The Story
The Story of Esther and the
The Story of Esther and the Founding of the Serah Project
Esther Nakyagulanyi Kiweewa is a dedicated, faith-driven woman from Uganda whose life story exemplifies sacrifice, compassion, and transformation through service. She is married and has two children. Academically, she holds a Degree in Business Management, specialized in Banking and Finance, and a Diploma in SAP in Accounting, qualifications that positioned her for a stable career in finance. Yet, a profound calling shifted her path towards serving the most vulnerable children.
The Serah Project is a Christian organization rooted in biblical principles of love, redemption, hope, and caring for the “least of these.” It combines prison ministry with holistic support for children of the prisoners, emphasizing prayer, spiritual encouragement, and practical aid. The project operates in Uganda, with activities spanning prisons nationwide and a central base in a supportive local community where the children’s programs are housed.
How the Serah Project Began
Esther’s journey began around seven years before her 2024 video interview with Mr. Erik. While working in her field, she visited a colleague’s wife in prison. There, she witnessed children enduring dire conditions, malnourished, ill without medicine, poorly clothed, and emotionally neglected living in the shadows of their incarcerated parents. In Ugandan society, the stigma of a parent’s imprisonment often makes families outcasts; relatives distance themselves, leaving children extremely vulnerable with no one to care for them.
This encounter planted a seed of compassion in Esther, though it took time to fully take root. The turning point came after her marriage. Her husband had faced similar hardships growing up: raised by a grandmother unable to fully provide, he found refuge in a child care foundation that offered education, emotional support, and a foundation for self-belief. His story deeply resonated with Esther, connecting her to the plight of prison children’s vulnerability and motivating her to act.
She began full prison ministry visits, praying with inmates (both mothers and fathers), sharing words of hope from Scripture, and providing essentials like sanitary towels, sugar, soap, and other basics since prisoners often lack external support. With Ugandan government permission granting her access to prisons across the country (even at borders), she asked parents if she could take their children into care since they had no where to go and their time in prison to stay with their parents was over,since the law states “a children should only be in prison from0 – 18 months of age.
Esther started rescuing these children, providing them shelter, food, clothing, education,counselling, love, and a sense of normal family life. The mission aims higher: instilling self-worth, identity, communication skills, and hope so children can envision bright futures as leaders and community changemakers, rather than repeating cycles of crime.
The demands soon required her full commitment, she left her banking job to focus on prison visits, fundraising, clothing drives, and daily caregiving. She found far greater joy in transformed lives,watching children learn to say “hello” and “thank you,” believe they are loved, and dream big han any corporate path could offer.
Growth, Partnership with Erik Jager, and Major Milestones
For years, the project grew steadily, caring for many children and seeing lives changed through consistent, faith-centered support. In 2024, a pivotal chapter unfolded: Esther met Mr. Erik Jager (from the Nofam Foundation in the Netherlands) in Amsterdam. She shared her vision passionately the need to provide stable, loving care for these forgotten children. By God’s grace, this connection led Mr. Erik to visit the Serah project in Uganda.
At the time, the children’s facilities were basic and limited, housed in a party tent a makeshift setup that was functional but inadequate for growing numbers and long-term needs. Inspired by what he saw, Mr. Erik supported the Serah Project with significant donations, enabling the transition from a party tent to proper buildings( which became a paradise). This included constructing classrooms and dormitories for the children, providing a more secure, dignified, and spacious environment for learning, sleeping, and daily life.
Community Embrace
The serah project not only serves the rescued children but also seves 3 communities.
The surrounding communities has embraced the work, inspired by Esther’s dedication. Local leaders, including a village chairman, donated materials like free bricks for construction, showing grassroots support and unity.Volunteers from the communities also engaged in the constraction process.
Esther’s testimony is one of profound personal sacrifice, unwavering faith, and the power of partnership. Motivated by her and her husband’s experiences of hardship, she turned challenges into a ministry of hope. Through the Serah Project as a Christian organization in Uganda, she delivers practical help alongside the message that no child is defined by their parents’ mistakes every life holds divine potential when met with prayer, love, and community action.
Her heartfelt appeal remains: partners are needed to sustain and expand this work, ensuring more children receive the foundation to thrive and one day lead with compassion themselves. It is a beautiful example of how obedience to a calling, amplified by unexpected connections like the one with Mr. Erik, can transform generations.