Hi Spring,

Hope all is well with you. I’m very fine and so expectant in the coming year about so many things.I’m just excited that i’m done with my schooling and you made me to be succesful in my academics.

This is to wish you, your friends and family a merry xmas and happy new year. I’m so grateful to your friends and family for standing by your side during the time of raising money for my school. Whatever they have done for me will always remain fresh in my memory.

Just reminding you of the graduation money, that the deadline is 15th Jan2010. I really don’t know whether you would have got the money by that time.

I will also keep you updated about my volunteer job with AIDS information center in Jinja

Hope to hear from you soon, and I really miss you so much- I wish America was very near so that I can be with you and we talk face to face like we did last year at Nkumba University Cafe. It was a big suprise for me that because it had been long since someone made me feel loved and a real human being since my parents died. Spring-for sure I don’t have words to describe the big heart you have, in fact I now see its not enough for me to say thanks to you but thats the only word I can tell you because I have nothing to give back to you.

The only thing I can tell you is that you are my mother and my father because you always want the best for me and thats what parents want for their children

Merry xmas and happy new year.
Alice

If you know my Alice story and are able to pitch in (ANYTHING helps!), click on donate. This takes you to a secure paypal account from which I send 100% to Alice via MoneyGram. I then text her with the reference number, she goes to the nearest MoneyGram location, shows her ID and picks up the money.

If you don’t know the story, please read on. To learn about more about my Uganda experiences with an orphanage, a school in the slums, a microloan program and more, scroll to Spring’s Uganda Trip a few paragraphs down.

What is our money is worth in Uganda? $1 US=1800 Uganda shillings. 2000 shillings can buy a meal, $900/quarter paid for tuition, food, housing, books, supplies and a bus ticket home.

For pictures, click on one of the pictures on the right side of this page to go to my Flickr account.

Thank you for helping to provide an education to a dear soul named Alice Drijaru–who knows how your kindness will ripple around the world….

The Story of Alice

I met Alice while visiting a Ugandan University on a business trip. She was a bright-eyed student, excited to meet Americans.

We kept in contact through e-mail, during which time I learned she and her 4 siblings lost their parents to AIDS. I also learned about her desire to get a degree in Developmental Studies so she could help other people affected by AIDS.

I didn’t know how I could do it, but I decided I had to help her achieve her goal.

Alice and I just before she went to get x-rays of her broken leg.

2008 was a hard year for Alice. Her extended family decided they could no longer support her University education, then she was hit by a motorcycle and hurt her leg (Ugandans often ride small motorcycles–”boda bodas”–side saddle for transportation). She applied for a “dead quarter” at University and fell into a painful despair.

I had lunch with Alice during my Uganda trip in March of 2008. Seeing the pain she was in (but trying to hide), I couldn’t believe she had walked and bussed 500 km from her village to meet me for lunch. She could barely walk and had no pain medication, no walking aid and no money, but she was so calm and gentle!

I believe it was her dedication to education that gave her the drive to meet with me. She knows education is the only way out of poverty, and I am her only hope for an education. I didn’t have much money with me, but I did have ibuprofen and enough money for x-rays. I saw the x-rays, and it was obvious her leg was fractured and had been for three months. I gave her $300, which covered resetting her leg, a cast, crutches, pain medication and a bus ticket back to her village.

I knew I would struggle a bit when I returned home if I gave her money, but the sacrifices I’ll make are so small compared to the benefits she’ll reap. I learned upon my return home that if I hadn’t given her this money her leg would have been amputated eventually!

Her leg is now better and Alice has finished University! She wants to help people in her situation to move past poverty. She’s volunteering at and AIDS center with hopes that it will turn into a job. She’s passionate about making a difference with her education.

Helping her has been like voting for a life and a community. $900 per quarter paid for tuition, books, food, housing, physical therapy for her leg, a bus ticket home, school supplies and living expenses at Nkumba University.

Someday I’ll create a scholarship fund for other students like Alice. These are the humble, learning-beginnings. I hope to form a tax-deductible non-profit, but for now the payment is in our own hearts and minds. I believe this kind of kindness multiplies and is magnified throughout a lifetime…

With my connection to Alice I’m reminded daily to be grateful for what I have: family, friends, a non-leaky roof over my head, clean water when I’m thirsty and food when I’m hungry.

Spring’s Uganda Trip, 2008

Day 1 in Kampala, Uganda, Africa

March 20th, 2008 by Spring

After 24 hours of travel, I am finally, happily in Kampala, Uganda. The frogs are singing loudly outside my window, one of which sounds like a note being played on a keyboard, and the air is soft and warm.

I am doing surprisingly well considering we are ten hours ahead here.

A driver from a factory in Jinja picked me up, along with my three business associates, for a 1.5 hour drive through villages, sugar cane fields, traffic jams and the controversial Mabira Forest. We drove past countless muscular, very dark skinned people of all ages pushing bikes loaded with yellow water jugs up long hills; past goats tied to ten-foot ropes in tall grass; past tiny stores full of nearly everything you can think of and people, people, people everywhere.

Once at the factory, we were fed a delicious Indian meal (I’ve looked forward to this meal since the last one a year ago!), then taken on a tour of the facilities. The machinery, some of it costing $1 million, went from cotton cleaners to spinners to stretchers to weavers to dyers to dryers to cutters to sewers to packagers. It is amazing what it takes to create one piece of clothing.

I hope you will look at the tags on your clothing today, note where it is from and say a silent thank you to the countless hands and hours of work it took to bring it to your closet. This process is truly a magnificent feat of man, woman and machinery. One machine had 2600 needles. And there are 1200 people working at this factory.

We were then taken to see the source of the Nile River, where I bought local peanuts, soy nuts and roasted maize—yum. Then to Bujanguli Falls, where the water piles over itself and a man said he would swim the falls in three minutes if I paid him (I regretfully declined, though I may return in a kayak and paddle next to him some day).

One the way home we were stuck in a traffic jam for four hours of diesel, horns honking, shouts of MAZUNGA (white people!), sweat and mayhem.

Welcome to Africa.

Day 2: Nkumba University Visit

March 23rd, 2008 by Spring

Nkumba University’s Academic Registrar had his personal driver pick us up–they were so excited for our visit that the driver came at 8:00 am to be ready to pick us up at 9:30.

