WE NEED YOUR ASSISTANCE

Life is suddenly moving faster here than I can write. The day I visited Agnes and her siblings, I learned that the Ugandan government would be providing free bed nets to all citizens starting this September, effectively ending my original project idea of providing nets through the SACCO. As one door closes, another opens; the children, the little family of abused, neglected orphans, have since become my project, in fact my life. And they need a lot of help. I hope that you will join me in completely changing their lives.

My ultimate goal is to build them a home and provide them with some land for farming and piggery (labor done by other paid workers of course). I want them to be sustainable, to have their food, shelter and education paid for without ongoing assistance. At present, the Balazas and I have taken over their care. Ester has committed to being their new mummy, but making less than 50 cents a day means she can only provide love and guidance, nothing material. Thus far I have paid for their medication, basic household items, clothing, and this term’s schooling and related supplies. The boy, however, needs surgery immediately on his leg.

We have consulted two orthopedic surgeons in Kampala who have each provided the same diagnosis and treatment plan; the boy suffers from a bone infection that is oozing out of his skin, most likely contracted from his dirty environment. Upon removing the dead bone surgically and completing his regimen of antibiotics, both doctors have assured us that he will be able to function normally within a matter of weeks. I was ecsatatic because I thought he might have to lose his leg.

His sisters have sprung back to life with proper food, shelter and lots of love. Richard is still suffering; lameness affecting his self-esteem and ability to make friends, pain taunting his mind and heart. Occasionally he will break into a smile, but mostly he sits uncomfortably as the girls happily acclimate to their new lives.

His treatment costs, including the surgery, hospital stay, and medication, will be approximately $800. I hope you will consider donating. The donation link is above to the right. I am using PayPal to collect funds, so donating will require an account, which only takes a couple of minutes to establish if you don't already have one.

We are planning to have the operation within the next two weeks, so the money is needed as soon as possible. For those of you who happen upon this blog post later, I will continue to fundraise after his surgery for the children’s other needs, the total price of this project running into the thousands.

If you have any questions, or concerns, please contact me. Of course, 100% of your donations are going directly to the children, there are no overhead costs and I can assure you that these children are truly needy, if you couldn’t already gather from my pictures and descriptions. I will continue to provide updates on the children’s progress and more information on the project goals, so please check out the blog (there is a new post below). Admittedly I am biased, but theirs is an incredible story and I hope you will become a part of it. Thank you in advance!