How See Forward Ministries Is Making an Impact

Episode 1: Welcome to the first episode of our podcast dealing with issues related to immigrants and refugees. See Forward Ministries is a non-profit organization founded to be a bridge between those who are settling in our area and members of our community who may have an interest in getting involved, learning about different cultures and making this transition a little easier.

How It Got Started

Kevin Uyisenga is the Executive Director of See Forward Ministries. We’ll begin our conversation with him and his vision that led the founding of this organization. After graduating from Lindsey Wilson College, Kevin begin working with a local church organization. They wanted to increase the outreach efforts to the immigrant and refugee population in the community. Over time, Kevin’s efforts became more and more successful. Many families were coming for advice, information and support. They later referred their family members and friends to the church for similar help. Kevin decided to create See Forward Ministries to handle the growing number of participants.

Louisville, Kentucky has a very diverse population. We have people from many different countries and cultures. See Forward Ministries is having a direct impact based on TRUST. It’s a key part of the overall success of its programs.

Programs

Eunice Mukaz is a Services Coordinator at See Forward Ministries. She works with the various programs offered by the organization. There’s a large variety of programs, which can be viewed on the home page ( www.SeeForwardMinistry.org ). These include programs focused on spirituality, intellectual balance, emotional support, physical balance and social activities. They are meant to help the immigrants and refugees to find comfort and support, as they learn to adapt to the new surroundings and culture.

Eunice places a special focus on the kids. They often have a special role in learning the language, pursuing education and helping their families. This is especially true of the English as a Second Language (ESL) program. See Forward Ministries has ESL classes for children and adults.

There are Conference for Men and Women. These events involve counselors and/or therapists who can speak to specific topics and issues. These events are part of the emotional support mentioned earlier. These are virtual events and the next one is taking place on February 5th, 2022. Be sure to sign up to watch!

On February 20th, See Forward Ministries is hosting an Open House. If you’re interested, be sure to sign up to attend.

Projects

Mikayla Durrance is also a Services Coordinator at See Forward Ministries. She focuses on the various projects provided by See Forward Ministries. She describes how COVID was a directly inspiration for a project. When the pandemic hit, the news was changing on a daily basis. Imagine being an immigrant or refugee and not being able to fully understand the news or what to do. Mikayla had the idea of posting videos in different languages to help people learn and better understand information related to the COVID outbreak. This specifically included information about testing and vaccinations. Those videos were posted to See Forward Ministries’ YouTube Channel, SeeForwardTV.

Get Involved!

There are many ways others can get involved with See Forward Ministries. Many of the events are open to the public. If you’d like to learn about different cultures or how you can help, consider attending one of the many events.

As a non-profit organization, See Forward Ministries will always welcome donations of any amount. You can click this link to make a donation.

Kevin is an immigrant who came from Rwanda. He understands the immigrants journey to hope on a personal level. It why his heart is fully invested in See Forward Ministries. When he arrived, someone took him in and help him to learn the American, and more distinctly, Kentucky’s culture. This organization is part of how he gives back for what he received and how he’s built a team helping others to cross the bridge between where they came from and where they are now. If you’re interested in helping, you’re always welcome. Remember to check out the information Eunice provided regarding the 2/20/22 Open House.

Interestingly, Kevin comments that Kentucky ranks #4 in the country for its immigrant and refugee population. See Forward Ministries serves a vibrant portion of that population residing in the Louisville-area.

This podcast is going to provide an opportunity for listeners to learn about this organization and the people who are involved with it. If you’ve ever thought about learning more about different cultures, this is an excellent opportunity. Please SUBSCRIBE to our podcast, so you get notifications each time a new episode is launched. Our plan is to launch a new one every 2 weeks.

Visit www.SeeForwardMinistry.com for more information. We’re also on various social media platforms. Let’s connect!