From Safari Guide to Community Leader: Meet Ronald and the story of how he is changing an entire community.

What began 3 years ago as a request to go on a safari turned into something far more meaningful than anyone on our team could have ever expected. Ronald was introduced to the sunshine team by Charles, the manager of the Marriott in Entebbe, Uganda. They were told they’d be in the hands of a trusted driver and guide for five days. What they didn’t realize was that Ronald would become so much more than that.

As the team journeyed five hours north of Kampala into the wild beauty of Uganda and the quiet resilience of rural villages, hearts began to open in unexpected ways. One morning, Patty joined Ronald for a walk through a nearby community. With nothing but $5 bills marked for "spreading sunshine," she handed them to Ronald and said, “You lead.” And he did beautifully.

Ronald stepped fully into his purpose, greeting each person with love, dignity, and generosity. As he gave out blessings, smiles, and hope, something within him lit up. He wasn’t just delivering kindness, he was reclaiming his own light. He is the epitome of what Empower and Shine is all about. 

That day marked a turning point not just for Ronald, but for the communities he holds dear. He now works as a safari tour guide regularly and shares the locals' stories on his routes. One such community had made a huge imprint on his heart and during the Sunshine teams trip to Uganda last year, he shared the community's story and bravely asked for help. Now, through Empower and Shine’s next project, we are partnering with Ronald and The Rotary Club Of Maya to build God’s Will Preschool and to bring Street Business School to the same village, providing both early childhood education and entrepreneurial empowerment for adults.

Ronald has been working tirelessly to make this vision to come to life and I felt no one could share the story and updates on the project better than him so I asked him to share this story that is so near and dear to our hearts. 

Can you tell us a little about yourself and how you became a safari tour guide?  

I am Rotarian Ronald Bwambale, a third born with 5 siblings and married with 4 children, 2 boys and 2 girls. I am a trained primary teacher and a graduate of Wildlife Tourism Management. I trained as a teacher after graduating and only taught for one month as my calling was in wildlife and hospitality tourism. I ended up leaving the classroom and went for a job in a safari lodge as a receptionist in Queen Elizabeth National Park. After some years in the park, I developed the desire towards tour guiding and this motivated me to go back to school for two years to pursue my dream and take different trainings, including one in South Africa in safari management. The love for safari and tour guiding developed when I met different people and made friends and this pushed me to start my safari company, Range Land Safaris Uganda in 2012.

What led you to connect so deeply with this particular village and school? 

Whenever I drove through Mubako village it brought back childhood memories of how my siblings and I struggled with education. I looked at the people in this village who were not in position to send their children to schools that could give them education other than a community organized location where they study under trees. But still even with that condition they send their children with hopes of getting the best out of them. It touched me not only as a parent or a teacher but as someone who once lived in a such situation.

Why is God’s Will Preschool so important to you personally? 

As the name suggests, God’s Will is something that holds my tears whenever I see young children of age 3-6yrs just sitting on the ground with no chair nor shelter but having the hope and faith to attain education. In this community the nearest school takes children from 7yrs and up leaving these children helpless. God’s Will Pre-school comes in as a savior and personally I just pray that one day the Will of God prevails and children get better school environments.

The Community

What are some of the unique strengths or values you see in this community? 

Mubaku community is next to the Murchison Falls National Park, The River Nile, and Lake Albert, however, it is not productive in food cropping. Their strength is in making crafts and engaging in fishing around the water bodies. 

What are the biggest challenges local families face when it comes to education and opportunity? 

The challenge is that it is a poor community and there are no employment opportunities despite being close to the park. Few opportunities are given due to the low education level and this then also affects them in education, given the fact that there no nearby schools for all levels. To attain education they have to move distances or out of the community for secondary education so this limits their ability to compete for the few jobs as well affecting the improvement in education 

How do you see education transforming the lives of children and families here? 

Education is the foundation for development. Giving them education like God’s Will preschool will impact the lives of the children and the families they come from in different ways; feeling the love from “strangers” who have constructed a comfortable school for them to live and read without fearing rain or sun will allow for improvement in performance. The children will get the courage to go to school if they have scholarships from organizations and well wishers. This can relieve their struggling families who have no money to push their children in better schools as well give them foundation for a better future, changing the community for the better.  

God's Will

How did the idea of building God’s Will Preschool come about? 

It was God’s Will and a calling that this idea has come to reality. I had long looked at these children under the tree but couldn’t do anything about it. Always my love for children and community is beyond my control and when Mum Patty asked me what we can do for the community I told her scholastic materials for school going poor children. I am thankful she immediately gave me a push to do that on our l trips. On our last trip we were asked by a lodge staff at Twiga Lodge who works in the garden to at least take some scholastic materials to the school where his twins are studying from. This was God’s will Preschool that I had on my mind to give the children some items and  I immediately told him we were going there. 

