Isabelle

Dear friends, I warn you this one is a bit long.  You might want to grab a snack.  But I do hope you will take the time to read it as for once it isn't about me.  I want to tell you about my friend Isabelle.

Shortly after arriving in Uganda in 2000, I began attending a small church plant in my neighborhood.  Soon I was working with the children along with a young woman named Isabelle.  Isabelle was a recent refuge from the Congo who obviously knew Jesus, loved the children and had a contagious smile.  Isabelle started coming to the BSF class that I taught. She came to study God's word and also work on her English as she was fluent in French and Swahili (and probably some other Congolese languages.) She is one who used multiple bibles and dictionaries translating back and forth to complete her lessons.  She is also one of those who spent more time traveling through public transport to get to class than the actual length of the class.  Her commitment was humbling.

During my second year in Uganda, I became sick.  Doctor simply called it Chronic Fatigue and it really was debilitating for several months.  I no longer had a house helper and was struggling to take care of some basic life chores - shopping, cooking, cleaning - which is just so much more complicated and time consuming in Uganda.  I knew that Isabelle did not have a job and needed income.  But I also knew that she was quite educated and raised at a level in the Congo that really was above being someone's house help.  Slightly embarrassed one night at BSF,  I asked her if she thought she could help me at my home a few days a week.  There is no way to adequately describe the blessing that Isabelle was to me during the next year.  When I picture a time in my life of being well cared for it is during that time that Isabelle cleaned, shopped, and cooked for me.  And in the process we became good friends.  There is so much more I could share but want you to get to the heart of this post so I will refrain.

Shortly before I left Uganda I had the privilege of attending her wedding (wearing a dress made from the family fabric, same as her mother and other family members.) When I returned to Uganda our communication became infrequent.  A couple of years ago we reconnected and I was introduced to the ministry she started.  I have been following ever since.  Today I received an e-mail with this letter about her ministry.  It filled in the gaps on a few things I was not aware of.  I was impressed all over again with Isabelle's commitment to God, her integrity, her humility and love for others.  I am sharing it here with you because I want others to know about Isabelle's work.  She is truly serving the least of these right there where God placed her. 

It is a brand new month. June is not just an ordinary month for us as Mama Tulia Family. It is an exciting one for us because it always reminds us of our own journey, where we have come from, what we have achieved and where we are heading. We would like to take you with us on this amazing journey. So sit back, relax and enjoy the ride.

Mama Tulia Ministries were started in June of 2017 during a time when the number of preterm babies dying were rapidly increasing while the awareness about this issue remained low. Mama Tulia is a ministry that raises awareness, resources, and cares for mother’s and their preterm babies. Mama Tulia comes from a Swahili word, ‘Mother take heart’. It was started by Isabelle Furaha after her personal experience of giving birth to two premature babies in 2014 and 2016.

Isabelle and her husband Peter lost their first premature baby in 2014 shortly after birth. In 2016 they were blessed with another baby who was also born prematurely. In fear of losing another preterm baby, Isabelle prayed and made a promise to God that if He would let her baby live, she would vow to help and support other mothers of preterm babies. From her experience with both her babies she was reminded to take heart because God was still in control. After taking heart herself, she now encourages mothers to do the same through her ministry, Mama Tulia.

The primary objective of Mama Tulia was to encourage and pray with mothers with premature babies in the hospitals. Mothers with new premature babies often live in fear that at any moment their babies would die. Some mothers are abandoned by their husbands when they give birth and some feel they were cursed or it was witchcraft for them to give birth to preterm babies. Mama Tulia was started to comfort, counsel, and encourage these mothers to stay strong in these hard times. Above all, it was started to remind mothers to have faith and trust in God.

Isabelle started going to Mulago hospital and visiting mothers that had preterm babies in the NICU. She would encourage them by sharing her story and praying for their own. She would also go with porridge flour and give it out to mothers. Porridge flour is very helpful for breast milk production and benefits preterm babies so she would give it to mothers who were struggling or could not afford it. It wasn’t long into her outreaches to the hospital that she realized that many mothers needed more than hearing her story and the porridge flour. This was especially true for the five young mothers she met.

These five mothers ranged from as young as 14 years of age to their early 20’s. There were three Ugandan teenagers and two refugees, one from Rwanda and the other from the Congo. The teenagers had left school and ran away from home and the refugees were abandoned in the hospital by their husbands. While they each have their own story, they were all new mothers to preterm babies and all alone. Isabelle felt compassion for these young mothers and knew she needed to do more for them. Isabelle made frequent visits to these 5 moms during their hospital stay and supported them even when they were discharged. She provided them with baby clothes and with medication for their babies, but most importantly, she reminded them that they are not alone.

These five mothers were a moving moment for the ministry. Since then Isabelle has continued with hospital visits and now Mama Tulia is currently helping and supporting 78 mothers of premature babies with rent, food, medication, preterm clinical reviews, and much more, each mother depending on her needs. Mama Tulia has found ways to help mothers physically, emotionally, and spiritually. This is being done through outreaches, bible studies, and training workshops.

Mama Tulia has several outreaches across the country. Isabelle and her team continue with hospital visits and give out Preemie Kits to the mothers in need. Every year Mama Tulia has given out 200 of their preemie kits to mothers in need. These kits that they created include 8 feeding tubes and cups, 8 preterm diapers, 2 baby blankets, onesies, and kangaroo wrappers. Kangaroo wrappers are needed to practice Kangaroo Care. This care is proven to substantially save the lives of premature babies. The kangaroo wrappers act as a lifesaving gift for the mothers and their babies in need. Mama Tulia has distributed over 500 kangaroo wrappers to hospitals with NICUs. Mama Tulia also reaches out to pregnant women with the aim of raising awareness on prematurity and the risk of preterm births and educating them on how to prevent them. During these outreaches mothers are given Mama Kits. These kits help prepare the mothers for safe births. Each year Mama Tulia with its partner Mercy for Mamas gives out over 1,500 Mama Kits to expectant mothers.

Mama Tulia not only cares for the physical and economic needs of mothers, but also their spiritual and emotional wellbeing. Mama Tulia holds discipleship bible studies every Tuesday and Friday. Tuesday is the main gathering where there is an average of 70 mothers who are taught about the Bible and godly principles. On Friday, an average of 20 mothers gather at the Mama Tulia Training Center to receive additional training in economic and practical skills that can help them become financially stable and provide for themselves and their preterm baby.

In the future, Mama Tulia hopes to reach out to even more mothers. One way of doing that is with the hope of a transition home for mothers with new premature babies. This transition home would offer a place for the mother and baby to stay for 3-6 months until they are stable and in a position to live on their own. This transition home will also have a larger training center. This center would reach out to pregnant women and all new mothers so that they too can acquire the skills that can help them economically. While Mama Tulia has big dreams for the future, they still hold to the original one that was dreamt up in 2017. For the past 3 years and the many years to come, Mama Tulia is a ministry that cares for mothers and their babies by not only encouraging, but helping them to take heart.

Did you like our story? You can share our story with your Family and Friends.

You can also help us achieve Our Goal by donating to Mama Tulia  through  https://allegrosolutions.org/donate/MamaTulia001 Your support is always appreciated.

Mama Tulia Ministries

P.O.Box 37463 Kampala

Tel:256-751-847461 / 256-701-627952

www.mamatulia.org

Thank you for taking the time to read Isabelle's story.  I am so grateful to know this godly woman.