I've just had the most amazing
experience, meeting some of the poorest of the poor, the neediest of the
needy and loving on children from the depths of Northern Uganda. I will
never forget these little tribal children nor will I ever forsake them
in their desperate need. We will immediately begin a sponsorship program
with these children and I'll let all of you know soon how you can help.
Their faces will haunt me forever.
I bought them 100 kilo sacks of
rice, maize beans and posha, soap and salt. They get no meat protein.
All are riddled with parasitic infections in their little intestinal
systems. I love these children now and I cannot imagine their life
without our help. We must do more. They have qualified nurses but
absolutely no medicines.
These children do not go to school,
sleep in mud/thatch roof huts, haul water on their heads for miles and
yet they are joyful. This by far has been the most humbling trip I've
ever been on. I want you to know these children and help me pray for
them. Their clothing was barely together, tattered rags. They are cared
for by a community granny and two nurses who love them. This orphanage
was founded and solely supported by a 24 year old former child soldier
who cannot stand to see the children lost and without someone to care.
They sang and danced and drummed and
told song stories to me. Although there was a language barrier the
laughter filled the sweltering Ugandan air. They were joyful. Yet they
had nothing. They were behaved. They were shy and lovely.
I had a disturbing mail regarding the
orphans residing in Pader District today. My children are sick.
When I arrived in Northern Uganda what I
found there broke my heart. There are thousands of children tragic victims of dozens of family
members adults and children abducted and forcibly turned into soldiers, or
brutally killed by the LRA (Lords Resistance Army) The AIDS epidemic has
also orphaned hundreds of thousands of children there along with the
desperate conditions that invite illness. The conditions for the orphans
and in the IDP (Displacement Camps) are deplorable. Dirty water,
walking for miles for food and water. No medical care. Everything is
filthy. Only means of living is simply to survive to the next day. That
is a huge task and almost impossibility each day. Before I arrived the
children were maybe getting one meal a day. Yet they were so joyful.
These children are being cared for by a very special young man. I will later tell you about how we can help him to help the children but first I want you to know what the children desire:When I asked the children if they had questions for me, one raised her
hand and jumped up and asked, "mama will you help us?"
Tearfully my resounding answer, yes!Little Miracles/Dream of a Child
needs your help.
Twenty lovely orphaned children
of the Acholi Tribe from 3 and up are in serious need. Total
desperation. They have food only for 3 more weeks.
They have no clothing but what is on
their backs, and some of their little bottoms were out of the clothing
due to the seams not holding up. Their clothing is ripped apart. They
are riddled with various parasites, typhoid, cholera, HIV and filthy
situations. Their conditions are worse than you can see on television
commercials assisting children in Africa. There are two qualified nurses
caring for these children but absolutely no medicine for them to use if
the children get sick. They suffer in silence with no one to love them.
I'm about to change all of that.
We now have children sick. This is a
matter of life and death for them. If they become dehydrated or weak,
the nurses must put them on their backs and walk 18 kilometers to help.
These children are so very rural.
I will be purchasing first-line medical
kits to be put together in Kampala, Uganda and then shipped up by bus to
the children this week. In these kits will be Typhoid and Cholera
medication, antibiotics, anti-parasitic medication, anti-febrile
medication, fungal cream for infections, first aid supplies antibiotic
ointments and bandages and HIV first line medications. I will prepare
the children for individual evaluations if I get enough donations.
I also plan on having a mobile ambulance
built that they can put on a bicycle so they can get children to
medical care quickly. The other alternative we do not want to think
about. These children deserve someone's love and care!
If you can only donate a couple of
dollars this will help so very much. I appreciate anything you can do to
help. God bless you all.Click here and Donate Now! Your donation will go directly to assist the children and will be tax-deductible.