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St. Elizabeth Girls Academy culinary student smiling at camera

The holidays are upon us and busy days have begun – making plans, cooking, shopping, wrapping presents and trying to make sure everyone is happy. Some days it seems like no matter how much you get done, the ‘to-do’ list never ends.

No matter how busy you are, remember to relax, breathe and take time for yourself. Reflect on your blessings and everything you have to be thankful for. Carve time out of your schedule to help others. Giving to others in need will awaken something deep in your soul and fill a special part in your heart that you didn’t know was empty.

St. Elizabeth Girls Academy culinary student smiling at camera

A large part of my life path has been growing a peaceful existence; one that allows me to make a difference in the world, paving a path to better the lives of children brings me the utmost amount of peace. It brings my heart a world of peace and much joy to offer less fortunate children stability to allow them the opportunity to act like children and experience a ‘peace of mind.’

Peace starts within you. Without your inner peace, outer peace is impossible. I find this to be the number one lesson I have learned from the kids we serve in our orphanages and schools. Life is hard. It’s not always smiles. These kids came from some of the toughest places imaginable. Homeless, hungry, lacking education or family support. Through all their hardships, they stood strong in the face of adversity, and they envisioned a better life for themselves. They did not give up. They will not give up.

With all of the conflict in the world, we need to bring more giving and peace into our lives, no matter how large or small. In a blink of an eye we’ll be celebrating the start of a new year, and I hope it brings you vision, clarity, and strength. I hope you can stand strong to face the obstacles in your way. I hope you can find the strength to do the things you think you can’t, and continue doing the things you know you can.

Taking a lesson from our kids, I resolve to stand strong. I resolve to stand strong in all that I do. I resolve to stand strong for others who need the hand up, by continuing to continue raising money and fighting for orphaned children in Uganda.

Will you resolve to stand strong with me? Stand strong for yourself and for the less fortunate. Find a charity, family, or individual to help this holiday season: whether it’s buying someone’s groceries, making a donation, or volunteering your time for a good cause.

In Gratitude and Love,
Cristen Lyn

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Red beaded necklace and blue owl statue

Want to give your loved one something truly special this Valentine’s Day? Our beads of hope necklaces are a unique, lovely statement piece that directly helps the women of Uganda.

These beads are made from recycled magazines that are then carefully strung together to create a one-of-a-kind, eco-friendly piece of art. They are handmade by the women of Uganda, and the proceeds from these necklaces go directly back to the community. Our beads of hope are another way we are trying to help build the community from within and help break the cycle of poverty.

Red beaded necklace and blue owl statue

The beads are called kambulagos, and they are a popular business venture for women of Africa, the Caribbean, and many other countries. We have purchased our beads directly from the woman of Uganda, and the proceeds of each necklace support both St. Elizabeth’s Academy and the Kankobe Children’s Home. Not only are these beads a wonderful gift, but they’ll also give your loved one a taste of Ugandan culture.

Valentine’s Day isn’t exclusively about romantic love, it’s also about the love you bring into a community and the world. The women and children we work with at Hope for Hearts have so much to give to the world, but it takes your support to help them share it. These beads of hope give the woman of Uganda the gift of a future.

Get your handmade necklace today!

Sending love, hope and happiness.
Cristen Lyn

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They say the best way to understand a culture is through the cuisine, and we believe this to be wholeheartedly true.

The importance and independence of cooking is why Hope for Hearts has created a culinary training program for our girls at St. Elizabeth’s Academy. The girls are trained in practical cooking experience to help provide a valuable skill to their local communities upon graduation. Many alumni have fulfilled their dreams of opening their own food stands.

Ugandan food varies from the simplistic to the exciting. The basics being a type of maize porridge called ugali served with a peanut stew and topped with chicken, goat or tiger fish.

Their national dish is one of the oldest in the world and one of the most versatile. The matooke, a green banana found in East Africa, is considered a staple of most diets. Unlike traditional bananas, the flavor is savory like a plantain, making them perfect as a focal point for many meals. They are usually served boiled and mashed alongside stews.

Some Ugandan street food favorites are barbequed meat on a stick (Muchomo), African donuts (Mandazi), and samosas. The influence of Indian cuisine is prominent in Uganda due to the large immigrant population in the country.

The most popular street food dish is a rolled egg called a rolex. It begins with 2-3 eggs that are cooked like an omelet and is then stuffed with cabbage, tomato and onion. It is then combined with a chapati before serving.

The recipe we have chosen is a spicy banana curry that gives you a taste of Uganda with a fuller, more exciting flavor. The original recipe says to serve it over basmati rice, but if you want a more authentic meal, you can pair it with ugali instead.

