Kabubbu is a small village in rural Uganda approximately 20 miles from the capital Kampala.

When Quicken Trust founders Geoff and Geraldine Booker, who were both awarded MBEs in this year’s honours list for their work through the Quicken Trust, first visited Uganda in 1999 at the invitation of some missionary friends, they had no idea what God had planned for them.

Their friends took them to Kabubbu where they found a community racked by AIDS and malaria, hundreds of children had lost one or both parents. There was no clean water, no prospect of education, no access to any medical facilities and no opportunities for work. But worst of all the people had lost hope, they had started to call themselves “the forgotten people”.

God touched their hearts and with no previous experience in third world development work they returned to the UK promising only to tell the story of Kabubbu to who ever would listen. Then with some Devine intervention things began to happen. Invitations to speak began to arrive from churches across Sussex. After their talks people would put money in their hands and wanted to help, Quicken Trust was born.

In the last 25 years Quicken Trust and its donors though a local NGO Kabubbu Development Project (KDP) also set up by Geoff and Geraldine, has provided; Primary School, Secondary School, Vocational Training college, 9 water bore holes, Health Centre, Farming School, Adult Learning Centre, Library, Resort and Conference Centre, Welfare program for the elderly and sick, Church and community Centre.

There have been accolades from.

Edward Ssekandi Uganda vice president from 2011 to 2021 following a visit said, “This is the finest example of rural development I have ever seen or heard of in Uganda.”

Oxfam representative, Jonathan Brass following his visit said, “A great experience and quite inspiring – particularly seeing and knowing how you lead from the heart, common sense and Divine guidance.”

Bill Farmer – An international development consultant with over 40 years’ experience – was so impressed he said, “In all my years working with aid agencies, this is the Rolls Royce of all the projects I have seen or been involved with.”

There is no doubt that the village is a very different place to that first visited in 1999. But does this mean the work is over, far from it. COVID, the war in Ukraine and the financial Crisis have all hit the poorest the hardest. We have seen food prices double, especially basic food stuffs such as maize, which are a major part of the Ugandan diet. Some corporate and overseas funders have changed their aid policies which has hit hard. Buildings need to be maintained, teachers’ salaries paid, drugs purchased, children educated and the weak and sick supported.

We now look to the new generation of donor’s people like yourself perhaps hearing about the work of a small charity called Quicken Trust seeking to show Gods love in a far-off village who once called themselves “The forgotten people”.

Thank you for taking the time to read this and for your support for the children at Stafford Junior School as they skip to give those, they have never met, hope for tomorrow.