and the individuals who helped her enroll in the CCP program. She used her pension to build a permanent home. She also used her benefit to purchase weaving materials because she is good at making crafts.
Nabwire Harriet—Uganda-South Sudan Annual Conference
Being a child beneficiary is itself a monumental challenge, but then on top of that, Nabwire Harriet suffered a stroke in August 2018. Nabwire, who lives in Uganda, paid her hospital bills with money she received from the CCP program. Nabwire says she thanks God for the CCP program.
Rev. Kagoya Loy Kadoko—Uganda-South Sudan Annual Conference
Kagoya Loy Kadoko, a retired pastor in Uganda, expressed gratitude for the CCP program because it allows her to run a small business. She uses her pension to buy the materials she needs to weave mats, which she then sells to support herself. She also uses her pension to buy food and to help support her grandchildren.
Rev. Baligeya Tito—Uganda-South Sudan Annual Conference
Baligeya Tito has an entrepreneurial spirit. The retired pastor, who is pictured on the left alongside his wife in 2019, used the money he received from the CCP program to begin laying bricks for rental houses. The rental properties then generate income. Tito resides in Uganda and he says he is thankful for the UMC’s pension program.
Miriam Ndayiragije—Burundi Annual Conference
A surviving spouse in the Burundi Annual Conference, Miriam Ndayiragije no longer has the energy to grow crops on her land, so she used her pension, in part, to pay workers to farm it. She also used her benefits to pay for medical bills and to purchase a cow. The cow’s manure helps to boost her crop production. Ndayiragije expresses thanks to God for his support of the surviving spouses in Burundi. She noted that prior to the CCP program, widows had often struggled to support themselves in her East African nation.
Ester Nkwirikiye—Burundi Annual Conference
Ester Nkwirikiye is a surviving spouse in the Burundi Annual Conference who purchased two goats with her pension to assist her with farming. Nkwirikiye uses the goat manure to fertilize crops. She also uses her benefits to purchase clothes and food, and to tithe at her church. Nkwirikiye said she thanks God for the financial assistance she has received.
