Thanks Total Attorneys & Friends!

(The amazing group: Reza, Katie, Kevin, Leah, Kristin, & Ali)

When Kevin Chern of Total Attorney's & friends (Reza, Ali, Leah, Katie, and Kristin) came to visit us, they brought tons of goodies. Not only did Kevin bring an amazing group of people, but together they brought clothes, shoes, bags, sports equipment, computers, and much more! Our girls felt so loved that many of them started crying tears of joy. Beatrice even said, "I never knew someone could do such a thing for me. I came from dust, I wish people could see me now."

The gifts Kevin & friends brought had much more value than strictly material. To the girls, the gifts showed that they were loved and supported by people all the way around the world.

One of their favorite gifts was the computer! The girls have even asked us to print out pictures of them sitting with the computer. The mentors have added "computer skills" onto their list of activities for the home. So far the girls have learned how to load music onto the computer and are getting familiarized with the keyboard. Here are Concy and Stella (who are very happy to have their picture taken with such an amazing gift!).



The group also brought lots and lots of sports equipment. I'm sure they knew we liked games, but I don't think they knew just how competitive we are! The girls love playing with the volleyball, the handball, and the basketball. They're practicing netball (a local game girls play in school) and even learning some new volleyball techniques. Prossy, our basketball star, has enjoyed teaching the girls her skills, which they are very eager to learn.




Last, but not least, is the badminton net. Though this was new to all the girls, it's quickly become their new favorite game. Our Project Director, Pauline, played this game as a child and was so happy to teach the girls. At first, she was the master and none of the girls were able to beat her. But after a few games, Pauline found out that the saying "the student becomes the master," was all too true. Beatrice and Stella learned quickly and have been battling it out to see which one is the best.





A big thanks to the group and all who contributed for your generosity and love. We are so thankful for all you've done for us and loved getting to know each one of you.

Saying Farewell

May brought some significant transitions to POH Bwaise: the older girls returned from boarding school, the drop-in center women graduated from their hair dressing course, and “auntie” Katie returned home to California. Having shared life with the girls since September, and seeing them through a number of challenges (a massive bead order before Christmas, bringing on new staff and and new girls, setting up sponsorships so that they could receive a good education at boarding school), it was hard to say goodbye. Until the last day I don’t think the girls could believe that she was actually leaving, but reality set in and they pulled off a smashing goodbye slumber party! Allow me to relay the evening (and dawn) of May 4th, 2011:

* The evening began just before dusk as Katie ducked and entered the POH compound through the small door in the gate. Whoops and hollars resounded as the girls pummeled her and collectively lifted her off her feet and carried her to the front porch.

* As the sun set we attempted to make no-bake peanut butter cookies over the charcoal stove without measuring cups and using the local odii (a paste made of ground nuts and sesame) as a substitute for peanut butter.

* A hysterical “news report” from our two budding house journalists started off the evening’s program, covering the recent political unrest in the city. They had us all laughing at their satire of the mayhem.

* Dancing in the turquoise enclave of the sitting room commmenced, which led into a time of prayer and singing and, of course, the power went out. Undettered, we continued by lantern light.

* Most would agree that the pinnacle of the evening was the “basi ceremony”, used in Laos as a symbolic way of saying goodbye. When someone in the community is leaving, everyone gathers and each person is given a string that they bring to the person and as they tie the string around that person’s wrist they share with them how they’ve touched their life. The person leaving then reciprocates, tying a piece of string around their friend’s wrist. It serves as a physical reminder of the time that was spent together. One can either keep the string on until it falls off, or if the time comes that they feel ready to let go, they can cut it. In our basi ceremony, Katie stood at one end of the sitting room and one by one the girls came forward to exchange their strands of colorful thread and words of love and affirmation. It was a heartfelt and tearful time, and hopefully it served to give each of them the opportunity to express their thoughts, be affirmed and begin to have closure with letting go of someone who has been so dear to them.

* At this point it was likely 10pm -- and if you’re Ugandan -- the preferable time to eat supper, and that we did. A classic meal of matooke, rice, beans and greens.

* I likely have the order of events wrong, but at some point there were some beautiful gifts given to Katie, namely a brilliant pair of beaded sandals

* The day closed with the girls hauling mattresses from all corners of the house into the sitting room to make one big cushy floor where we gathered for a movie with a giant sauce pan of freshly popped and salted popcorn.

