“My legal education and understanding of Christian Science enabled me … to have our church recognized as a legitimate religious organization.”
– Diana Nakawombe

It’s an hour before the Sunday-morning church service at the Christian Science Society in Kampala, Uganda, and no fewer than 15 members have arrived early to set up church on the 7th floor of a youth hostel where they meet each week. Floors must be swept, benches brought from other rooms and wiped down, 100 hymnals carried up from the first floor (no elevator here!), and the church sign put on the curb.

Placing the simple sandwich board sign on a busy street might be the finishing touch to prepare for the service, but to Christian Scientists in Kampala — and Diana Nakawombe, a 2019 Albert Baker Fund (ABF) law school graduate — it represents so much more!

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From law school to a Masters in Human Rights

When Diana was accepted into law school, The Albert Baker Fund was there to help pay her tuition for all four years.

“I am deeply grateful to ABF. Even with the generous scholarships I received, I needed to work two part-time jobs to cover school expenses. I am now pursuing a Masters in Human Rights and plan to pass the blessing forward by helping those in need.”

Diana’s story is just one example of how ABF scholarship recipients are using their education to bless church, community, and humanity, and how their education expands their influence for good far beyond what they might have thought possible.

Play a part in changing lives and blessing communities

You can play a part in changing lives and blessing communities by making a gift to fund a scholarship for a student living in Africa. These students greatly value their education and pass the blessing forward by helping others, and by actively participating in church activities. Your gift will be awarded 100% as a scholarship to a worthy student.

Thank you for joining with us to help more students such as Diana, who are called to put their faith and understanding into practice and bless others.

Make an online donation today!

With deep appreciation,

Joseph M. Ritter
Chief Executive Officer

Daniel Herbert
Chair, Board of Trustees

PS: Did you know, most of our Africa students can fund a whole year of education with a $900 scholarship from ABF?

We would love to hear from you. If you have any questions about ABF or ideas to share, please contact Sue Ellen Coughtry at sueellen.coughtry@albertbakerfund.org.

Dixon and his team recently received a silver award from the World Association of Newspapers (WAN-IFRA) for developing a feature series that teachers primary students important lessons about clean water, sanitation, and hygiene.

Dixon’s Newspapers in Education program has reached 400 schools nationwide and helped  train 834 teachers  to use the feature series in their teaching! Partner organizations that leant their support to the project include WaterAid Uganda, Save the Children, Bwindi Community Hospital, the National Drug Authority and United Bank for Africa supported the program.

This year, New Vision was the only newspaper in Africa to receive the World Young Readers Award from the World Association of Newspapers, and this is the first time that the media house has received an award from the international newspaper organization since 1986.

With help from The Albert Baker Fund, Dixon earned his Master’s Degree in Education Planning and Management from Ndejje University in 2012, and his Bachelor’s Degree in Library and Information Science from Makrere University in 2010.

He recently wrote to us, “I am really entirely thankful for the whole ABF team in Africa and the team in USA for the opportunity that has enabled me to give back to communities through innovative projects  that have a heart …a principle I learned from Christian Science and ABF.”

Thank you to our Africa Programs Manager, Lamech Katamba, for sharing Dixon’s good news with us!

Marilyn gathers with members and ABF friends after Sunday service at First Church of Christ, Scientist, Nairobi, Kenya.

When ABF’s Director of Programs, Marilyn Jones, set off on a six-country trip to the UK and Africa in April, she says she knew it would be an adventure—but she came home with so much more than pictures and memories. She returned to Sacramento inspired and re-energized. And what inspired her so much? “Our fellow Christian Scientists,” she says. “

Marilyn met with dozens of ABF’s recipients—students, volunteers, and former recipients now starting their careers. She says everyone made her feel not only welcomed to their countries and their churches, but as part of the family, whether in groups or individuals one-on-one, sharing lunches, dinners, afternoons and evenings. Often as the only American in these groups, she says  she learned from meetings with the students and members how to bridge misperceptions about ABF.  Together, they worked through questions about the application process, which in turn gave her new and creative ideas to bring back to California.

We can’t wait to hear what she and our Administration Manager, Jen Day, report on their May trip to the Philippines to visit our Christian Science brothers and sisters in Manila and Baguio City.  So stay tuned…

We’re pleased to announce the launch of our new website. It features clearer instructions for applicants, more examples of gratitude, and additional ways for you to connect with ABF.

