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Community. What does that word mean to you? Is your community comprised of the geographical block that you live in? Perhaps your community knows no physical boundaries but is tied by a group of people coming together for a common goal? A community takes shape in many different forms. Let’s explore and discuss our community in this week.

com·mu·ni·ty
kəˈmyo͞onədē/
noun

  1. a group of people living in the same place or having a particular characteristic in common.
  2. a feeling of fellowship with others, as a result of sharing common attitudes, interests, and goals.

With more than 7.5 Billion people, planet earth is the largest community that we know; billions of people joining in one common goal of survival. Within that community exists several smaller communities. People joined together over common interests, workplace, and residence, this list goes on.

Last week we talked about the achievements we can reach when individuals work together towards common goals. This upcoming week the stage is set for individuals around the world to come together and decide what one of those common goals should be.

On July 11 the global community celebrates world population day. Developed by the United Nations to enhance awareness of population issues, including their relations to the environment and development, the first World Population Day was observed in 1990, and continues to be a global community gathering to this day.

This year the UN will host a summit based on Family Planning. According to the UN’s website “Around the world, some 225 million women who want to avoid pregnancy are not using safe and effective family planning methods, for reasons ranging from lack of access to information or services to lack of support from their partners or communities. Most of these women with an unmet demand for contraceptives live in 69 of the poorest countries on earth.”

This is an ongoing issue for women in Uganda. In a young country where political turmoil, disease, war, death, and poverty have dominated lives of its citizens, the adult population has been rapidly decreasing; leaving the next generation of the country’s citizens lacking adult mentors and familial support systems.

The nation is now one of the “youngest” nations of the world with more than half of the population being under 15 years old. With a lack of adults to care for the children, they need our help now more than ever. There are too many orphaned children in Uganda without proper education or a means of survival. Forced into prostitution just to barely survive. Many young girls are not properly educated about family planning and even if they are, they may not have access to family planning methods when they struggle to provide basic necessities for themselves.

By taking away the pressure to find such necessities including food, water, clothing and shelter we are freeing our students minds to focus on receiving a good education so they can turn into the future leaders. You can do your part to help raise the future leaders of Uganda, and the world, by making a donation today.

Peace, Love and Kindness,
Cristen

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On this day in 1776 America’s founding fathers signed the Declaration of Independence officially stating the 13 colonies were no longer going to be part of the British Empire; and thus, the United States of America was born. In honor of our nation’s 241st birthday, I thought it would be fun to discuss independent this special holiday edition of the Weekend Word.
 
in·de·pend·ent
ˌindəˈpendənt/
adjective
  1. free from outside control; not depending on another’s authority.
  2. not depending on another for livelihood or subsistence.

Whether you’re uniting as a group to declare independence from another entity, such as our founding fathers did many years ago, or an individual seeking the ability to make your own choices and live life as you wish, just about everyone longs for independence in their life. Many songs, motivational quotes, books, movies and more have been written on the topic. Stories of longing for freedom, motivation, and words of wisdom to help you along the journey, and stories of success have been told in entertainment avenues throughout the ages. It seems that independence is something that everybody seeks in one form or another.
James Cash “J.C.” Penney, founder of J.C. Penney stores once said: “The best teamwork comes from men who are working independently towards one goal in unison.” I know he was probably talking about how employees or groups of people can come together to achieve one common goal for the group. However, I think this quote has a lot more meaning to it. We can all work on individual goals that lead to one larger goal. For example, our children are all working on gaining skills and knowledge in different occupational avenues. Their individual goal is to one day provide a better life for themselves. In doing so, they’re also contributing to a larger group goal of Uganda as a fledgling nation. The nation is striving to improve its quality of life by increasing employment, education, income, etc. decreasing violence and poverty. Every step that these kids take towards independence is another step in contributing to the nation’s common goal for improvement. They are men and women working independently towards one goal in unison.
You can join our team and help them reach their goals by making a donation today. While we’re taking the time to be thankful for our independence, and showing gratitude for those who gave it to us, let’s also pay it forward and help others in need gain their independence too. For those of us who have it, every day is Independence Day.
With Gratitude,
Cristen
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Have you reviewed your insurance policies lately? Today may be a good day to do so as its National Insurance Awareness Day. So let’s take a look at the word insurance and how it relates to our children in  this week’s weekend word.

in·sur·ance
inˈSHo͝orəns/

noun

  1. a practice or arrangement by which a company or government agency provides a guarantee of compensation for specified loss, damage, illness, or death in return for payment of a premium.
  2. a thing providing protection against a possible eventuality.

Taking a look at the first definition, there are several forms of insurance provided by a variety of companies. From health to auto, home, rental, pet, life insurance, etc. it feels like these days there’s insurance for everything. And if it’s not covered by an insurance policy there’s most likely a warranty or guarantee.