* We slept.

* Uncertain if the scheduled ‘walk to work’ protests in town would escalate and trap Katie at the home, the wee morning light found us drinking milk tea and cassava and bidding her a tearful goodbye at the gate, before it got too late. Katie hopped on a boda, exchanging waves with the girls as she rode away. We will (and do) miss you Katie!


-Lindsey Whyte

Saying Farewell

May brought some significant transitions to POH Bwaise: the older girls returned from boarding school, the drop-in center women graduated from their hair dressing course, and “auntie” Katie returned home to California. Having shared life with the girls since September, and seeing them through a number of challenges (a massive bead order before Christmas, bringing on new staff and and new girls, setting up sponsorships so that they could receive a good education at boarding school), it was hard to say goodbye. Until the last day I don’t think the girls could believe that she was actually leaving, but reality set in and they pulled off a smashing goodbye slumber party! Allow me to relay the evening (and dawn) of May 4th, 2011:

* The evening began just before dusk as Katie ducked and entered the POH compound through the small door in the gate. Whoops and hollars resounded as the girls pummeled her and collectively lifted her off her feet and carried her to the front porch.

* As the sun set we attempted to make no-bake peanut butter cookies over the charcoal stove without measuring cups and using the local odii (a paste made of ground nuts and sesame) as a substitute for peanut butter.

* A hysterical “news report” from our two budding house journalists started off the evening’s program, covering the recent political unrest in the city. They had us all laughing at their satire of the mayhem.

* Dancing in the turquoise enclave of the sitting room commmenced, which led into a time of prayer and singing and, of course, the power went out. Undettered, we continued by lantern light.

* Most would agree that the pinnacle of the evening was the “basi ceremony”, used in Laos as a symbolic way of saying goodbye. When someone in the community is leaving, everyone gathers and each person is given a string that they bring to the person and as they tie the string around that person’s wrist they share with them how they’ve touched their life. The person leaving then reciprocates, tying a piece of string around their friend’s wrist. It serves as a physical reminder of the time that was spent together. One can either keep the string on until it falls off, or if the time comes that they feel ready to let go, they can cut it. In our basi ceremony, Katie stood at one end of the sitting room and one by one the girls came forward to exchange their strands of colorful thread and words of love and affirmation. It was a heartfelt and tearful time, and hopefully it served to give each of them the opportunity to express their thoughts, be affirmed and begin to have closure with letting go of someone who has been so dear to them.

* At this point it was likely 10pm -- and if you’re Ugandan -- the preferable time to eat supper, and that we did. A classic meal of matooke, rice, beans and greens.

* I likely have the order of events wrong, but at some point there were some beautiful gifts given to Katie, namely a brilliant pair of beaded sandals

* The day closed with the girls hauling mattresses from all corners of the house into the sitting room to make one big cushy floor where we gathered for a movie with a giant sauce pan of freshly popped and salted popcorn.

* We slept.

* Uncertain if the scheduled ‘walk to work’ protests in town would escalate and trap Katie at the home, the wee morning light found us drinking milk tea and cassava and bidding her a tearful goodbye at the gate, before it got too late. Katie hopped on a boda, exchanging waves with the girls as she rode away. We will (and do) miss you Katie!


-Lindsey Whyte

Auntie Diana

Meet our lovely and determined role-model and Purse of Hope house mentor, Diana. Diana has been living with the young women and girls for the past six months, serving them as an “auntie”, offering an exemplary picture of where loving support, prayer, hard work and perseverance can take you.

A journey of discovering the capacity of her own heart and potential prepared Diana for her work and life at POH. In 2008, she noticed that she had “developed a heart, a love, to care for the uncared for ones” and looking around her church, noticed a handful of kids. She would meet with them on Saturdays and when she had some extra money from her own sponsorship she sacrificially gave, using it buy them shoes, shirts and pens for school.

During her campus holiday in 2009, she worked with the Cornerstone Home in Gulu as a mentor. Reflecting on that time, she says “I loved being a mentor because I was sharing what I had within me to others...being there showed me that I have the potential to change someone’s life...to be a leader...(the girls and I) were learning from each other.” Inspired by the comprehension of her talents and ability to encourage the same within others, a year later she began volunteering with POH.

