Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families of the victims of the two bombings that took place late Sunday night in Kampala, Uganda. The bombings were done in a synchronized attack on large gatherings of World Cup soccer fans watching the televised final game on outdoor screens. To our knowledge, no Opportunity Uganda staff or clients were injured in the attacks, yet we and our Ugandan brothers and sisters feel deeply the loss of the 74 local people and international aid workers who died.

Among the individuals who lost their lives was 25-year-old American aid worker Nate Henn. Henn was working with the San Diego, Calif.-based nonprofit Invisible Children, a group that aims to end the use of child soldiers in Northern Uganda. We at Opportunity send our condolences to Nate Henn’s family and his colleagues at Invisible Children, who are mourning his loss.

Until Sunday, the 2010 World Cup has been a joyous, exciting time throughout Africa and the world. It is a tragedy that this otherwise triumphant event for so many on the continent was met with such a senselessly violent act. Opportunity continues to pray for peace and unity for everyone all over the world, especially those affected by Sunday’s bombings in Kampala.