Take a moment to think about your teenage years... Did you have a person who you felt comfortable talking about the difficult areas of your life? Did you have a positive community to grow alongside? Did you have someone teaching you about the kinds of changes to expect as you grow? Life as a teenager is hard enough, right? So… it’s hard to imagine what the youth in Uganda were forced to walk through during two years of school closures, due to the pandemic.
For many, temptation and hopelessness crept into their lives. The lack of community left them to believe that they had to face life’s challenges alone. Challenges such as teen pregnancy became a reality for so many.
But… YOU stepped in, making it possible for us to gather the youth in our program and speak TRUTH and HOPE over their lives. We saw such a hunger for discipleship and relationship!
Through these gatherings, HEARTS and MINDS were TRANSFORMED!
Now, students have returned to school and we have the incredible opportunity to pour out to the youth in AND outside of our program! What a privilege it is for our team to reach more youth through your generosity!
This past month, we sent teams to a few different high schools in the community. We spoke about the topics that many adults and teachers in Uganda struggle to discuss.
What seemed like basic knowledge to us was completely new information to so many of the students… things like hormones and changes in their body. They were ENGAGED and unafraid to ask questions. They were HUNGRY for knowledge and felt safe to learn from our team!
One of our interns shared:
Spending time with teenagers at the high school outreach was a curve ball. I anticipated bored looks on faces, doodling on paper, and a general “whatever” response. However, to my surprise, they were engaged and attentive.
We were there to talk about their bodies, relationships, and their value. I quickly realized this may be the first time many of them are even hearing about their bodies. Some of these girls stay home from school during their periods having nothing to sit on but cardboard. Others are navigating friendships and relationships that we have all been in the middle of- but no one has shared their experience with them to guide them, support them, or validate them.
And to think of the young men and women who don’t have access to education or the community of support… the thought is heartbreaking. That saying “knowledge is power” couldn’t be any more true. Sponsoring these kids as they grow and mature ensures they are filled with that power of knowing who they are, developing the gifts in them, and going after those dreams.
It brings tears to our eyes knowing the difference that sponsorship is making in the lives of our students. Whether they’re 5 years old or 15, they’re learning that their bodies are created by God. They’re receiving guidance that simply doesn’t exist in the majority of schools and homes.
Like you, we believe that these students deserve an opportunity to receive an education. We partner with the parents/guardians to provide financial, emotional, and spiritual assistance in raising their own children. Our hope is that the youth in our program will learn how LOVED and VALUED they are!
We have a few wonderful children in our program who have never been sponsored before or are in need of more sponsors... For $39 a month YOU can remind a child that they are not alone through your sponsorship.