Meet Felista.
Felista is a 5 year old girl living in the village of Soroti. She lives with her grandma and her mom. If she weren’t sponsored, she would be spending all day fetching 5 gallons of water at a time, taking care of skinny animals, and working in a farm with cracked soil and cracked heels. When we first saw her, she was a snotty-nosed toddler looking like she was going to cry. Now, as we sponsor her, she is a beautiful child with a smile that could light up the room. She’s able to get an education, nutritious food, clothing, Biblical teaching, bedding, and is able to thrive rather than survive.
Meet Kantiza.
He’s a boy that lives with his grandma. Before Hines Ugandan Ministries stepped in, Kantiza and his family were living in a one room hut- not very uncommon. But, there was one thing very wrong with this hut. Parts of the roof was collapsing, and the hut was flooding. They were forced to choose between sleeping standing up and sleeping with the chickens and goats. They were getting little sleep, obviously, and were falling asleep in class. Hines Ugandan Ministries came into the picture, and decided to build them a brand new house. Complete with multiple rooms, cement walls, and a metal roof, this house provides them a safe and comfortable place to live. Just a week after Kantiza and his family moved into their new house, the entire roof of their hut collapsed. If they would have been inside, they would have died. Hines Ugandan Ministries didn’t just provide them with a house, but a home.
Meet Grace.
Grace is a little girl in elementary school with HIV. Before she was given a second chance, she was waiting to die. She was so sick that she could barely walk and couldn’t play. Her skin was falling off her bones, and she had no hope. Her father, knowing her mother died from HIV, and knowing Grace had HIV, hated Grace. He neglected her, and would lock her out, sometimes until 9 o’clock- way past dark. Hines Ugandan Ministries paid for her hospital visits, and she was slowly able to walk and eventually play. She now goes to Genesis Nursery and Primary School. No longer is she waiting to die, but she is living her life with joy. As she said, “I’m happy, I’m healthy, and I’m strong.”
These children inspire people from all over the world. Their overcoming is remarkable, but their backstory is not uncommon in Uganda and other third world countries. In my own visits, I have seen children with head fungus, bent feet, thousands of scabs, infected cuts, and clothes that are definitely not the right size and ripped- or none at all, in a toddler’s case. I’ve seen families struggling daily to meet their needs. I’ve heard horror stories of special needs children being tied up like goats, grandmas slicing their feet with hoes, single mothers raising five kids under the age of five. I’ve seen pots of alcohol with men sitting around them at all hours and breweries in mud huts. Currently, the mortality rate in Uganda has risen- not because of COVID-19, but because the roads are closed and people can’t get to the clinic. Food is scarce, and ministry is getting harder and harder. But guess what?
These people need you.
You can help them.
These are all the things my family have found very useful in helping Uganda and other third world countries.
We pray for them. You’d be surprised how much good can come from a simple, heartfelt prayer. These people, in the poorest of the poor communities, are joyful and happy. Because God is with them. They love God with all their hearts and will walk miles to come to church- which is packed. Children sit on the balcony, outside, or on the stage while an old grandma walks between the rows with a stick to keep them quiet, while their parents sit in homemade benches and plastic lawn chairs. These people are always praising God, turning to Him and trusting Him in times of need, and praying. God calls us to pray daily, so why wouldn’t we add adorable children and sweet old grandmas to our prayer lists?
We sponsor a child via One More Child. They have given us the opportunity to give a child an education, food, clothing, medical supplies, and the love that she needs. Our own foster child is Felista. I’ve had the privilege of meeting her once in my life, and I am waiting to meet her again. The first time we met her, she was shy and quiet. I want to see how she’s grown, and how our sponsoring her has changed her. She’s breaking out of the cycle of poverty, and we pray she will grow up to be amazing citizen of her country, and help children and families like her. We know foreigners cannot change Uganda. But educated children, like Felista, can.
We raise awareness in our community. So many people would be willing to help if only they knew. Neighbors, church members, Aunts and Uncles, nice old men- we wouldn’t know who will help until we ask them. My mom post on Instagram, my dad posts on Facebook, and I post on Write the World. I’ve spoken at churches before and made slideshows. We talk about Uganda while visiting with our neighbors or going to dinner with our families. Opportunities arise everyday for us to raise awareness for these people who need a voice. And we snatch them.
We try to donate money to organizations and fundraisers that give children and their families a chance to live. Food, clothes, and medical supplies are all things that need to be bought. We donate supplies too- clothes, toys, food, anything. We’ve recruited our old sewing group to make T-Shirt dresses, shorts, and reusable pads. We donate our old toys that are well loved but still good. Every donation we give can help a person in need.
We go on a mission trips! (With One More Child and Hines Ugandan Ministries.) Yes, it may seem impossible, but plenty of people do it. I’ve been on four mission trips myself, and I can’t wait to go again! My mom and I made custom canvases to sell to help with the cost, and we started sending quarterly newsletters to people, if you were wondering how we raised the money. Mission trips are so eye opening, and have given us a brand new way to look at life. It has helped me build relationships with people in Uganda, and has even made me decide to move there one day. I get to teach at schools, serve food to children, teach Sunday School, AWANA, or the Women’s Bible Meeting, help with crafts, give out clothes, and love. Everyone should go on a mission trip some day, I think.
Even as teenagers, we can do something to help. Maybe you can’t sponsor a child or go on a mission trip- but there are so many things that children and teens can do.
We can make an impact.
We can save lives.
We can give second chances.
We can change the world.
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