Eric is the founder and director of a community support organization called Blessing, focused on investing in the lives of young children and single mothers. 

Born and raised in Uganda, Eric was the first of 10 children in a family of cattle keepers. Growing up, his family received support from an organization called Compassion, which introduced him to Jesus and helped him attend school. He also had the opportunity to attend university and obtain a bachelor’s degree in Education. During university, Eric worked in different schools, where he noticed some children and families with very high needs. As Eric explains, marriage is uncommon within his community, and many parents do not have jobs, which often results in poverty, creating challenges and tension that can break parents apart. And when this happens, children become vulnerable and have very little support.

Because God changed Eric’s life when he was a boy, Eric has since committed to helping change the lives of others. He says, “There is a blessing in supporting other people,” which brings so much satisfaction. So, in pursuit of his mission, Eric began serving his community through sport. He began playing soccer with 15 young boys, telling them about the gospel and encouraging them to attend school. The sense of hope these messages provided the boys was contagious, and the group quickly grew. Eric felt God calling him to begin Blessing - a ministry started in his home, with few resources and just the neighboring children, until Eric and his wife stepped out in faith, purchasing land and building spaces to increase their ability to serve the community. In five short years, God has blessed Eric’s ministry incredibly. 

Now, Blessing supports children by providing them with education and young mothers by empowering them through connection, counseling, and skill-building. Throughout his ministry, Eric has witnessed transformation in the lives of many individuals he supports. He has intentionally mentored children addicted to drugs and not going to school. He watched as they gave their lives to Jesus and began thriving in school. Eric has also had the opportunity to support a group of ladies as they started small businesses. These businesses have since become successful, and these mothers can now send their children to school with the income they make. Eric says, “There is peace in their families… When you see what they are doing in their homes, you can really thank God”.

Eric shares that he has also found peace in supporting the community, empowering and teaching individuals to support themselves and their families. He continues looking for ways to help more families in his community - for example, he is currently brainstorming ways to partner with fathers as well - and his dream is to support his entire district. 

In pursuit of these ambitions, Eric is excited to attend the Abundant Leadership Institute to develop his skills as a leader in his community, especially in practical and competency-based ways. Furthermore, he wishes to become a resource to the other schools around his community, strengthening and empowering them by sharing all he learns.