Many people have drivers here. The city traffic is an adventure–only locals & daredevils enter it in the driver’s seat. Cars drive centimeters away from each other, no one uses turn signals, people walk everywhere, boda bodas (motorbikes) with three people and live chickens and coffins zig and zag between everyone…and to pass you just pop out and play chicken with the oncoming cars!

After being belched on by deisel from neighboring trucks in a traffic jam, we escaped the madness of Kampala for the calm of Entebbe.   We were greeted by Deans and the Academic Registrar (he runs the school), who shared with us about their school. It has 4000 students and costs about $5000 for a four-year degree. While this may seem like nothing to us, many students have to apply for “dead quarters,” where they take time off to earn money for the next quarter. They often never return. The average annual income for Ugandans is $300 a YEAR.The clean-dressed, shy students tried not to stare at the “mazungas” (white people), but were quick to break into their dazzlingly white smiles if we smiled or said hello. We stood with them to watch a game of “Lead Ball,” which is similar to basketball, but when the ball is received you can only take one step before passing it.

We saw most buildings from the outside, but the art department had gathered their students to show their work and talk with us. I wanted to buy a piece from everyone to support them, but since I will be visiting again next week, I resisted. Due to a passionate speech by Charles, an art teacher, David is considering trying to gather new Mac computers back in Seattle to replace the VERY old Macs and newer Dells that don’t provide what art students need.We were then lead to a room of 25 women representatives from the Nkumba Women’s Health Center. I was asked to sit in a chair in front of the room with Samuel, the Academic Registrar and Ruth, the standing Dean of Social Sciences who runs the Center. Ruth explained to us the extremely effective microloan program the Center offers to help support community women in starting and running small businesses to support themselves. They are given up to four loans of $175-$285 for their handcraft, poultry and retail, piggeries (where pigs are raised and the meat is sold) and other businesses. There is a 100% payback rate, due in part to being in groups of 3-5 who are responsible for paying back outstanding loans before a new loan can be given to anyone in the group.

Day 3: Sanyu Babies’ Home

March 23rd, 2008 by Spring

Today was the long-awaited visit to Sanyu Babies Home… There are 48 children at Sanyu Babies Home, all of whom are abandoned. They are found in parking lots, abandoned cars, hospitals and empty homes. I have learned that some parents are so ill or poverty-stricken here that they give their children up to orphanages, but the children who arrive at Sanyu are found without notes, without names and without any supplies to keep them alive.Sanyu Babies Home is the oldest and most well-known orphanage in Kampala. It was founded in 1929 by a nurse who wanted to help the abandoned children brought to the hospital. It is a non-profit organization with a few paid staff, but mostly volunteers. Their entire subsistence is based on donations.

As I walked up to the main area where the babies sit outside, I was immediately surrounded by wee ones…adorable little toddlers reaching up to me and touching the small tattoo on my ankle then looking up at me with a quizzical look, tugging on my skirt and my heartstrings until I picked them up.

I sat holding and playing with them in a time warp, listening to a volunteer talk to visiting school children about life at Sanyu. The children are from ages 0-3 and can be adopted, but the adopting family is watched and if they are found to be mistreating the child, they are returned to Sanyu. If they aren’t adopted the go on to boarding schools. I couldn’t imagine anyone harming these precious people. They pulled at my abalone necklace, laughed as I put my sunglasses on their face, then mine, giggled when I showed them pictures of themselves on my camera, and peed on me. They were too cute for me to care. I tore myself away to meet with the administrator, Barbara. She told me the costs of running Sanyu, the history, the cycles of their days and their needs. It takes $450-$570/month for water bills, $400-$550/month for electricity bills, and teachers make about $70 a month. Then she finally let on that she had only been there for two weeks!Her strength, love for the children, honesty and straightforwardness gave me the trust I needed to pass along the donations I brought in a big green suitcase from Seattle: BabyLegs for all, children’s shoes donated by BabyLegs staff, a box of mini Luna Bars (which I recommended saving until the organic sugar would be safe) and $1780, donated by BabyLegs customers through our website link and other fundraisers in 2007.

This donation could pay for two caretakers’ salaries for an entire year!

When Barbara’s eyes grew large as she pulled out the money, I said a silent thank you to everyone who took time to donate money to this cause. I also sent a thank you to Nicole, the inventor of BabyLegs, for without her heart being so compassionate for these children I would not be here. I remembered her torrent of tears as we drove away after our visit last year…

I then took a tour of the center. It is clean, basic but full of everything necessary for the children to be well taken care of: classrooms with tiny chairs and tables with their names on them, cribs, clothes, blankets, toys, games, washing machines, sewing machines (ancient but beautiful), a solitary room for new arrivals to adjust, and an outside play area with huts covered by grass roofs, a merry-go-round with four chairs, ancient tricycles, a swingset, grass and enormous trees that look like they were here before Sanyu started.

By the time we finished, the babies were sleeping. On my tour, I had seen the littlest ones just before bed getting diapers changed and the older doing “potty time,” sitting on their potty-trainers, some laughing and giggling while others shouted “doyo!”–go away!

I was then immersed in play and pictures with the school children who were visiting to “learn about life in Uganda,” a teacher told me with a grave look in her eye. I wish I had received such a dose of reality at a young age.

They were only shy for a moment. When I took a picture and showed it to them on my camera, they gathered around me and begged to see have theirs taken, too. One girl proved to be a natural photographer, and we all gathered close and giggled together in funny poses.

At one point I stopped and asked each one their names while shaking their hand. Everyone was silent and even more beautiful in that moment. They had names like Patience, Joy, Innocent, Katherine, Sophie and Simon. I don’t think they had ever heard the name Spring.

We stopped to buy beautiful, locally made crafts at the adjoining craft store for which 100% of the proceeds go to Sanyu, and then headed on our way with their smiles burned into our hearts.

I will send photos as soon as I am able.

With love from Uganda,Spring

Days 4-6: Kampala

March 24th, 2008 by Spring

It was a calm weekend for me, but exciting times for Ugandans in Kampala!

Yesterday, as I rested my weary bones, it rained all night and day. It rained so hard Saturday night I finally got up and packed an emergency bag in case the roof blew off my top-story room! Thunder rolled around the sky as if it were a giant bass drum, lightning blasted all around, and the rain came down in sheets. I barely slept due to the pounding rain on the roof and wind blasting through the vents…and the excitement of a good storm.

I learned today that the streets flooded in many parts of the city. Most of the city lies on seven hills, so the streets are clear of water today, but my heart goes out to the poor people in the outlying low areas. As if life weren’t hard enough for them!

