Mission trips have long been a grassroots tool for addressing global poverty. While often rooted in faith, these trips go beyond preaching — they deliver food, health care, educational materials and emotional support to communities in need. According to GoEco, individuals or groups take mission trips, often organized by religious institutions, to do charitable work. Trips can vary in duration and involve groups participating in different activities in hopes of serving communities. Groups of volunteers, including Anita Davis from Chattaroy, West Virginia, affiliated with Angela Stress Ministries, often travel to Uganda for mission trips.

According to a GoFundMe page organized by Stress, which previously took donations to fund a mission trip to Uganda, she has organized multiple mission trips to Uganda, with at least three previous trips described as “very successful.” The page notes that her prior efforts have helped facilitate feeding efforts, shoe donations and spiritual outreach across orphanages and local churches, expanding on fighting poverty through faith in Uganda. The fundraiser emphasized the goal to empower orphaned children and children in need in Uganda through a Christ-centered environment that addresses both physical and spiritual needs.

According to the World Bank, as of 2019, the national poverty line was 20.3%, as estimated by the Uganda National Household Survey. The Borgen Project spoke with Davis, who said their mission was to raise money to buy food, supplies and school essentials in the area.

Pursuant Junior School in Bosawa

According to Davis, many children do not get to go to school and must pay for education. The ministry saw a need for education and started a Christian school for children to attend and help fight poverty through faith in Uganda. As of 2021, according to the World Bank, 9% of primary school-aged children in Uganda were not enrolled in school. Additionally, the cost per child for primary schooling was $104 in 2021, while 41% of people in Uganda lived on less than $2 per day, according to Opportunity International.

“Our biggest impact is the Pursuant School for the children,” Davis said. Through Angela Stress’ missionary donations, members built Pursuant Junior School in Bosawa and another school is under construction in Uganda.

According to a recent Facebook post, Pursuant Junior School Bosawa is now operational, with students referred to as “our babies” by Angela Stress. The post highlights ongoing classroom activities and the joy visible among young learners, showing tangible progress in a region previously lacking educational infrastructure. “Through the generosity of our donors, these young minds are empowered with education and surrounded by love, allowing them to see themselves as capable and deserving of bright futures,” Stress said in a Facebook post.

Building the Future

Davis mentioned that the new Pursuant Junior School in Uganda is under construction. According to Angela Stress’ Facebook Page, the founder of Angela Stress Ministries, efforts are underway to build a school in a region where children live in poverty. “We are creating a place where these children will be given more than just books and lessons,” Stress said in a Facebook post. “They will be given dignity, identity and a future.”

Stress said in a Facebook post that the building of this school will allow children who did not have access to education a safe space where they are “loved, taught and inspired to dream again.” She is currently taking donations for the construction of this school. According to Stress’s Facebook post, all donations go toward the needs of children in Uganda. “Together, we can transform lives one child, one classroom, one miracle at a time,” Stress said in a Facebook post.

Combating Hunger in Agricultural Communities

In many Ugandan households, according to the World Bank, the main source of income is agricultural income. Many residents depend on agriculture. According to Opportunity International, 76% of the Ugandan population resides in rural areas, where 73% are employed in agriculture. The World Bank reported that food inflation threatened food insecurity and impacted poverty in early 2025.

Emotional Support and Spiritual Growth

While the practical resources brought on mission trips, such as food and school supplies, help ease physical burdens, emotional care and presence also contribute to community well-being. “Mission trips are one of the biggest ways that we can help fight poverty,” Davis said. “It is a small step toward the future,” Davis said that despite challenging living conditions in Uganda, she hopes the ministries’ support will help instill love in children’s lives as they grow up and raise families. “We hope that giving these children love helps them realize people care about them,” Davis said..

Long-Term Vision and Faith-Driven Change

The impact of Angela Stress Ministries and other mission-led groups goes beyond short-term aid. By focusing on structural change, such as building schools and providing support, they aim to create a legacy that can outlast any single trip. For donors and volunteers, mission work can be a way to connect personal faith with tangible change.

– Clarissa Dean

Clarissa is based in Bowling Green, KY, USA and focuses on Good News and Celebs for The Borgen Project.

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