By Isolde Doubell
The Yumbe district in northern Uganda is one of the country’s poorest regions and also Uganda’s only Muslim-majority district, with 76% Muslims and 23% Christians according to the 2024 census. The area is home to the Bidi Bidi Refugee Settlement, one of Africa’s largest refugee settlements, hosting more than 200,000 refugees from South Sudan and the DRC. It is here that the Christian non-profit organisation Here is Life was founded in 1988 to bring hope and transformation to local communities.
Executive Director Elly Moses explains that his family fled Uganda during the political unrest of the 1980s and found refuge in South Sudan for eight years. “During that time, the faith of Christians in the refugee settlements weakened. When we came back to Uganda, the area had become predominantly Muslim, and they did not want the Christians to rebuild their churches. We realised that it was important to reach out to Muslims, but also to strengthen the Church. John 10:10 was the foundation Scripture of the founding of Here is Life – Jesus saying He has come to give us life and life in its fullness.”
Today, the organisation serves around 250 churches across five districts, including ministry work in the refugee settlement, where it focuses on peacebuilding, trauma healing, discipleship, and livelihood development.
A major focus of the ministry is equipping church leaders and youth with practical skills alongside biblical teaching. Rather than encouraging dependence on “miracle money,” Here is Life trains people to use available land productively by growing crops such as tomatoes, cabbage, and onions. In 2025, the organisation launched a lending scheme supporting 200 youth and church leaders to start small businesses, achieving a 98% loan recovery rate. However, there is an urgent demand for further support.
Youth ministry is another key area of impact. The organisation currently runs 59 youth groups, involving 1,475 young people. Through contextual Bible studies focusing on Knowing God, Loving God, Trusting God, and Serving God, young people are discipled and encouraged to share the Gospel with others. As a result, 22 people from Muslim backgrounds have become followers of Christ.
The Yumbe district also faces significant challenges. Tensions escalated on 4 November 2025 when 76 Christian homes were attacked and robbed after local Muslims were angered by Catholics eating pork at a mission station. The attacks deeply traumatised the community and strained Christian-Muslim relations.
Here is Life urgently requests prayer and support in several areas. The organisation seeks financial partners for their lending programmes, discipleship materials, water purification projects, and commercial farming initiatives. Many churches still worship under trees because they lack permanent buildings. The ministry also needs skilled volunteers in agriculture, bookkeeping, and business development.
In addition, the organisation recently suffered the loss of Reverend Zabulon, a department head who died in a motorcycle accident, leaving behind his wife and four young children. Elly asks the global Church to stand with them in prayer, encouragement, and practical partnership as they continue serving vulnerable communities in northern Uganda.
Please join us in prayer:
- For relationships in the Yumbe District – that there will be goodwill and peace between Muslims and Christians, and that the imams who are causing division will encounter Christ.
- For the Here is Life organisation – for wisdom, zeal, and a fresh anointing of the Holy Spirit.
- That God will provide abundantly for their financial needs.
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