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Prayer Requests for ChildVoice
- 4 days ago
- 4 min read
We received a troubling update from ChildVoice about violence at the Imvepi Refugee Settlement in Uganda where they are active. ChildVoice CEO Nathan Mandsager's letter and prayer requests about that are below. In this post we also have their regular update and a new video about their work with children affected by war around the world.
Yesterday, August 25th, we were in constant communication with our team in Uganda as a crisis in the Imvepi Refugee Settlement was unfolding. In short, a small group of demonstrators attacked the Office of the Prime Minister and Police at the settlement base camp (read news reports in the links below). These demonstrators set fire to buildings, destroying property, and causing widespread fear and confusion. Police responded with force with reports of several demonstrators killed.
The ChildVoice staff in Imvepi have an office and housing just a few hundred yards from where this all unfolded. The government and police required all organizations to evacuate their staff from the settlement until further notice. After a long day of coordination and crisis management with our leadership team in Uganda, all ChildVoice staff were safely evacuated from the settlement and our buildings and other assets have been spared any damage.
Although this violent demonstration was focused at the settlement’s base camp, fear and uncertainty has spread across the refugee settlement. And with all NGO partners and programs suspended until further notice, there are concerns about the welfare of thousands of refugees.
Please pray with us today:
• Pray for our Imvepi staff that had to be evacuated as they navigate next steps over the next day or two. Some staff were at base camp when the violence erupted and were quite traumatized by the gunfire.
• Please pray for the child-headed families supported by ChildVoice. At this time, we have no way to communicate with them. We were also scheduled to distribute food to these households today, but the distribution has been delayed until we receive permission to resume operations.
• Please pray for ChildVoice’s community mobilizers and beneficiaries, who are scattered across the refugee settlement. When gunfire erupted yesterday, many refugees fled into the bush, terrified—the violence reawakening painful memories of the very horrors they had once escaped. Pray for their safety, and that they would find strength to stand firm against fear and uncertainty. Pray also for the entire refugee community in Imvepi—more than 85,000 people—as they navigate this crisis. May they know and experience the powerful, surpassing peace of Jesus in the midst of chaos.
• Pray for the health and protection of the maize (corn) crop that is currently in the fields and is at a critical stage of growth. A shipment of pesticides was due for delivery yesterday to continue fighting the infestation of army worms, but this delivery has been postponed until further notice.
• Pray for wisdom as we navigate the unforeseen expenses related to the crisis response (i.e. emergency transport and accommodations, increased security services, potential loss of crops, etc).
• Pray for peace and calm to be restored. Ultimately, we are praying that peace will be restored quickly and that life will return to normal. Life in the refugee settlement is a struggle under “normal circumstances”; this kind of crisis compounds the challenges.
In the midst of all of this, we have much to praise God for:
• God’s protection of our staff, facilities, and assets.
• God’s favor as various ChildVoice staff coordinated the evacuation of staff and security of our facilities and assets.
• The peace that God alone provides in the midst of chaos.
Thank you for standing with us in prayer.
Nathan Mandsager
Chief Executive Officer
Links of news reports:
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Practical skills training is central to ChildVoice’s work with refugee and displaced youth, but lasting success also depends on developing durable skills such as resilience, adaptability, and confidence. In Nigeria, recent graduates Husaina and Mabel demonstrate how developing these qualities helps young people traumatized by conflict and exploitation build brighter futures.
While the paths Husaina and Mabel have chosen differ, they share the same spiritual and mental resolve we work to develop in our students. Together, their stories show that while vocational skills create opportunity, durable skills empower young people to adapt, persevere, and thrive.
Download our Summer 2026 Voices Rising newsletter to read about these two remarkable teenagers, as well as a special report on Ebola in Uganda and how successful containment measures are protecting lives but unfortunately making life more difficult for refugees living in Imvepi.
As you pray this week for ChildVoice, here is a brief list of specific things to bring before the God who does immeasurably more than we can ask or imagine:
1. Pray for one of our staff in Uganda whose son is battling cancer. Pray for access to the right treatment and care. Pray for comfort, wisdom, and courage for the parents. Pray that God’s healing and comfort would be their reality.
2. Pray for the situation in Nigeria as attacks on innocent populations continue to increase. Pray for the safety of our staff and the beneficiaries and communities that we serve. Pray for the safety of our partners and friends across northeast Nigeria.
3. Pray for a number of ChildVoice donors and friends who are facing significant health challenges. Pray for wisdom for the physicians and care teams and for healing and speedy recovery.
4. We have a team of 10 people representing ChildVoice by climbing Mount Kilimanjaro in October. Please pray for health and safety as this team trains and prepares.
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We praise God for sustaining ChildVoice through the first half of 2026. We have seen Him work powerfully in the lives of so many children and young people and we look forward to what He will do in the months ahead. We also praise God for new church partners who have joined our mission to bring hope and healing to young people.
In Christ,
Nathan Mandsager
ChildVoice CEO
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