• Maureen Baraza is a nursery school teacher in Uganda
• Wilberforce Damba is an auto mechanic in Uganda
• Komako James is a real time analyst for Mobile Telephone Network, the largest telephone company in Uganda
• James Kasozi is the IT (information technology) manager for Post Bank Uganda, Ltd.
• Adedeh Malachi works as an architectural engineer while enrolled in a master’s program in Nairobi, Kenya
• Jacqueline Namusalisi is the quality control manager for Brittania Foods Ltd. in Uganda, while taking graduate school courses in Kampala
• Edmond Nanoukon is an independent IT consultant in Benin whose clients include major government agencies and corporations. Edmond is also a fellow of LEAD (Leadership for Environment and Development), a leadership network based in the UK
• Enoch Rutsigazi is a customer service support administrator at Mobile Telephone Network in Uganda
• Margaret Namubiru is a researcher at Premier Consulting Associates, Ltd. in Kampala, Uganda
• Lloyd Sakala is a mechanical engineer for an auto garage in Lusaka, Zambia
• Moses Ssali has started an event planning company in Uganda
• Olivia Talemwa is a consultant for a Ugandan governmental agency
• Esau Tumwine is a librarian at Makerere University in Kampala, Uganda, where he graduated

As Christian Science begins to reach around the world, so does The Albert Baker Fund! Over the last several months we’ve had a number of requests to expand our aid to new countries. We’ve been contacted by Christian Scientists in Angola, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Gabon, Liberia, Indonesia, The Phillipines, Malawi, Peru, South Africa, and Togo!

What does it take to successfully serve Christian Scientists thousands of miles away from our Sacramento headquarters? Here are a few of the questions we ask ourselves when we receive requests from Christian Scientists to start a new program in a new country.

1. Does this country have an active Christian Science community with at least one practitioner in the area?
2. Are there trusted sources that can provide us with current data on reliable banking infrastructure, local laws, and reputable schools?
3. What is the availability of educated volunteers (Christian Scientists) to assist with a local program?
4. Do we have sufficient ABF staff to manage a new program, including interfacing with local representatives, volunteers and prospective students?
5. What systems and measures would we need in order to approve students and schools in a new country?
6. Do we have sufficient reasons to investigate this country on site?
7. What would we need to budget to research, establish and maintain a new program, including funds for additional student grants?

by Alan Bashor, ABF CEO

This spring CEO Alan Bashor and Board President Nancy Battey traveled to Africa, the UK, and Germany to strengthen and expand ABF’s international outreach. Here Alan reflects on a new appreciation for the hope that ABF brings to fellow Christian Scientists around the world.

After traveling to eleven countries in 33 days—first the United Kingdom, then Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Cameroon, Nigeria, Ghana and Germany—and meeting with approximately 950 Christian Scientists at 15 separate events, Nancy and I are still trying to make sense of everything we saw, and felt, and learned.

Alan meeting with Christian Scientists in Africa

One thing is certain: The Albert Baker Fund and what we stand for connects deeply to our fellow Christian Scientists in Africa and around the world. We touch their hope, their trust, respect and gratitude. Our outreach and support is evidence of the power of prayer to meet each individual’s human need and tangible proof that they are not forgotten or unheard.

Along with ABF Board President Nancy Battey, and our African representative Lamech Katamba, we were guests of the most patient, selfless, thoughtful, compassionate, caring, giving and sincere people you could ever hope to meet.

Amidst poverty, their generosity and the light in their hearts sustains entire villages, schools, neighborhoods and churches.

In countries where streets have no names, and buildings have no numbers, these pioneers are compass points from which others find their way Spirit-ward.

In churches where there are no musical instruments the singing rivals any we have ever heard.

Without complaint, and with a love so huge that it makes you cry, these wonderful Christian Science workers press on in the face of unheard-of obstacles (tribal rivalries, corrupt political systems, polygamy, unemployment, and lack of opportunities for women), healing malaria, AIDS and every seeming life-threatening condition through prayer alone.

From Nancy: “Christian Science is alive and growing in Africa and the high expectation of healing reminds us of what we’ve read and heard about the early pioneers of the CS movement in the United States.”

We are both humbled to see first hand the good that ABF is able to be a part of in the lives of our fellow Christian Scientists half-way around the world.

The Albert Baker Fund and Christian Science are truly bringing a message of hope to Africa.

Alan R. Bashor

The Albert Baker Fund is temporarily suspending its operations in Tanzania this year. We are working closely with our RVP in Mwanza to re-establish a strong base and network of support between the churches and our students, and hope to re-open our program there next year. Continuing students who received an award from ABF last year may contact us directly at africa.admin@albertbakerfund.org to see if an exception can be made.

Click here to download this Special African Report 2008 newsletter (PDF, 2.0 MB)

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