29 January 2024
We are so blessed to have amazing staff at SCCQ who not only dedicate their days to creating communities where best lives are lived across Queensland, but who also devote their personal time to helping others around the world.
Stephen Mayer, one of the Maintenance Officers at our Caloundra Rise Retirement Estate, has been doing just that in disadvantaged communities of Uganda, putting his building skills to good use as part of his missionary work with his church – Immanuel Lutheran Church (Buderim).
Since 2010, Stephen has been travelling to Uganda every two years with his wife and a group of fellow church members, all generously donating their time and skills to improve the lives of the people in Bbira and Kamuli (villages just outside of Kampala).
Building on the established groundwork of charity organisation Watoto, Stephen and the team are continuing the important job of building and renovating homes, infrastructure and resources for the men, women and children in these underprivileged communities. They are also teaching skills to the women in the village, empowering them to be leaders and to have a chance at a better future for their families. They also look for ways to best serve people in the villages however they can.
Stephen most recently returned from a three-week trip to Uganda in November, dedicating his time there to building furniture, blackboards, renovating, weeding land, donating much needed clothes and toys to the villagers, and spending some quality time with the people he has come to call his friends.
“It’s not only great to be able to help the people in these villages, but it’s also great to catch up with them as we’ve forged strong relationships with the people in these communities over the years”, said Stephen.
