In 2007, I was fortunate to visit the Children of Uganda, orphanage for a week. The experiance was life changing. I was moved beyond my wildest dreams...the love that COU provides to these vunerable and orphaned children was so touching. The children were so appreciative of everything. A student, Martha, stuck close to my side, my name partner...her many questions were mind boggling...but the one that forever touched my heart was "do you have stars in America?" Educating these children is essential for their continued growth as individuals, and as members in their village and country. I feel that I can do without a fancy coffee drink as day, for a year...which in turn pays for a child's education, clothing, medical, and food. As soon as we returned home, we began sponsoring a child...whom now is in vocational school. Without the support of COU, he would most likely would not be continuing his education to become a self-suffient person. We also were able to coordinate the COU Tour of Light- Freeport program. It was so wonderful to see some of the children which we met, sing and dance. There smiles never ended, and neither will ours.
I was a peace corps volunteer placed with Children of Uganda and lived at the primary school for 2.5 years. I was more than delighted when I met the the staff that work so extremely hard to give their students the best possible education. I met hundreds of students who were so grateful to their sponsors and donors for providing them with access to such wonderful opportunities. The students and staff inspired me and will continue to inspire me every day through my entire of life. Because of this I will continually support this organization for the rest of my life.
I've been a member of the COU board for three years now and I am excited to say that this year has been our most dynamic and exciting ever. We are uniquely effective at providing critical services to orphaned and vulnerable children in Uganda. I am proud to support COU and I urge everyone to do the same in whatever way they are able.
Children of Uganda is part of my family now. I volunteered with them for a year after college and the children touched my heart so much, with their beautiful music and dance, and just their wonderful spirits. This is a small organization and has a very personal touch. You can meet the kids when they come perform in the US on the Tour of Light every few years. And if you sponsor a child, you can build a personal relationship by writing letters to them.
I have been on the Board for 3 years now and serve as the Vice Chair. Children of Uganda changed my life and I am eternally grateful for the gift of relationships with so many wonderful kids.