Today the sun popped it’s head out of the clouds. It was a four day Easter Holiday weekend, the biggest holiday of the year for Ugandans, so most offices and shops were closed. But I took advantage of the light traffic and visited a few hotels in search of the perfect one for people who want to see where BabyLegs has touched lives.

I made plans to stay at the guesthouse next to Sanyu Babies Home so I can get to know the teachers and children as I watch and help our donation turn into action. I also made contact with Government and other organizations to discuss my concerns about the factory I visited, financial aid options for Nkumba University students and Nkumba Women’s Health Center and true needs for the Ugandan economy and people.

After a short exploration, I found a Hawaiian pizza with sweet corn for lunch and an Internet cafe. The city was quiet when I went in, and bursting with people when I came out around 2:00 pm. Kampala is not a morning city, so I feel right at home.

Or mostly at home–a gigantic cockroach on the street this evening, crazy smells and crazier cars driving on the wrong side of the road remind me I am far from home. But I got a local phone number! A friend let me borrow her phone, I slipped in a little “Sims” card, and ta-da! I am now a local. Or as close as I’ll get for this trip…

Sending sunshine from Uganda, Spring

Day 7: They Call Her Mama

April 1st, 2008 by Spring

I spent much of today with Robinah, the sister of a Seattle Microsoft Employee and friend of BabyLegs.

She bubbled over with joy when I said my name and scolded me for not calling sooner. After 30 seconds on the phone, she said she would pick me up in 10 minutes.

I liked Robinah immediately…she was a tiny flurry of calm power, scooping me up in her LandRover and whisking me around like a genie.

Her first feat of magic was conversing while navigating the Kampala’s traffic madness. Her second feat was to share her beautiful, affordable Adonai Guest House 1. Her cook bounded out of the kitchen, scooped me up with a huge hug and introduced herself as “Mama Yummy.”

Robinah has been added to my list of “People I Want To Be Like When I Grow Up.”

22 years ago, she brought about ten children to Sunday School for a meal, a lesson and Love. Soon she had 100+ children coming to her on Sundays and she felt she had to get creative to be able to continue helping these poverty-stricken children.

She is an entrepreneur if I ever saw one. With donated and saved money, she and her husband started Adonai Guest House. She uses proceeds to pay her staff well and to pay for school fees and supplies, food and other necessities for these children…and about 1900 other children she has met since then!

She now has 6 guest houses, all in high demand, along with guided safaris, two schools in the slums of Kampala for a total of about 500 children. I picked my jaw up off the ground numerous times in my few hours with her.

She wound her 4×4 over and around and inside the slums to show me one of her schools: Alpha and Omega. As we neared, children saw her and waved, yelling “hello Mama!” to which she shouted back “Hello! I LOVE YOU! I LOVE YOU!” As she pulled in to the school, the staff bowed their heads and intermingled “Mama” with Lugandan greetings of respect.

I was then whisked around on a tour of the P-1 to S-4 classes (they have Primary 1-7, Secondary 1-4, Senior 5-6, then University). In each classroom, the children stood up, faced me, then gave me a long welcome in unison. I blushed each time and said “Thank you. My name is Spring Courtright. It is very nice to meet you!”

Robinah has helped countless children. Many are orphans, some are in lean times with their families (often single mothers). They are all clearly well taken care of, happy at school, and have wonderful teachers.

In addition to the Guest House proceeds, Robinah works tirelessly to find sponsors for the neediest children (contact me if you’re interested!). I met one student who went all the way through University under Robinah’s care and is now working with her to help other children. He is one of many.

I am amazed and exhausted daily by the sheer willpower of these beautiful people. To move through days surrounded, often personally experiencing, hunger, death, dying, poverty and illness, and still give me, a white stranger, an enormous, heartwarming smile and extend their hands to me just to hold it, breaks my heart and fills it up at the same time…

I was appalled to learn how much education costs here…with an average income of $300 per person, mostly from single mothers with 4-8 children, often some belonging to deceased family or friends, education is obviously unattainable for most, though most desperately want an education as they are proud people and know this is the only way out of poverty.

To give you an idea of the costs for school here:

Primary School (including lunch, supplies, required uniform and all fees): $250 per 3 month term. ($750/year—they have 1 month between terms)

Secondary School: (school fees only, does not include lunch, supplies, required uniform): $300 per 3 month term ($900/year)

University (including lunch, supplies, housing and all fees for a degree): $600 per 3 month term ($1800/year—three years covers a degree).

So today, the moral is to be grateful for America’s free education. We often complain about it, and about teacher’s wages, but at least we have the option. And teachers here often don’t get paid at all, after trying to teach 100-200 students by themselves with inadequate supplies.

Robinah’s schools are gems, and there are few to be found like this….I feel lucky to have met her so I could share this with you.

Big Love from Uganda,

Spring

Day 8: Nkumba University Women’s Health Center, field visits with Ruth

April 1st, 2008 by Spring

I’m adding Mrs. Ruth Senteza Kikayira, the Business Manager for Nkumba University Women’s Health Center, to my list of “People I Want To Be Like When I Grow Up.” After 12 years of doing microfinance with a major Ugandan bank, she came to Nkumba University to help Dr. Grace Kyeyune (another person on my list) develop the Women’s Center program. Together they have helped provide micro-loans for small businesses for about 200 women in 16 villages, with a 100% payback rate. With most of these women living in absolute poverty with no education, this is a feat fit for medals of honor. Ruth has an enormous workload, along with her own burdens—she’s raising 6 children, two orphaned by her brother. She makes just above a living wage, but works ceaselessly to ensure these women are taken care of, that they understand the paperwork and processes of micro-loans. They have a 1% interest, compared to Uganda’s norm of 14-20%. We spent the day together visiting women for whom Nkumba’s micro-loans have kept alive. First we visited Christine, with her neighborhood children sitting on a blue tarp over red dirt under a tired wooden roof, with a withered hand and incredibly beautiful soul, teaching songs, English, manners and craftwork. She sells her crafts to raise money to help feed, clothe and educate these and her own children, even though her house is the size of a closet. She saves 10% of her earnings to buy land for herself and for a formal building for her school. Christine and her neighborhood dream of a school for 200 children, with small classrooms and fair wages for teachers, a good education with all the necessary supplies to provide a future free of poverty for these children. She will need either a lot of funding help or many years of selling her crafts, but I have no doubt she will achieve this dream.

Each child stood up for me and said, “Hello, my name is…” They were shy and awkward, but captured my heart instantly.

