For the love of Liberty

This is something of a different blog for me, but an important one.
On Sunday I had one of those 'meant to be' moments. Let me explain....
I have for sometime wanted to sponsor a child who was living in abject poverty in Africa (or wherever), but the many searches I have made have never really assured me that any money I donated really will help a particular child. Many areas of Africa for example are rife with corruption and fraud and exploitation and I did not want to fuel that in anyway.

Last year a friend told me of three children she was supporting via a community project in Uganda. She receives regular school reports and letters and made contact with the lady who runs the project via social media and felt very happy that it was what it purported to be. Even better, last week she and her husband shut up their house and flew out to this remote area in Uganda to visit the place themselves and meet the children that they are supporting and to see how best they can help this desperate community..

Two days into their visit they happened upon Liberty, who was curled up on a mat on the hard mud floor which is the place she has slept every night since being a baby. Her mother is mentally ill, her father is absent and her Grandmother does her best to look after them both.

Liberty is four years old. She has to walk for three kilometres to fetch filthy water from a well which is the only source of water in the area. There are no toilets or sanitation. She desperately needed a sponsor .

I contacted Doreen Kanyunyuzi, who is the lady who runs the community project often just to help people simply get the basics they need for survival. I asked how I could sponsor Liberty and what the cost would be.

I was aghast to find out that for £200 I can sponsor her education for a whole year, buy her uniform and shoes for the year and so importantly get her a mattress to sleep on. £4 a week could potentially give this little soul a path out of the poverty that the lottery of life of life threw her way. I didn't hesitate......

Within 12 hours the money was safely in Doreen's hand and my friend went along with her to tell the family the news. 

hey sobbed.

Sunday was the first anniversary of my Mums death. She is a woman who I miss immeasurably every single day and a woman who loved children and believed very strongly in kindness. She would have thoroughly approved of Liberty and I am so pleased, really thrilled to be able to do this in Mums memory.

If anyone reading this is moved to find out more or would like to help this project in any way (it does not have to be the commitment of sponsorship) please contact me for further information.

 If you are on Facebook you will find the project here 

https://www.facebook.com/www.careforthem.org/