Hope for Ugandan Girls

I'm back home in Kansas City, and there is no doubt that my time in Uganda has changed my life.  I'm no longer just a girl working in Kansas City--I now carry with me the stories, the pains, the worries, the hopes and the dreams of 10 Ugandan girls: Jackie, Asah, Flavia, Grace N, Gloria, Rehema, Esther, Grace M, Ngongu and Gloriosa.

The organization that took me to Uganda, American Jewish World Service, set me up with the local organization Private Education Development Network.  PEDN runs programs to teaches financial and business skills to Ugandan youth, including the new program I launched with group of girls, aged 18-25, mostly hard-working orphans trying to support themselves and their siblings. 

My trip changed my image of Africans and their culture.  Before I went, I based my image of Africa and its people on news reports about civil war in the Sudan, terrorist activities in Kenya, and even Somalian pirates, and National Geographic pictures of tribal rites and emaciated children.   

However, in the experience I had with everyday people in Kampala, the capital of Uganda, I found that Ugandans are caring, generous, quick to be helpful, and that they value community and friendships over everything. 

The girls I worked with had to worry everyday about having enough money to leave their homes, eat, and ensure their family members could attend school and have enough to eat as well.  They have so much less than we do materially, but in terms of character strengths and personal values, I learned so much from them.

They taught me about love and faith—they have so little, yet they don’t hoard their meager possessions.  They are ready with anyone they care about, family, friends, or even a visitor to their land, to give away what little they have.

I got from them an invaluable gift—hope.  And that’s what I want to give back to them.  That’s why we created HUGs, Hope for Ugandan Girls.  It’s a way for them to pool their efforts to make a product that will help them to earn a living and, if we can raise enough, send them to university. They are making shrugs and ties—products that hug.   I hope that Americans will purchase them and, in doing so, help these girls to help themselves achieve their dreams—of knowing where their next meal is coming from,  of being able to support themselves and their siblings, and of going to university. 

And in supporting them, Americans will get a HUG, literally and spiritually!  

This project is just being launched--the girls are coming to the PEDN office everyday to learn how use the knitting and sewing machines I bought while I was in Uganda.  They have made just six ties and eleven shrugs.  I will post pictures of them as soon as they come in the mail.  They still need money to launch their project and to pay for their travel to and from the office--and they also could use more supplies, including yarn, thread, needles, and the like.  Since they value hope more than anything, I'm sure any messages of encouragement will mean the world to them.  

On my last day, the girls sang to me, "We are the world, we are the children. We are the ones who make a brighter day so let's start giving. There's a choice we're making. We're saving our own lives.  It's true, we'll make a better day, just you and I." Here's a video of their send-off:

The song they sang continues: 

There comes a time

when we need a certain call.

When the world must come together as one. 

There are people dying.

Oh it's time to lend a hand to life.

The greatest gift of all.

We can't go on,

pretending day by day,

that someone somwhere will soon make a change.

We are all part of,

God's great big family,

and the truth your love is all we need.

Well send them your heart,

so they know that someone cares.

And lives will be stronger and free.

As God has shown us, by turning stone to bread

and so we all must lend a helping hand

When you're down and out,

there seems no hope at all.

But if you just believe,

there's no way we can fall.

Well, well, well, well let us realize

oh that a change can only come,

when we stand together as one 

We are the World

We are the children 

We are the ones who make a brighter day

so let's start giving

Oh there's a choice we're making

We're saving our own lives

It's true, we'll make a better day

Just you and I.

Thank you for supporting these girls in whatever way you can.  Your gift, be it encouragement, yarn, or money, will provide the extra HOPE for these Ugandan girls, for Rehema and Esther, Gloria and Gloriosa, Grace N and Grace M, Jackie and Asah, and Ngongu and Flavia to make their dreams come true.