Christine and I with her students

We then visited Nalongo, deep in the heart of a slum, with her beautifully woven mats and clothes she buys wholesale and sells to passers-by. My $15 purchase of material will pay for food today for her and her four pre-teen children.

Ruth said Nalongo cries hard to her some days, afraid of the inevitable day her AIDS kills her and leaves her children orphaned and uneducated, unprepared to have a life different than her own. Next we visited a woman with a store where she sells daily rations of flour, rice and beans. It was here I had my first “kabalagala,” a tiny pancake made with bananas and maize flour. All the women around me doubled over with laughter when I repeatedly tried to say kabalagala. Go ahead, try it! It’s a doozie. I finally got it and they all gave me a pat on the back. I say it at least ten times a day now—it’s my favorite Lugandan word so far. When I showed them their dour faces on my camera screen after my first picture, I asked them to smile for the next one. Ruth said “say Fene!” I did, and got shrieks of laughter. I thought I was saying smile, until far down the path when Ruth told me I was yelling “Jack Fruit!” The name of the fruit tree behind me…Now I yell Fene! every time I want someone to smile for a picture. And Ruth and I yelled it to each other periodically throughout the day to keep the mood light amidst all this weight. We visited two women with “piggeries.” Both have large mama pigs with piglets, meaning soon they’ll have money for food for their families. They would never see this without Nkumba’s microloans. Sarah the jovial preacher is doing very well with her piggery, and is building a bigger house. Unfortunately, the roof blew off in the Easter storm and she can’t afford to replace it. I could write forever about these women. Somewhere during the day I secretly vowed to somehow raise a large amount of money to provide more funding for micro-loans. It is such a successful program, with so much potential to create lasting change for generations to come, that I know I won’t forget this vow until I’ve fulfilled it. Let me know if you have any ideas…

I am weary. I walked 1.5 hours in the middle of the day across Kampala to get to this internet café (Web City Café) where I could finally have quiet, air-conditioned space with a reliable internet connection. For four days I’ve been searching for a good connection! It has tested my usually deep reserve of patience.

Gratitude of the Day: Let’s thank our lucky stars for the food on our plates and clear water in our clean drinking glasses. Millions of people survive on dirty water and tiny morsels of food on a dirt floor. It’s true what our parents tell us: people in Africa would be happy to eat what you have on your plate!

People constantly beg me to get them to America…I have a new, deep appreciate for my life there.

Big Love from Amazing People in Uganda,

Spring & Friends

BabyLegs: Bringing to light the power of business to do good in the world.

April 1st, 2008 by Spring

I awoke to this text message on my phone on Saturday morning, from a student I met at Nkumba:

Äs de sun rises , I get to know how beautiful de world is, but as it sets I get to know better how caring you are! Luv u always, may God bless you. Esther.

I only talked with her for a few minutes, but I also talked with many other students, teachers, deans, librarians, and affiliates of Nkumba University–the word is out that a Mazungu in America brings BabyLegs and good business practices!

This, coupled with being called a “Ugandan Muzungu” have helped me ease into my third week here feeling comfortable with life in Uganda.

Good news–An environmental organization will be auditing the factory I was concerned about. I meet with the factory owner tomorrow, so it’s a bit of an uncomfortable situation, but if that’s all it takes to ensure the health and safety of the thousands of people downstream along the Nile, then it’s well worth it.

I apologize if the formatting isn’t the best for these blog entries–the computer just doesn’t want to put paragraphs in some entries.Thank you BL for sponsoring this trip….

Day 10: “I had a stick, but it broke.”

April 6th, 2008 by Spring

Alice limped her way about 500 kilometers from her village to “mutatus” (old Toyota van group taxis) to Nkumba University—to have lunch with me today.

We’ve been in touch since the last time I was in Uganda (March 2007). I knew of her parents dying from AIDS, her extended family deciding not to pay for her last 1.5 years of University and her hurt leg, but I had no idea how badly her leg was hurt or how far she had come to go to school.

After a wonderful lunch conversation with Alice and Moses, another student struggling to pay to finish school, I walked Alice down the street to catch a taxi. I realized her leg was hurting terribly and that maybe her leg had been broken in a “boda-boda” (motorcycle taxi) accident three months ago. When I asked if she had any kind of walking assistance at home, she said, “I had a stick, but it broke.”

I squeezed into her hand enough money to pay for the best hospital in town to give her x-rays and crutches. I asked her to go as soon as humanly possible and call me with the results.

I had to work hard not to sob as I walked away. I cannot believe the struggles going on inside every single person I meet here, yet they show so much kindness and love to me.

Moses, the other student, was also an inspiration with his well-written proposal for a school in his village. I said I would read it over for him, edit it and give my feedback–I was so impressed! Nkumba really harbors some incredible minds.

I went to a fantastic social science class last night. I tried to slip in unnoticed so I could quietly observe, but I was asked to stand up and talk about myself before and after the class. I was also told at the end, after a lovely thank you, that if I am to help people here get an education in the United States, please ensure they come back to share the education with Uganda—understood and noted!

Thank you Mr. Busuulwa and Noah for arranging to get me home safely—I feel so well taken care of here. I doubt a mazungu in Uganda never had it so good…

Days 11 - 12: Relaxations

April 6th, 2008 by Spring

I spent Saturday morning reading and relaxing at the Backpacker’s Hotel in Kampala. I took a loooong walk into a sleepy village nearby and then met up with two American friends I made earlier in the trip.

We’d been dying to hear some Ugandan music (everyone plays bad 80’s music here!) and the Afrigo band at Club Obligato is supposed to be one of the best Ugandan bands around.

We thought music started at 8:00 pm, but we were the only people at the club, save the staff, until about 9:30 pm! We learned they were supposed to start around 10:00 pm. We then waited until midnight for the band to start. We learned upon leaving (before the dancing really began) that the band had been delayed. But we vowed to go back and a staff member said we could get in free next time.

Sunday was full of my very long walk into downtown Kampala for reliable Internet service. It was an adventure during which I felt I slipped into the pace of Ugandan life—slow and steady. My feet were covered in red dirt when I arrived “home” and I slept like a baby.

I was the only white person around ALL day except for at the Internet café.

On my way home two teenage young men fell into step with me about 1 km from my hotel. They proved to be wonderful walking partners—curious about everything in the American culture, intelligent, well-educated and funny, funny, funny!

