from MAF's Quarterly Magazine: July - September 2025

A NEW FUTURE FOR REFUGEE CHILDREN

Big news from Uganda: The MAF team is getting ready to reach people living on the remote island of Lake Victoria – by floatplane! Lake Victoria, Africa’s largest lake, stretches across Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania. “It feels like a small ocean,” says Ruth Jack, Country Director of MAF in Uganda. “Some of the most isolated people in the country live on the many islands in Lake Victoria.” For years, many island communities here lived in isolation. Little to no access to healthcare, education, or the gospel have been the norm. But now, change is in the air.

“There are no hospitals on any of the islands,” explains Samuel Wasswa, a local resident who has lived on Buyovu Island for 15 years. “The only way people can get to the hospital on the mainland is by canoe – and these often overturn when the winds become rough. So many accidents happen on the lake, even involving pregnant women.” It is estimated that about 5,000 people lose their lives on Lake Victoria each year.

This transportation problem has left many islanders unattended and severely disadvantaged in many areas of development. This may explain the high HIV/AIDS rates, high illiteracy, and early pregnancies among girls. NGOs like Compassion and World Vision have cited the dangerous travel conditions as a reason for not expanding their work to these islands – even though the need is great.

MAF experts recently visited islands like Lwanabatya and Buyovu to scout safe floatplane docking locations. Samuel Wasswa couldn’t be happier: “The plane will bring doctors, teachers — people we’ve needed for so long.”

By connecting the islands to the mainland, the floatplane will drastically cut travel time: from 8 hours by boat to just 20 minutes by air. This will have an immediate and lasting impact. Faster, safer transportation means better healthcare, improved education, and the spreading of the Good News to some of the world’s most isolated communities.