By Patrick Baguma
My journey with Shipavu began in 2015, during my undergraduate years at Makerere University. I was a young man then, full of dreams, ambition, and an unquenchable zeal for Christ. My heart burned with a passion not only to profess the faith I believed, but to live it out in a tangible way. Scripture had already impressed upon my spirit the sacred duty of serving God’s people, especially those in need. So when my friend and brother in Christ, Jerome Ntege, extended an invitation to me and a few other university students to volunteer with Shipavu in Masaka, I did not hesitate for even a moment. I sensed that this was not just an opportunity, but a divine call.
My assignment during that first mission was to serve as a team leader for a small but dedicated group of eight young people. Together, we set out with open hearts and willing hands, determined to be instruments of God’s love. Our ministry focused on reaching out to communities in Masaka, particularly people living with disabilities who had been largely unseen and forgotten by society. We shared with them the message of the gospel — the eternal hope, healing, and redemption found in Christ. Alongside the spiritual support, we also provided practical assistance in the form of food supplies, artificial limbs, wheelchairs, and other essential items. Much of this support came through the generosity of our American partners working through Teenmania, whose commitment to missions complemented the work we were doing on the ground.
The experience was humbling. As we moved from one household to another, meeting people in various states of physical and economic vulnerability, I became deeply aware of the privilege and responsibility that ministry carries. These were not just statistics or anonymous faces in need of charity; they were men, women, and children created in the image of God, each with a story, a struggle, and a longing for dignity and love.
In 2017, we returned to Masaka to continue the work we had begun two years earlier. This time, our team constituted different volunteers — only about half of the original group was able to return — yet the passion and sense of mission remained as strong as ever. For me, those days in Masaka were profoundly liberating. There is a unique joy that comes from knowing that God is using you as a channel of His grace. Whether we were praying with a bedridden person, fitting a prosthetic limb, distributing food, or simply sitting and listening to someone’s story, I felt deeply that we were right at the heart of what Christ calls His disciples to do.
One of my most treasured memories from that season is witnessing the way people responded to the message of hope and salvation we carried. Many received the Word with tears, gratitude, and a renewed sense of purpose. We saw lives transformed — not only spiritually, but also in practical, visible ways. Families that had felt abandoned were strengthened. Individuals who had lost hope were restored. The smiles, the testimonies, and the heartfelt prayers of thanksgiving from the beneficiaries remain etched in my heart to this day.
Looking back, my involvement with Shupavu was more than volunteer work. It was a sacred journey of faith, obedience, and growth. It reaffirmed to me that the gospel is not just meant to be preached from pulpits, but to be lived out in acts of compassion, justice, and love. And for that privilege, I remain eternally grateful.
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