Some stories stay with you.

There’s one in particular that a teammate in Uganda shared with me about a mother deep in a village with 3 small children. They were all so hungry. With no relief in sight, she had all but lost hope. In desperation, to help her crying and starving children go to sleep, she threw some stones into a boiling pot of water and told the children she was making beans.

And, the promise of food allowed their weary bodies to finally go to sleep.

I have no idea how she faced her children the next morning, but I have never forgotten that story nor will I ever.

While the pandemic rages on here, Uganda has been diligent in protecting their population from the virus – but tragically, not from hunger and deepening poverty. Our team in the US was informed very early on in the lockdown that our Ugandan families were suffering immensely from food insecurity.

On this side of the pond, we mobilized quickly in late March and began a campaign to raise funds for emergency food relief. We were absolutely blown away by the response we received. You and friends like you came through with flying colors. We surpassed our first fundraising goal and as a result – we were able to do a second round of food relief about a month later.

As the weeks continued to pass, the guardians in our program suffered financial hardships through job loss and failed businesses. Uganda stayed locked down through the summer for the most part. We didn’t know how a third round of fundraising for food relief would go, but we knew we had to try for our most vulnerable families.

Not only did we raise enough money for that third round of food relief – we were also able to raise money for mosquito repellent and mosquito nets, solar lamps so the children could study in the evening, dignity kits for older boys and girls and continued investment in our Income Generating Activities (IGAs).

When the airport in Entebbe opened in October, I immediately contacted my travel agent and asked her to book me a flight. I was able to travel on November 9th. Over the next four weeks, I spent the most meaningful time in my 12-year tenure as Executive Director with our children and their families.

One of the most memorable days came when I accompanied our Social Worker Rose and Ugandan Sponsorship Coordinator Angela to the field near our office in Kampala. We had the good fortune of visiting the group of women who are making composition books as their new IGA.

The joy and camaraderie amongst these women was palpable. They laughed, they shared stories of how their lives have been transformed as a result of participating in this project and they demonstrated how to put a book together from start to finish.

They meet twice a week and each woman has a goal of producing 25 books at each session. This particular type of composition book is used widely in Ugandan schools and we are confident they will continue to prosper with even more sales when the new school year starts in 2021. That same day, I was also able to meet two students in our program.

The first student I met was Edward. He lives with a paternal aunt and several relatives. When we walked up to their home, the aunt and another relative were peeling matoke (one of the staples in a Ugandan diet). The younger children were fascinated to see a Muzungu (white person) at their home.

Rose and Angela introduced me to both Edward and his aunt and they welcomed me with so much warmth and grace. One of the very first things his aunt shared with me was her immense gratitude for the food bundles they received from COU. She said that when Rose called her to inform her they would be dropping off the food, she had first thought it wasn’t true.

She thought, how can this organization in the midst of a global pandemic be able to feed my family?

But the food came on three different occasions and she shared that it made a huge difference in all the lives she is responsible for (and there are many). And, although Edward was quite shy, his face lit up and he smiled when his beloved auntie was sharing her joy and appreciation for all they had received from us over 2020.

For around $185 – we provided the entire family’s food necessities for over 5 months all thanks to the generosity of friends like you.

Before leaving, we were able to give Edward’s aunt a little money for her and the family. She was so overcome with happiness that she gave Edward the biggest hug I believe he’s ever had. She promised the entire family they would be enjoying meat that night – a luxury for the majority of Ugandans.

After meeting Edward and his family, we traveled a short distance to meet Christine and her mother. I recognized Christine’s mom immediately as a participant in the composition book IGA group. She is a single mom of four and has no support from the children’s father.

She was so excited to welcome me to her home and to have me meet her children. Christine is one of our sponsored students and has a smile that would light up the entire continent of Africa. She welcomed me with a big hug and the true Ugandan spirit of light.

Christine‘s mother – like Edwards auntie and so many others on my visit – could not stop thanking me for all they had been given during the pandemic. She shared how much the solar lantern had made a difference for Christine, as well as her in the evenings when they had no electricity. She shared that her family would’ve had to leave Kampala and move somewhere deep in the village to make ends meet if COU had not stood in the gap.

I will never be able to fully communicate how deeply grateful I am that – in our 25th year and in the midst of a global pandemic – you made tremendous investments and pivoted along with us as we adjusted to a new way of delivering services.

The story you wrote for so many families in 2020 is one of relief and we are ending this final chapter of the year with profound gratitude. You literally saved lives – there is no way to put a price tag on that blessing.

Students like Edward, Christine, and countless others pulled me aside whenever I visited their homes or schools and took my hand to say “thank you”. There were no requests for new shoes or new phones as I sometimes get. This time was different. This time our families were joined in unison around gratitude and how deeply thankful they were to their sponsors and our donors for giving them the gift of life.

On behalf of Edward, Christine and the hundreds of family members in our program, I want to wish you the happiest of holidays and a New Year filled with love, joy, health, peace and prosperity.

You are the real MVPs this year!