TRUE Action

This morning John and I made a small commitment to help, to change, to grow. I went to a brunch this morning in support of a friend's nonprofit - TRUE Action. I've known Staci for a little over a year, and while I vaguely knew she and her sister started a school in Uganda, I had the pleasure of learning the extent of their selflessness today. Needless to say, I left with a gigantic lump in my throat and hope in my heart. The work they're doing is truly moving. The entire story is detailed on their website (http://trueaction.org/greaterstory), but the short and sweet of it? Staci played on a soccer team with a guy Anlo. He traveled to Uganda to film and met a 21 year old refugee, Kalenga. Staci and Anlo sponsored Kalenga through University, and once he finished school, he decided to give back by educating the children in the rural community Kamuli Uganda where there was truly no option for education. Kalenga, Staci and friends started extremely small with $2000 and 50 students. The Ugandan community built desks and furniture, and with the money donated, Staci and Kalenga bought the students new clothes, toiletries and school supplies. Since 2006, they've grown into the non-profit TRUE Action with 100% of donations going to the school. Currently, they educate 154 students. They've hired a head mistress, three teachers and are now housed in an eight-room school house. They've added a "grade" every year except for this year because they are out of space and funds, so the 8 and 9 year olds graduated at the end of December. And as you can imagine, graduating is actually a sad time for these students because they will begin working. So what did I do? What can you do?

Because there were still many students needing sponsorship for the school year, John and I chose to sponsor 4 cute kiddos. I picked their pictures from the pile today and look forward to corresponding with them throughout the year. The cost per student is $69 which covers their schooling and includes two meals/day for the year - all $69 goes directly to the school. Once you sponsor a student you get their picture and their name and can correspond as little or as much as you'd like. And if you choose you may continue sponsoring the same students from year to year. Obviously, the immediate need is to get all students sponsored, so if you'd like to sponsor a student, please visit trueaction.org/sponsorastudent and donate.

True Action's long-term business plan and ultimate goal is to buy land in Uganda, build a bigger school, gardens, and a library for the students, enabling them to educate more students and impact more of the community. The cost to buy the land and build a school is $25,000, and while they've been able to get grants from organizations like the Michael and Susan Dell Foundation to put towards food, they have not been able to get any real corporate backing. If you know of any business (or an individual) that might be interested please let me know.

And if neither of these options are appealing, consider hosting a brunch, like the one I went to today, for your friends. They ask for a $20 donation at the door, provide breakfast, and do a short presentation on True Action. Afterwards, if people choose, they can look through the pictures and sponsor a child or make a donation to the organization. Let me know if you're interested, and I'll work on coordinating with Staci.

Honestly, I can't totally pinpoint why this moved me like it did this morning except that Staci and her husband are in the same boat as John and me, but no matter their circumstances, they are doing something impactful. And I think it's amazingly humble that Staci's doing life-changing work but doesn't, not even once, boast or brag. And I left marveling at how the world works - playing on a soccer team led to all of this. It just kind of blows my mind. I know there are many, many things at home, practically in my own backyard that I could be putting my time and energy towards, but something about TRUE Action’s message, motivation and need made my heart swell today. Many of the other moms at brunch mentioned sponsoring kids for their own children, using it as a teaching moment to educate their kids on selflessness, gratitude, and giving back to the world around you. And while I know Charlie will have no idea why there are African children pictured in his room right now, I hope he grows up knowing them and understanding the importance of giving, even if you don't have much to give. 

Starting top left and moving clockwise -
Fahad, Moises, Shila, Neri