Although some might think that some types of insurance as we know it ought to be a right, the truth as it stands – it is a luxury that not everyone in the world can afford. Even if an orphaned kid in Uganda could have insurance, it would be a luxury they cannot afford when they struggle to find shelter at night, food to eat, or clothes to wear.

Now look at the second definition. Yes, you can be their insurance. 

By sponsoring a child, you can ensure that they will receive a roof over their head, clothes on their back, food in their bellies, a warm and loving environment filled with friends who become family, and an opportunity to gain an education that will lift them from poverty to prosperity.

For $20 a month, you can be the insurance policy for an orphaned child in need. It’s easy. Click on the donate button below, select to donate $20/month or a 1x $240 donation, enter your payment information and a child in need will receive our services for one year.

So I leave you with this… To insure, or not to insure – is it really a question?

With Gratitude,
Cristen

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It’s time for another weekend word and I though this week we’d tackle forgiveness. It’s a powerful word, and its use or nonuse can make a huge impact on our lives.

for·give·ness
ˌfərˈɡivnəs/

noun

  1. the action or process of forgiving or being forgiven

Oftentimes we find ourselves at the crossroad of forgiveness; a time in our life where we have an opportunity to choose whether or not to forgive someone, or perhaps ourselves, for transgressions and wrongdoings. Many may choose to “forgive and forget,” but sometimes that’s not always possible. Sometimes we have to pick one; and neither is an easy task.

So which do you pick – forgive or forget?

For our kids, their journey starts with forgiveness. While living as orphans on the streets they have had to do some unthinkable, possibly immoral and illegal things just to survive. Some may have had to steal or were forced into prostitution; others may have been recruited by the rebel army at a young age and forced to murder. Having lack of family support and a means to take care of themselves, they are forced into some of the worst situations just to attain basic life necessities and struggle to survive.

These experiences can really take a toll on one’s conscious – especially for children. They know there is a better way, but they don’t have the tools to get there. Not only is this frustrating, it leaves these children feeling heartbroken and demoralized. Their battles are not just physical; they’re mental too. And while we can take every measure to provide them with a better life, a way of achieving a good education, an opportunity to change their lives for the better forever, forgiveness has to start within themselves.

Our students journey to a better life starts at the crossroads of forgive and forget. And while they can never forget the life that they came from, they have an incredible ability to work towards forgiving themselves and start working towards building a brighter, better future.

“The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.” – Mahatma Gandhi

So the next time you’re at the crossroad of forgive & forget – which will you choose?

Many blessing for a bright future,
Cristen

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If you’ve been paying attention to pop culture news, surely you’ve heard that Monopoly will soon be retiring its thimble – that small metal cap used to protect the finger from the needle while sewing. During a fan vote earlier this year, the thimble was the first to be ousted from the current token lineup, following the 2013 retirement of the Iron. It seems that being a seamstress is not a popular career choice in the industrialized countries these days.

Since today is World Sewing Machine Day, I thought I’d spend some time talking about the importance of this soon-to-be forgotten trade. The tailor/seamstress trade has been around since at least the 16th century – back before sewing machine’s existed. During the Industrial Revolution, the trade took on even more prominence with the invention of the sewing machine, which made it easier and faster to sew fabric together for a variety of purposes.

With industrialized countries becoming more and more reliant on science, technology, business, hospitality, etc. knowledge and use of traditional industrial trades like sewing and manufacturing are being moved to other developing countries. With them, they take the forgotten symbols of trades of the past that had provided people with a means of earning income for centuries; hence the recent loss of the iron and thimble as Monopoly tokens.

However, in other parts of the world the seamstress/tailoring trades are alive and well. In fact, Uganda is known for its culture of handcrafted products, and this trade provides girls with a substantial income-generating career. That’s why we developed the Seamstress in Training program. To provide orphaned girls in Uganda with the necessary skills to work at a trade that helps lift them from poverty to prosperity.

Before coming to St. Elizabeth’s Girls Academy, many of our girls lived on the streets begging, prostituting, and doing anything they could to obtain just the basic necessities of life. But they envisioned a better life for themselves. They dreamed of one day being self-sufficient and able to afford the things they need in life without having to beg or subject themselves to unthinkable tasks. The girls work diligently through our Seamstress in Training program and learn the necessary skills to do what it takes to live independent, fulfilling lives.

The program has been met with much success as many Alumnae, like Najjuuko Resty “Kalisizo,” have gone on to be successful self-employed business owners. None of this would be possible without the invention of the sewing machine.  So while the sewing machine may soon become a thing of the past here in the states – it still plays a vital part of the world economy in other countries.

I’ll leave you with this last thought. “Beautiful things come together one stitch at a time.”

With Peace and Love,
Cristen