They walked me to my hotel and showed me the Ugandan handshake, and then we sadly parted ways after exchanging e-mail addresses. Andrew and Timothy—I’ll miss you! I hope you make it to the U.S., but that you return to run the government the way you know it should be run…

Day 13: Africa Child in Need

April 6th, 2008 by Spring

I met Mandy, a wonderful soul about my age, who works with Africa Child in Need to coordinate fund raising efforts and support for an orphanage in a village a few hours outside Kampala. She’s leaving today, so we spent a few hours discussing our observations of Ugandan culture and how Americans can fit into it without being intrusive or invasive.

We inspired each other and raised each other’s weary spirits. We also decided we’ve been an invasive species for long enough—it’s time to work with the concept of “Community Based Organizations,” where communities or local groups identify their needs and goals, then work together to communicate these to groups who can help them move towards these goals in a sustainable manner.

Easier said than done! Everyone here is in need of help in some way—help for friends, help for themselves, help paying for school fees, help putting a roof on their house….

Identifying one or two programs that are working and supporting them through educational/financial and other means seems to be the best way to not get overwhelmed.

Gratitude of the Day: Be grateful if you have a job description! Forging ahead in this developing country is a challenge, albeit an exciting one, that sometimes elicits a strong desire to have a desk job.

But that goes away as soon as a little Ugandan smile reaches across the street and into my heart…

Day 14: April Fool’s

April 7th, 2008 by Spring

I think the world was playing a day-long April Fool’s Day trick on me today. I had a meeting in downtown Kampala at 9:00 am with my friend Valentine Ogwang, the Assistant Director for the Uganda Investment Authority (UIA), to talk about my Uganda experience and the factory for which I have my concerns.

I woke up to the sound of Mama Yummy and her assistants cooking up breakfast below me. I rolled over to look at the clock on my cell phone and it said 4:30 am. I was amazed that the kitchen staff started so early, but I wasn’t surprised–Ugandans don’t bat an eyelash at working 12-14 hours a day. I rolled over, but couldn’t sleep, so I got up at about 5:30 am.

It was a lovely, warm morning and I thought I would bring it in by relaxing on the porch in the sunshine. I was in the middle of painting my toenails purple and contemplating a cup of tea when someone came to tell me my driver was ready.

“What?! It’s only 6:30!” I said. “But madam, it is 8:30,” he said. I was panicked, of course, and ran to get myself together.

On the way to my meeting, I tried to call Valentine, only to find my phone was out of minutes. I asked my driver if I could please use his phone and his was also out of minutes. He was also out of gas, so at the gas station I went to use the pay phone…and it was broken! So I couldn’t alert Valentine and started sweating. I like “Uganda time,” where you can arrive within the hour and still be “on time,” but I still like to arrive on “U.S. time.”

Then, top it off, my driver got lost. At one point, when he asked the boda boda drivers which direction to go, they each pointed in different directions! I groaned.

But I made it, and the response to my concern about the factory I visited was met with an immediate response. Valentine sent in Jessica Okui Oleny from the Environment Department of the UIA, who promptly called the National Environment Management Authority who then called their district officer in the area near the factory.

The factory will be getting a surprise audit soon!

I decided to go back “home” (the Adonai House) and start my day over with a shower and lunch before my afternoon meeting at 2:30 pm.

I was halfway through lunch at 1:20 pm when I was told, “Somone is here to see you, madam.” (It’s weird being called madam all the time). My 2:30 pm appointment was 70 minutes early! I had to laugh at this grand April Fool’s joke as I shoveled in the last of my lunch and took my tea to visit my new friend.

Fred Musisi is a developer in the Kampala area who I learned about through Ivan Lumala in Seattle. He has been working in construction and development for 20+ years and I liked him immediately.

To make a long story short, since I’ve already made a short story long, Fred walked through the half-built Nkumba Women’s Health Center with me to help me determine costs, time frames and feasibility of finishing the building so the women can get on with the services the Center will provide (business training, health care, maternity support, a gathering place and a shop to sell their goods and, hopefully, make money to survive).

He was thorough and patient and I appreciated his taking the time to do this with me. I don’t know how, but I hope to help raise enough money to finish this building soon!

He said the building is in good shape even though it’s been abused by the elements for the past year. The old building was the original Women’s Center and provided preschool for the women, but an organization came in saying, “We’ll build you a new building! It will be better and bigger! Tear down the old one!”

So the old building was torn down, half the center was built, and the organization ran out of money. Nkumba University was left with a huge debt, an unusable building and the need to pay for a guard to watch the building 24 hours a day.

After meeting the women who benefit from Nkumba’s Microloans and Ruth and Grace’s dedication, I won’t sleep well until the building is finished…

Before returning home, I met up with the two students I had lunch with last week. Moses brought me his proposal for building a school so I could edit it and give my feedback, and Alice brought me her x-rays. She has a fracture in her leg and an appointment to have it fixed and get a cast and crutches this Friday. I gave her another wad of cash, minimal in comparison to what it would cost in the US, and vowed to cut out some of the small things in my life in order to afford to pay for her to be able to walk normally the rest of her life…

Gratitude of the Day: Be grateful you don’t live in a little village with scary doctors–or witch doctors–to heal your wounds, even if our doctors are outrageously expensive.

Day 16: International Women’s Organization (IOW) and Music for Rescue

April 9th, 2008 by Spring

BabyLegs became a member of the International Women’s Organization today!

IWO Uganda has about 200 members, 100 of whom live in Uganda. Local mothers and business owners, wives of foreign diplomats, wives of foreign workers, and women who’ve moved to Uganda after falling in love with the country on a visit or work meet weekly in groups for art, poetry, craft making, gardening, book discussions, music, bridge and Mahjong.

They all meet once a month for a general meeting, which happened to be today!

When I first learned about IWO a few days ago, what grabbed me is their efficient fund raising strategy:

1 Members put in an application to IWO to raise funds for projects in Uganda they want to support;

2 The application is reviewed by IWO board members;

3 If deemed fitting for a fund raiser, a team of women visits the project site to determine the details to make a final decision;

4 If the answer is yes, I hear they are quite adept at raising funds in support. They held an event called Small World last May which had the financial backing & attendance of many government officials, diplomats, a huge cell phone company & many others.

A member named Joan Mahalanobis joyously offered to pick me up at 9:15 am. I soon learned Joan does EVERYTHING joyously!