Spicy Banana Curry

Ingredients:

  • 1/3 cup sunflower seed oil
  • 2 onions, diced
  • ½ cup curry powder
  • 1 ½ tablespoons ground cumin
  • 4 teaspoons ground turmeric
  • 1 ¼ teaspoons salt
  • 1 teaspoon white sugar
  • 1 tablespoon ground ginger
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 ¼ teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1 ½ teaspoons ground black pepper
  • 4 teaspoons curry paste
  • 8 cloves garlic, pressed
  • 1 (10 ounce) can tomato sauce
  • 2/3 cup plain yogurt
  • 2 bananas, diced
  • 3 tomatoes, chopped
  • ¼ cup flaked coconut

Directions

  1. Heat the sunflower oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.
  2. Stir in onions, and cool until they are translucent and soft (about 5 minutes).
  3. Sprinkle in curry powder, cumin, turmeric, salt, sugar, ginger, chili powder, cinnamon and black pepper.
  4. Cook and stir until fragrant (about 1 minute).
  5. Stir in the curry paste and pressed garlic.
  6. Cook for about 1 minute.
  7. Pour in the tomato sauce and yogurt, bring to a simmer.
  8. Stir in the diced banana, and simmer gently for 3 minutes.
  9. Mix in chopped tomatoes and continue to simmer for another minute.
  10. Stir in the coconut flakes just before serving.

We hope you enjoy your taste of Ugandan culture. We believe our training programs set our children up for success, and helps break the cycle of poverty. If you would like to sponsor a child please visit our donation page.

Peace and Love,
Cristen Lyn

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Group of children at St Elizabeths Girl School

In just a few days we’ll be celebrating not only the start of a new year, but a new decade. 2020 will be a momentous year, and I hope it brings you vision, clarity, peace, and strength. I hope you can stand strong to face the obstacles in your way. I hope you can find the strength to do the things you think you can’t, and continue doing the things you know you can.

Group of children at St Elizabeths Girl School

I find this to be the number one lesson I have learned from the kids we serve in our orphanages and schools. Life is hard. It’s not always smiles. These kids came from some of the toughest places imaginable. Homeless, hungry, lacking education or family support. Through all their hardships, they stood strong in the face of adversity, and they envisioned a better life for themselves. They did not give up. They will not give up.

There are many children in our schools that are now happy to be in a home with a roof over their heads, a new familial bond with our staff and friends made at the school. They can once again begin to smile. But it’s not all smiles all the time. They still have memories of where they came from. They still face struggles learning the unknown. And while they may cry tears of sadness or frustration, they are really watering the seeds you’re planting for their future.

With your donation, you can help provide the seeds of knowledge to these children. Instead of crying alone on the streets, they can cry in the comfort and loving arms of our nuns, teachers and counselors. They can feel loved, supported, and most of all safe. They can let the tears out, then with amazing resilience that only a kid can have, they pick themselves up, go back to the books, and stand strong to build a better future for themselves.

As everyone is finalizing their New Year’s resolutions, I find myself thinking about mine. Taking a lesson from our kids, I resolve to stand strong. I resolve to stand strong in all that I do. I resolve to stand strong for others who need the hand up, by continuing to continue raising money and fighting for orphaned children in Uganda.

Will you resolve to stand strong with me? Stand strong for yourself and for the less fortunate.

Wishing you peace and happiness in the new year,
Cristen Lyn

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Recently I shared some insights on birthdays that were turned into national holidays. We discussed a few great, well-known, world leaders who earned a holiday in their honor. Jesus, Gandhi, George Washington, Martin Luther King Jr. If you haven’t had a chance to read that blog, take a look here.

I want to share another story about an ordinary person, who became so extraordinary they too, were honored with a day for their life’s work – A. P. J. Abdul Kalam.

Avila Pakir Jainulabdeen (A. P. J.) Abdul Kalam was a well-loved and prominent political figure in India, having served as President from 2002-2007. But his path to the presidency was far from easy. His father was a ferry owner and imam of a local mosque, and his mother was a housewife. He was the youngest of 5 siblings. While his ancestors were at one time wealthy, they eventually lost their family fortune. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam’s family became so poor that from an early age he had to sell newspapers to help pay for his education and take care of his family.

Kalam worked and studied his way through good education and eventually graduated in Aerospace Engineering from Madras Institute of Technology. He served as the project director of India’s first Satellite Launch Vehicle (SLV II), and was Principal Scientific Advisor to the Government of India. He was widely known as “The People’s President,” and dedicated much of his life to education, writing and public service. He wrote several books and spent every moment he could speaking with students from remote villages to big universities.

There’s no doubt that A. P. J. Abdul Kalam would not have been as successful in his life if he hadn’t worked so hard to support his own education as a child. And you can tell he knew it by his dedication to teaching the next generation of students from all walks of life. His story has served as an inspiration for millions of students, and will continue to do so for years to come. For his dedication to education, in

2010 the United Nations named October 15 “World Students’ Day” in honor of A. P. J. Abdul Kalam’s birthday.

In every student there is a future leader. From political figures to educators, scientists to small business owners, every leader has a role to play in making the world a better place. The American Dream has always been about turning rags into riches through hard work and dedication. What is often taken for granted in this scenario is access to at minimum a basic education. If you can’t learn to read and write, perform basic math tasks, etc. Your chances of finding a vocation that will lift you up in life becomes extraordinarily harder.

For country’s that are experiencing major atrocities on the home front, such as India or Africa, education most often takes a major back seat to securing basic necessities such as finding food and shelter. For every child that does not have access to education, the cycle of poverty continues. Whether it’s traditional or vocational, education is a barrier to entry to lifting children up from poverty to prosperity.

So in honor of World Students’ Day, won’t you help us take away this barrier for more children in the world? By making a donation to Hope for Hearts, you are providing the tools our kids desperately need to take them off the streets and give them a hand up to be the best leaders they can be in their community.

Donate Today

Humbly Yours,
Cristen Lyn