My Uganda girls info

I'm excited to hear from my girls. After seeing 3 of them I couldn't choose 2 so I took all 3. To the right is Kate and Joan. Kate is the young lady who helps children find sponsors. She was in Uganda last summer. Here are the photos she sent me and a little about the girls.

In this first picture there is Nadudu Emmima in the front row in the torn blue dress. She has just recently joined the school and was a former street child who has had a little school, which has been off and on. Despite this, she is a very bright girl and is in P.1. Her ambition is to become a doctor and her favorite hobbies include running and singing.

Nabiryo Sharon is on the left. She is in P.2 and is 9 years old. Her ambition is to become a doctor when she's older. She loves to play with dolls and make people laugh.

Nakafero Joan is full of smiles. She is listed as 6 and in P.1, where she enjoys learning. Her ambition is to become an engineer. Her favorite activity is to play hide and seek.

As for Sharon and Joan, I met both girls while I was in Uganda this past June. They are incredibly sweet and loving despite the harships they face. Both girls are very poor, and I remember learning that Joan gets sick often. She has a younger sister at the school, who she is so patient with. When it is time to wash and eat, Joan is always at her sister's side washing and feeding her. Sharon is a doll, who has an infectious laugh! She really craved attention and I would just have her sit on my lap during church and hold her hands. Despite living with her parents(father is off and on) they neglect her, which is very obvious. She has been forced to grow up far too fast, and it is a blessing that you have decided to sponsor her! I know that when she starts receiving letters from you, she will be thrilled. "

So now I wait patiently to hear from them.

CUS and Kate

This amazing young lady, Kate, is dedicated to finding these children a sponsor. She spent some time there recently and hopes to go back next summer for 2 months. She is only 18 years old! She writes a blog all about the school and the projects going on. She does fundraisers to earn money for her next trip. How I would love to join her in Uganda someday.

The CUS school is on a much smaller scale than Children International. There are approximately 300 children in this school in the mountains. Our dollar goes a long way if all of them are sponsored. Many of the CI google group that I belong to are sponsoring some of these children. After putting them on a website they were sponsored fast. That is why I'm waiting for the new list and pictures of the groups of un-sponsored children. They will have a short bio for each child.

Children in Uganda

I have decided to sponsor 2 girls in Uganda through a different organization, Christian Upliftment School or CUS. There are 300 children of families who left their homes due to conflict in their country. They are refugees. Many of them have only one parent or are orphans. Many are treated badly at home and sometimes the only food they get is at school. Look at the picture above, aren't they all adorable? These children have sponsors but a new list is coming. Their smiles are abundant and their stories sadden me. Check out the website.
http://www.christianupliftmentschool.com/

"The school is located in an area which many people from Northern Uganda have settled. They have fled their homes due to the civil war that has been going on for more than 20 years. Although there has been progress towards peace in Northern Uganda, many have nothing to return to.Once farmers, most of the families of children that attend CU school now work in the stone quarry. They break rocks into tinier pieces all day long, earning a little less than $1. This causes many parents to not send their children to school (they can't afford to pay the school fee or buy their child a uniform). This is why child sponsorship is our most important program today. Without it, many children would be denied an education simply because their parents are too poor to afford it."

For only $35 a year (approximately 10 cents a day) they get to go to school with a uniform, school supplies and they get to eat at least 2 meals a day while they are there.

When I pick out my girls I will post it here. I'm so excited because they speak and write English and you get as many letters back as you write to them and 3 photos a year. I've read letters that other sponsors have gotten from their children and they are amazing. It warms your heart to read them. They are so grateful for our help.

Anyway....that's my thoughts for the day.