As soon as we arrived, she was surrounded by women. I paid her entrance fee of 2000 shillings ($1.20 US) so she could set up the microphone and we set up a table with crafts made by an organization which IWO is helping to support. I hope you see their friendship dolls some day…

The meeting was an interesting 2 hours. After general business, a member spoke who is a reiki healer and yoga instructor. She explained the basics of yoga and reiki, then stood us up for exercises. It was a wonderful reminder for me and introduction for many.

It was then declared Poetry Month, with everyone urged to do something with poetry–read a poem to a friend, write a poem, dance a poem, sing a poem. After finishing business, we were free to eat free goodies and peruse the craft tables, all of which support Ugandan programs with their proceeds.

After the meeting, Joan took me to her house for lunch and proceeded to whisk me around the city for the next 7 hours! She is a bundle of energy and is involved in so many projects it made my head spin.

Two parts of the day I must note, though it was all fascinating: a visit to Bead For Life, an international program with bases in Uganda and Seattle which very effectively raises money for Ugandans. (To read about it, go to www.beadforlife.org). I am so very impressed and plan to pass this opportunity on to some of the impoverished women I’ve met here.

The other part is a visit to two young men’s homes: Ronald and Derrick. The story is…

A small group of pre-teens were discovered standing along a fence longingly watching a brass band play at a school. They were all orphans and unable to afford school, much less instruments. A man, whose name escapes me, asked if they would like to play instruments. They all answered yes, and the next thing they knew they were given a place to stay, instruments and music instruction for a year.

They learned to read music, play instruments, and, more importantly, what life was like working together and living in a house rather than on the streets.

They have now been playing music together for 11 years. They call their band M-Lisada: Music Life Skills and Destitution Alleviation. Their non-profit, Music for Rescue, has 62 boys and 2 girls in their charge, all of whom are orphans. They work tirelessly to find gigs for the band and they practice every single night at 5:00 next to the local garbage dump.

M-Lisada eats once a day together, a meal of red beans and posho (maize flower and water), and the men only eat after they have served the younger ones. 27 of them sleep in two rooms with the feel and size of a garage, some on bunk beds with gnarly single mattresses and others on mattresses they bring in every night. Two sleep on each mattress. Their building is next to a latrine which cracked in the last rain and the lock on their door was recently broken, allowing someone to steel many of their pots and pans.

My mind was blown. As if it hadn’t been every single day of this trip…

M-Lisada’s vision is of “A Better Future to the underprivileged and disadvantaged child,” and their objectives are enough to wrench the heart out of the hardest soul: “To develop love, hope and skills in the street child that will enable him/her to find social harmony and peaceful co-existence in the community,” and “To reduce and eventually stop the abuse of drugs amongst the youth.” (I learned lost youth here often huff diesel fumes).

I eventually picked my jaw up off the ground and vowed to come to their practice on Saturday.

Gratitude of the day: be grateful for your bed, your home, your flush toilet and your meals….

Day 17: Nangabo Vocational Training Institute, “Turning Job-seekers into Job-makers.”

April 9th, 2008 by Spring

It was another mind-blowing day for Spring Courtright in Uganda.

Nangabo is another Nkumba University outreach program. I was told by my friends at Nkumba, “You MUST visit Nangabo!”

Sarah, the director, picked me up at 9:00. Though I  had never met her before, we quickly slipped into a friendly conversation and by the end of our 45 minute drive, I had added her to my list of “People I want to be Like When I Grow Up.” I admire her quiet strength, intelligent mind, gentle heart and dedication to truly making a life-changing difference for people of all ages.

Nangabo Vocational Training Institute is incredible, to put it mildly. I wish all schools were like this. It is a school for all ages, with primary classrooms to programs for community members. It arose because of a need and desire in the area for education and life skills.

The two-year vocational courses are: Nursery School Teaching, which includes students assisting teachers on-campus, Sewing and Tailoring, Pottery and Craft Making, Horticulture and Plant Nursery Management, and Catering and Institutional Management.

I am in awe, again, as usual.

Every student learns agriculture–how to grow your own food! For every skill learned, they also learn how to build the tools and where to find the materials locally and inexpensively. The pottery wheels, kiln, looms and other “machinery” is all hand-made. The teachers are internationally trained and do incredible work. The catering program had some of the best hospitality I’ve experienced in 2.5 weeks. The weaving and sewing skills are incredible (I bought proof). They work with women in the local area to help build their skills. They have partnered with Nkumba University for support–a brilliant idea. Instead of the typical 100-200 students in many rural school classrooms, this school has 15-20 students per primary school class.

I couldn’t contain my amazement when I saw the loom–it is one of the most amazing things I’ve ever seen made by hand. The directors laughed at my open-mouthed awe as I watched the bullets of thread shoot back and forth to weave a gorgeous pattern, the thousand needles darting back and forth in a blur and pedals pumping rhythmically.

I was also blown away by the beautiful water-cooling pots made by the pottery instructor. They are big, thick pots with three or four large openings and are used to keep water cool-how handy! I wish I could’ve brought one home…

I could go on and on. I look forward to more brainstorming with these incredible women on marketing ideas for their programs and handmade items. I passed along information about the International Women’s Organization and Bead for Life, and I’m sure many other ideas will pop into this overactive brain of mine……..

They are working on a surprise for BabyLegs! I can hardly wait to see it…

Gratitude of the Day: be grateful for the women in your life.

Day 18: Last day in Uganda

April 9th, 2008 by Spring

I woke up early, thanks to the rooster and my excitement mixing with sadness to create big butterflies in my stomach.

Faisal picked me up at 9 am sharp, put all my things in his taxi, and drove me to the Imperial Hotel Botanical Gardens–5 acres of loveliness on the shore of Lake Victoria.

The Clintons have stayed at this hotel twice and George Bush once. I’m happy just keeping my luggage behind the counter for the day and wandering the gardens….

Faisal walked with me for a bit, telling me of his childhood playing outdoors and his counting of all 100 legs of a centipede once. I stopped occasionally to ooh and aah at the tiny baby monkeys, the enormous trees, the tragic beauty of dying Lake Victoria, and the giant, red anthills.

Faisal then drove me to Entebbe the long way, so I could get the real feel of it and take a picture of the cattle with the ridiculously long horns, then dropped me off in the village shopping area. Thanks Faisal for being you. Good luck when you graduate from IT school this spring!

