There is an age old saying that melds perfectly with the Hope for Hearts mission. “If you give a man a fish you feed him for a day. If you teach a man to fish you feed him for a lifetime.”
The basis of St. Elizabeth Girls Academy (SEGA) is to teach girls skills that will give them the ability to live on their own successfully. We are here to teach, not create a dependency. Giving our girls the tools to succeed is the utmost priority. Yes we do provide food and shelter for the short term, but as the girls move through the program they gain valuable skills for the long term. Just like your home or mine, the girls must abide by the rules of the home, and contribute with chores, along with keeping up with their studies and religion courses.
For example, Kalisizo discovered a passion for sewing during her time at SEGA. She gained key skills to become a tailor. When the time came to leave SEGA, friends of Father Mugagga Lule provided her with a sewing machine. Kalisizo is now self-employed, living in St. Balikuddembe.
This is an amazing story of resilience. Kalisizo had the determination to walk away from begging by day and prostituting by night. She did not want to fall into the cycle of life that she knew – Kalisizo lost her mother to HIV/AIDS and her alcoholic father to living on the streets. Father Mugagga gave her a choice: continue living life on the street or move to SEGA, where following rules are not only mandatory; but a key to the education process.
Kalisizo took on the challenge. Kalisizo is just one of hundreds of girls who want to lift themselves to a higher quality of life. Hope for Hearts and its partnership with SEGA provides these girls with the means to succeed. Your continued support teaches our girls to fish. I don’t know about you, but I am ready for some fishing.
Peace and Love,
Cristen
