Speak Up!
“Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves; ensure justice for those being crushed. Yes, speak up for the poor and helpless, and see that they get justice.”
–Proverbs 31:8-9 (NLT)
Survival is often what dictates the actions of people facing extreme poverty. How can one dream of the future or think about any long-term plans when she is simply trying to find something to eat or a place to sleep?
This is exactly what happened to Juliet, years ago when she had completed Secondary 4 with her ordinary diploma. She did have dreams back then, dreams of completing her schooling and receiving her advanced diploma so she could go to university. She may have had dreams of her mother growing old and being there for her when she had her own children with a loving husband. Then, these dreams dwindled when her single mother became extremely ill and passed away, leaving Juliet without the means to finish school or even provide for herself. She felt at that time the only answer was to get married.
The man she married changed drastically as addiction and violence took over his life. He refused to care for his wife and two young boys, using all their resources to fuel his addiction. He turned on his wife, physically abusing her day after day, something which is tragically common in Uganda.
Thankfully, she had the courage to walk away, knowing that she had to protect her children and find a way to provide for them. She eventually was hired by one of our partner schools, Alpha Primary School, where she provides manual labor, proving to be diligent at work and at home.
Our Ugandan staff were moved in their hearts by her story and registered her son, Abraham for sponsorship. The waiting must have been painful for Juliet and Abraham, wondering if he would ever have the opportunity to reach his potential and trusting that God had not forgotten them. In fact, Abraham waited for an entire year and then just last week, he was sponsored! We rejoice with Juliet and Abraham, knowing that sponsorship will make all the difference in his life!
In October, while in Uganda, I received 27 new child registrations for sponsorship, each child with a unique story and difficult circumstances (like Abraham's). We so desire to see these children receive an opportunity to become all that God created them to be, to experience hope, and to know the depths of His everlasting love and grace!
Would you consider giving a child a new opportunity as we approach the New Year? It is a simple, relatively small investment creating lasting change in Uganda. May we "speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves"!