I was amazed at the peace and comfort I felt within myself as I walked through the village market. I still heard the zzzzzzzzzzing buzz as everyone whisper-said mazungu mazungu mazungu as I walked by, but it didn’t bother me at all. When I bought a pineapple, took the machete out of the farmer’s hand, sliced it up into bite-sized pieces and left 2/3 of it for the people at the market, I was well aware of the absurdity of my actions in their eyes.

But none of it bothered me. I am a visitor, but I am also at home here. If a Ugandan came to the Ballard Market and did something like this while speaking in Lugandan, we may look at him funny, too. I am a Ugandan Muzungu and I am at peace.

Thank you to all my Ugandan friends–you have given me enough inspiration to last a lifetime. Thank you friends and Mum at home for watching my high-energy dog Cricket. Thank you BabyLegs affiliations for reading this–I hope it inspires you to be good samaritans locally and globally.

And most of all, Thank You Nicole Donnelly and BabyLegs for presenting me with this opportunity. I know it hasn’t been easy, but I hope it has been as worthwhile for you as it has been for me. Your kindness and giving heart is being shared around the world and I will be forever grateful, as will many, many others.

Uganda, you have a special place in my heart and I will do all I can to support your endeavors to pull yourself up by your bootstraps (or bare feet) to step out of poverty and into a healthy, educated and happy future.

Letters from Alice
Read correspondence from Alice about her life in Uganda… she says hello and thank you to those of you helping to support her education!

---

Hi Spring,

I’m so grateful to you for being concerned about my problem. My parents died of HIV/AIDS when I was still in my secondary level of education. We are four children left as orphans, but I have been the only one going to school since my uncles and aunties said they could not take all of us to school due to lack of enough finances. But now, these relatives have said that they can not continue paying for me because they have their own children to look after. I finished primary level, ordinary level and advanced level of education here in Uganda. That is when I joined Nkumba University for my degree in Development Studies. I’m now in my second year, but according to my relatives, I can’t continue and yet I would very much love to finish up my degree and if there is a chance, up to masters level so that I will start helping my siblings who have no hope of getting education. That is the little I can tell you at the moment. If you need more than that, I will tell more. Thanks a lot for your concern.

Hope to hear from you soon.
Alice

---

Hi Spring,

I’m left with one year and a half to finish my degree course in Development Studies. I’m supposed to finish next year (2009) in the month of July. We pay $500 per semester as the school fees, as for the other school materials like books, it can cost $70 in a semester. The next semester is opening on the 19th of January 2008.Thanks a lot for being concerned about me, I have really felt loved and accepted. You know the last time I felt loved was when my late parents were still alive.

God bless you.
Alice

---

Hello Spring,

I’m so happy for your concern about my problem. I have taken long to reply your mail because I’m spending my holiday in the village and I have to walk on foot for 8 miles to the town to access internet since transport is very expensive and I can’t afford it. You said that you will help me to finish school, do you mean that you are going help me with school fees this coming semester which is beginning on the 19th of this month? If so, then I’m so humbled for you. The good thing about the payment of fees in Nkumba University is that you can pay in installments, e.g $100 or $ 200 0r $250 up to when you complete. If you are going to help me from this semester, I would like to inform you that school is beginning next Saturday and any little help you can send me I will be ready to receive it.

Development Studies is a course from the faculty of social sciences which is concerned with the changing of the world to a great improvement in the economic, social, political aspects of peoples lives. The classes I take are: Development theory, project planning, HIV/Aids and development, economics, introduction to sociology, introduction to psychology, organization theory, social policy, human resource management, political economy, communication skills, community based development, gender and development, human rights, administrative law, public policy and many others which i will tell you with time. This degree will make me to become a development practitioner whereby I will be able to help the unprivileged to be better people. Spring, I want to give you my telephone number so that you can call me and we discuss more since accessing the internet is hard here in the village. My phone number is ( 0712 074733 ).May you call me so that we can talk more. God bless you in your struggle to help me.

Thanks a lot for the love you have shown to me.
Alice

---

Hello Spring,

I wanted to know whether you want me to apply for a dead quarter or I should be patient for some few weeks before you send me the money. Otherwise if you need someone to know about the financial issues at school, you can e-mail Dr Grace Kyeyune since she is the dean of the faculty of social sciences and she is also a close lecturer to me and she knows a lot about me. Just e-mail her and she will help you.
As I requested earlier on, you can also call me on my phone ( 0712 074733 ).I Have been admitted in the hospital due to a leg injury I obtained in an accident. Spring, the most painful thing was that all my family members ran away from me during this time when I needed them most. They said its not their problem that i got the accident. I cried so much because of this rejection by my own people, my siblings are young, they can not do anything for me.

I’m asking you to remember me in your prayers, i feel God has rejected me. I have given up with life since the world can not allow me to be a happy girl .I’m so tired of the world, i feel i should rest from all these confusions that have surrounded my life. I ask God to take away my life but he can’t take it away and yet he makes me unhappy everyday of my life. What i know is to cry from morning to sunset and the whole night. I’m so depressed, i feel i should rest from all these but i dont know how i can rest from all these problems apart from death. Just pray for me, i’m so frustrated, i cant help myself anymore.

Desperate,
Alice

---

Hi Spring,

I’m so grateful to you for your comfort. I feel much better now because of your comforting words. I had a dislocation on my right leg and i went through a lot of pain. As concerns fees payment at Nkumba, every student is supposed to deposit the money on his or her account and transfers it to the University’s account. Does it mean i shouldn’t apply for a dead quarter? If so, then will wait patiently for your assistance. Otherwise I’m so grateful to you for your comfort. God bless you.

Day 10: “I had a stick, but it broke.”

April 2008 by Spring

Alice limped her way about 500 kilometers from her village to “mutatus” (old Toyota van group taxis) to Nkumba University—to have lunch with me today.

We’ve been in touch since the last time I was in Uganda (March 2007). I knew of her parents dying from AIDS, her extended family deciding not to pay for her last 1.5 years of University and her hurt leg, but I had no idea how badly her leg was hurt or how far she had come to go to school.

After a wonderful lunch conversation with Alice and Moses, another student struggling to pay to finish school, I walked Alice down the street to catch a taxi. I realized her leg was hurting terribly and that maybe her leg had been broken in a “boda-boda” (motorcycle taxi) accident three months ago. When I asked if she had any kind of walking assistance at home, she said, “I had a stick, but it broke.”

I squeezed into her hand enough money to pay for the best hospital in town to give her x-rays and crutches. I asked her to go as soon as humanly possible and call me with the results.

I had to work hard not to sob as I walked away. I cannot believe the struggles going on inside every single person I meet here, yet they show so much kindness and love to me.

