Ssezi is the biological father of 9 adult children - 5 boys and 4 girls - but he is the honorary father of the entire village.

Sez is a very busy man, so I sat down with his son Dixon first. Dixon was the second employee of RoH. (Although he disputes that and states that he was hired before Teddy!) Prior to working at the Hope Centre he made bricks. When he was walking on the property with his father, he was offered a job as the first security guard. He is now the Facilities and Grounds Manager and the father of 4 children. He says that “This place is our…what can I call it?…like a blessing. It is so good for us.”

When I finally got a chance to sit with Ssezi, it was after a business meeting - during which he was holding a 12-day-old baby.

The other day, Sez walked down to the pavilion carrying Baby Elijah (5 months old). He said, “He was lonely.” (He got him out of his crib.)

I was trying to wrap my mind around how much respect this quiet tall man is owed and I asked, “Are you like a king? A chief?” He said he is a Chief…to my amazement, he is Chief of EVERYONE we have met. At a wedding we attended with hundreds of people, he was the “highest ranking” man. This both surprised me and didn’t. He carries himself with a calm regality, yet, he is soft spoken and exudes gentleness and kindness. He is always nurturing. Whether it be giving up his seat for a mentally disabled man, patiently encouraging someone who is downcast, or disciplining the village boys, Sez is always leading by example.

RoH founder Rebecca said, “First of all, I love his heart. Secondly, I love his smile. Sez always sets the example. He has a genuine interest in his community growing to be the best.” When he was younger, he wanted to be a teacher and that has translated into how he interacts with his community.

When asked how he felt about when RoH purchased the land from him he said, “I had to think deeply. Who were they? What were they doing?” He said that he began to trust Rebecca when he realized she is a woman of her word.

Rebecca said, “At first, I was intimidated by ‘The Tall Man.’ ‘Stately’ came to mind. But he began to trust that I would do what I said I would do.”

Now, they consider each other best friends. (We introduced Sez to the slang “BFF”) Their love for each other was strengthened in October 2023 when his son, Eddie, passed away. Rebecca saw that his wife (of 24 years) Betty, was caring for everyone. “Making beds, feeding everyone…Love was exhausting them.” So Rebecca brought Sez and Betty to the property - showered Betty, put her in clean clothes, gave her food and meds for sleep, and tucked her in bed. “Sez showered himself!” and they both slept all evening and night.

When I asked Sez if having RoH in his village was helpful he said, “Automatically. It helps, first of all the mothers. Secondly, the children with deformities, and thirdly, they act as change agents.”

Today’s devotion was about kindness, which perfectly sums up Sez…although truly, we could list many examples of him sharing love, joy, peace, patience, and self-control too. He loves Jesus and he loves his community and without a doubt WE love him.