On this trip Steve was so observant on who we were giving to and this school touched him as well as everyone we were with. Joelle and Steve played with the children but Patty and I were shedding tears seeing these children helpless but happy under the trees but with hope. Mum asked me what we can do for the school and this is when I knew God was answering my prayers. I told mum we could give them shelter but feared what she would respond. The whole trip was then taken up with what should be done for the children. Even after mum and Steve had gone back to USA. Mum kept on comforting me to wait and see what God will speak to us about the preschool and thankfully after a short while she asked me, “Ronald how much do you think it will cost to put up a school?” It was a drop of joy in my ears that day and we started thinking on how this could happen, given that we have to be tax free charity to receive the funds. With God on my side I am Rotarian and rotary does work under charity. That is how Gods Will started.

What impact do you hope the preschool will have in the short term and in the long run? 

In this period while we are still constructing, the community is very happy and they are promising to bring their children to a better school as soon as it is finished. Hope and love is being restored in the children and we see them happy. The parents and community will be relieved of constructing shelter for the children’s school and risks like disease outbreaks from the poor hygiene will be no more. In the long run the school will provide a foundation for the children’s education and create a lasting job opportunity to the teachers and non teaching staff. 

What has it meant to you to partner with Empower and Shine and The Rotary Club of Maya? 

The core values of Empower and Shine go hand in hand with those of Rotary club of Maya and since I got to know Patty and Steve they have empowered me not only financially but emotionally and mentally. This became my life achievement. I find myself strong to be a Rotarian and I can speak to people about how to sustainably be empowered. When I made my first presentation on domestic abuse and violence to my Rotary Club members and mentioned the champion enforcers of the message about domestic abuse were the Empower and Shine, everyone wanted to associate themselves with it. I thank God Empower and shine Journals have helped me to settle many issues related to domestic violence and abuse within my social circles as they find it easy to share with me and allow me mediate. It means a lot to offer service above self and that is what Empower and Shine together with Rotary mean to me personally 

Street Business School

Why do you believe business education is so important for this village? 

It is the only way people can be helped to unlock their potentials in doing business so that they can sustain their families. Given the environment of Mubako village they really need to have business knowledge to be able to make a living since there is no crop growing which is a source of income in other communities 

How do you think Street Business School will empower people here?  

The approach used by street business school is modified to penetrate the minds of the people in the community to realize their potential and this can easily change their perception about personal development and business mind.

Can you share a story or moment that has shown you the power of education or entrepreneurship in this community? 

During our community assessment and visibility survey with Aggie from Street Business School we found out that women in the community have only one option of doing crafts and selling fish and men will either go far away in search of causal jobs or be on the lake fishing. They needed empowerment on how to make their works profitable. it is simply lack of basic education and business knowledge to unlock their abilities.

Vision & Hope

What is your biggest dream for the children and families in this village? 

Seeing children in a better schooling environment with trained teachers, clean water, a play area, and their families relieved from the burden of paying a lot in terms of school dues. Making the school a model of a better education center.

If the world could understand one thing about this community, what would you want them to know?  

That every life matters, be it a rich or poor community like Mubako Village where children sit under the mango tree in search for education 

How can people best support this project and the families who call this place home? 

Supporting this project of giving better education environment to the children and empowering the families could be donating to our charity Empower and Shine since it has come out to lift the life of this community and through these funds the Rotary Club of Maya can implement the changes.

What is the timeline of these projects? 

The school construction and Street business training has up to October 15th 2025 to be done however other areas that need to be done like clean water sourcing, teacher training and more will come in as funds may be needed to complete these projects.

Is there anything else you would like to share? 

In everyone’s life you need someone to light up your life and give that soft landing to make you feel comfortable to share your personal life experience that may lead you to relief, forgiveness and empowerment. I love Mum Patty and Dad Steve and I found that person in them. 

God bless you all.

​​This story is just the beginning.

The hope for this community is already sparking change and we’re honored to walk alongside Ronald. Together with The Rotary Club of Maya, we’re building God’s Will Preschool, and through our long time partner, Street Business School, we’re planting seeds of entrepreneurship and empowerment for the families who live here.This project is the start of a movement. A documentary is currently in the works to capture the beauty, the breakthroughs, and the lives being transformed. Stay tuned as the story unfolds.

If Ronald’s journey moved you, you can be part of this light.

Your donation, however big or small, helps fund the school, provide supplies, and support business training for local women and families.

It’s time to rise up, let’s empower and shine.

If you feel led to donate, please fill out the form below! All donations are tax deductible.