---

Hello Spring,

I am really very sorry for not informing you about the P.O.P application that was to be done that Friday when you were still in Uganda. The plaster was applied and now there’s a lot of improvement on my leg, the crutches were made and now I don’t feel too much pain while walking since my weight is carried by the crutches.

The money you gave me helped me a lot and I don’t know how to thank you for all the support you have given. In fact the doctor told me that my leg was going to be cut off (THEY WERE GOING TO AMPUTATE) my leg because of lack of medical care. But God brought you into my life to save my leg from being cut. I don’t know where to begin thanking you and where to end it, in fact am just speechless, I cant imagine there are good people like you in this world and yet you are there. Can you believe that I was going to have one leg if you had not come to my life? I thank you so much for being more than a mother and father to me. The P O P will be removed after 4 weeks which is good because by the time next quarter begins, I will be fine. Thank you so much for everything. How was your journey back to U.S? Hope to hear from you soon. Waiting for your reply.

Alice

---

Hi Spring,
Am grateful to you for everything. I went to Stanbic Bank where my account is, but I found my account was already closed because I have not been depositing money since I didn’t study last quarter and the reason why I had to open up an account was that every Nkumba University student is to pay money through their accounts in Stanbic Bank. I think sending money through my account is impossible because the Stanbic Bank people have asked me to open up a new account since the old one is closed and of which I don’t have any money with me here for that. The last money on me was used yesterday when I went to the hospital to remove the cast and it was the balance of the money you gave me when you were in Uganda.

I also went to Money Gram money transfer and asked them how you can send me money and they told me you only need my name and you go to money gram branch nearest to you in the U.S and send the money by just using my name where by a REFERENCE NUMBER will be given to you so that you can e.mail it to me and its only me and you to know the number so that nobody apart from me will claim the money from the Bank. I don’t have any option as for now for you to send me that help apart from thisone,is it okey with you?

My leg appears very thin after the cast was removed and the doctor told me that I need physiotherapy so that my leg can move freely as usual without pain since it has been straight in the cast.

Thanks for everything, Alice

---

Hi Spring,

I actually don’t know how to thank you because you are more than I thought. I didn’t expect you to be too good like this.

My leg doesn’t hurt so much now because the fractured bone has actually joined together. The only problem remaining is that the knee joint can not move easily without pain and that’s why I need the physiotherapy so that it stops hurting.

I didn’t have enough money for the pain killers_ but the doctor told me that I need some so that plus the physiotherapy, I can stop using the crutches after some 2 or 3 weeks from now, as for now, I still need the crutches so that the already joined fractured bone does not carry my weight and hurts again.

Am waiting for the reference number so that I can buy my bus ticket and travel back to school. Am really dying to be at Nkumba once again to attend my lectures and be with my lecturers and other students. I thought the end of my schooling had come not knowing that God was bringing you to rescue me from that terrible despair.

God bless the works of your hands.

Alice.

---

Thank you so much for everything and I thank all your friends and family for their contribution towards my studies. May God bless all of them abundantly.

There’s nothing I can give you back apart from reading hard and getting good grades so that the money you give me is not wasted

It’s true that the bank people stressed me so much but it’s now okay since you have replaced the money they took.

Thank you so much for being there for me

Love you

Alice

---

Hi Spring,

I’m so fine and my leg does not hurt too much even without crutches but the doctor told me to continue with the crutches for some time.I think by next quarter, I will be done with the crutches and i’m so excited about it because i’m really tired of walking with a support.I want to walk normally again.

Next quarter begins on the 13th of September 2008,you can send the school fees one or two weeks before that date, that is if the money is available by that time because the bank will not be so crowded with students paying their fees.

Thank you so much

Alice

---

Hi Spring,

Thank you so much for the reply of my mail. My leg is somewhat better except physical therapy is very expensive and it actually took all my pocket money that you sent me.

I had to pay 10,000 Ugandan shillings every day I went for the therapy.This costed me all my money for upkeep, even a friend of mine had to give me some money for working on my courseworks because I didn’t want to burden you too much, you have done more than enough for me by paying my school fees.

• I paid 897,000,00 in the university account fof tution fees,
• Bank charge was 55,000ugx
• Bus ticket was 40,000ugx
• Physiotherapy 120,000ugx
• Scholastic materials like books,toiletry, my hair and others was 100,000ugx.

You can now see how kind you are to me by sending me all that big money to make me study very comfortably.

As for now, I think I shouldn’t bother you for another money for the physical therapy even though I still need the therapy, that will be too much burden on you.

The classes I have this quarter are; Economics Two, Sustainable Development, Research Methods and Contemporary Social prolems. Out of the 4 classes that I have, my favourites are Contemporary social problems , Research methods and somewhat Economics Two. I don’t like Economics so much because of too many calculations and i’m not good in mathematics and it gives me alot of hard time.

As for Sustainable Development, every student dislikes it because the lecturer makes the subject too difficult to understand, he is not a good teacher, we the students have actually nicknamed him STRESS FACTOR, can you imagine.

The malaria is now okey, i’m fine now.

Thank you so much for every thing, may God bless the works of your hands.I’m so humbled when I think of what you have done for me.

Thank you
Alice

---

Hi Spring,

Are you alright?.You are too quiet and that makes me worried because it makes me think that you are not fine. Please, reply this mail so that I know there’s nothing wrong on your side. I want to hear from you that everything is fine, because i’m realy worried.

On my side, there’s nothing except the need to take proper care of my leg.

Classes are moving on well except there’s this coursework for ECONOMICS TWO that is giving me hard time, but i’m working very hard to do it very well.

Thank you so much for making me study. May God bless everything you do.

Love you
Alice.

---

Hi Spring,

I even screamed in the computer labaratory when I was reading this mail of the money for my bus ticket because I was afraid that you have failed to raise the money.

I’m so happy for you for that kindness you have for me.

If you are able to send the money for school by 20th or before the month ends, it will be okey.But it depends on whether you have already got the money or not.

All in all, i’m so excited about getting my bus ticket money.

God bless you Spring.
Alice.

So far I’ve raised enough to pay for Alice’s next term at University, her books, living expenses, bus ticket from her village 500 kilometers away, and physical therapy for her leg….thank you to those of you who have donated! She still needs $1500 for the rest of her schooling, so please pass this on. If you’d like to hear Alice’s whole story, let me know and I will send you the correspondence I’ve received from her.