Meet Falisto Lufatiye, a remarkable 89-year-old senior living at one of ROTOM’s Village Outreach Senior Care Centers in Uganda. Not only does he have a beautiful smile, he also has a groundbreaking story that helped establish the initial VOC.
Falisto migrated to Burundi, East Africa to Uganda to find work as a farm laborer in 1969. Before his immigration, he had 2 sons and 1 daughter whom he left in Burundi, and ever since, he has not had contact with them. Falisto is afraid to go home because he believes everyone there is now dead.
Upon arriving in Uganda, he worked at a sugar factory for decades. When Falisto finally retired, he was given a package he used to buy a small piece of land where he built a small mud and wattle house. While living in his new house, he continued to work on the people’s farms to earn a small living. Fortunately in 2007, Falisto was registered into the ROTOM Senior Friendship Program to find additional food security and medical support. During this time, he was also having to Land Wrangle with a neighbor who claimed that Falisto had sold the land to him, trying to kick him out of his own house. This all was very devasting to him. Unfortunately Falisto lost the land case and was on the verge of becoming homeless. That’s when ROTOM came in and rescued him.
After these adverse circumstances, Falisto’s ROTOM supporting friend heard about this story and wanted to build him a new house. However, there was no land for him to build on in his village. Because of a miracle, ROTOM was able to purchase a piece of land and build it for him. Falisto then moved into his newly built house that was now on ROTOM’s land. After numerous miracles and divine guidance from gifts and sponsors like YOU, today ROTOM has built more houses on this piece of land to house seniors’ like Falisto to those threatened by homelessness!
Falisto’s circumstances and the generosity of our partners has resulted in a ROTOM Village Outreach Center that offers many services to meet the needs of our frail ROTOM seniors. These services range from housing, food and income activities, community engagements, and others. What started as one man’s journey, opened ROTOM’s eyes to the needs of seniors’ like Falisto.
While at this center, Falisto continues to thrive and receive excellent care. He really enjoys farming and he is able to grow some food at the center which he shares with the others’ currently housed there.
Even though Falisto has no known family, he has found a family of believers with ROTOM. The seniors’ he now lives with at the ROTOM VOC have become his brothers and sisters, and together they share a very special bond! The VOC provides a safe place where vulnerable seniors are welcomed and cared, and provided for through the love of Jesus Christ. This is made possible because so many people like you choose to put your love into action!
We couldn’t do this without you! Your support in every day health care situations is vital to the long-term success of our health care program and to make our seniors’ lives worth living. A $150 gift will provide Falisto’s or others like him with one-month care needs so that these Frail Seniors can receive the special care and attention they receive at the VOC. Give today and change a life forever!