Diana loved hanging out with the girls at POH and they loved her; she was invited to live and work as a mentor. At POH she says, “there is a way you develop love...If you can’t love you can’t be a mentor, the love has to be in you. When you are a mentor, however old they (the girls) are, they are like your children.” Her life and presence among them offers them inspiration and strength. “When it comes time for praising and worshipping, (the girls) can say, ‘if Auntie can do it, we can do it’ and we find our life, new life in Christ.” She’s thankful to invest in a place where the girls say they find home, and works earnestly to solve problems that arise, “If someone is battling with something, I can try my level best -- if it means praying or talking to someone” she is always ready.

Describing what keeps her going as a mentor, she says “I feel good to know that someone has grown up in my hands...when that girl is fulfilling all the dreams that she has when I have helped her and put a hand in there so that she can become what she really wanted.” Her responsibility is considerable and she has challenges. She can’t always go out with friends, at times she has difficulty understanding some of the girls under her care, the older ones don’t always listen and sometimes the girls come to her asking, “‘but auntie, what is this?’ and also me” Diana says, “I don’t know. That is a challenge.” Yet she insists that through love and prayers they are overcoming together. She finds that these challenges also help her to grow, “...when you are someone’s mentor, you are showing the character and you have to respect yourself first. If it comes to caring, you have to care, when it comes to talking, you have to talk well, you have to be a role model. Me, I have to move the right way so that that someone can also move the right way. When I am a mentor, it’s like I am serving God. When I praise God with these girls we are serving God together.” Her favorite verse is 1st Corinthians 13, because it demonstrates to her that the whole bible is based on love, that God is love. Even if the child she is working with is “so hard, I say in my heart ‘I will love you no matter what, to see you changing to become the person that everyone admires in the future.’ God loves us like that and that’s the love I would like to show to someone else, however hard she might be.”

Along with her work and life as a mentor, she is a determined student studying telecommunication engineering. Always curious, she chose TE because she wanted to understand technology. She used to wonder about things like transmissions, pondering how radios and televisions operate and how someone could be in the village and hear and see others? Seeing computers, satellites and solar panels she would ask herself how they worked and at home would try to fix the TV. Growing up, the people around her had many challenges and she would think, ‘God, how can our people change?’ In the future she envisions having her own radio or TV station that she’ll use as a platform to solve peoples’ problems and help them to explore their talents, perhaps being an answer to her own question. In six months she’ll graduate from Uganda Institute of Information and Telecommunications and hopes to find a professional job so that she can hone her skills, but will continue the work of her heart, mentoring.

We are profoundly thankful for her and the great mentor she is at POH.

Home for the Holidays

These days we have a full, lively house at POH Bwaise. Nearly a month ago, seven of our girls finished their first term back in class, attending boarding schools around Kampala, and returned home for their holiday. Extraordinary courage was asked of them when they returned to school in February, seeing that it had been quite awhile since some of them had been in school and there was much catching up to do. Coming home also proved daunting; while they were away, four new sisters joined us and the boarding school girls were coming home to both the familiar and unfamiliar. Same house, new faces and new paint. Change is seldom easy.

Unsure of what to expect, we were grateful when they demonstrated grace and resilence. The new younger ones received their big sisters with warmth and hugs and the big sisters accepted the younger ones and within days of their return everybody had settled. Then one afternoon I stepped out onto the front porch to this scene:




The late afternoon breeze mingling the strains of rustling leaves overhead with the jaunty melody from a passing car, the girls had organized themselves into study groups in the shade of the house, determined to “read” (study) and not lose any ground during the month long break between terms. I couldn’t help but witness this scene with astonishment -- what children do you know prioritize studying during their holiday and take it upon themselves to begin?

Another evening while perched on the balcony with one of the aunties, the darkening sky settling the dusty sunset over Bwaise and the city beyond, we spied a moment of sweet camaraderie below. One of the older girls steadied a wooden ladder, branches secured with rope, against the compound wall beside an avocado tree, while a younger one scaled it, reaching for the rock hard fruit that perhaps was too enticing to allow for a few more days of ripening. Realizing they were caught, they giggled and the picker descended from the foliage, arms full of green.

Beach Day Graduation

Beach Day Graduation from kelsey morgan on Vimeo.

Today was a special day for everyone at Purse of Hope, Bwaise. After 8 long months of classes and training our drop-in girls are finally graduating!

Since most of them have never seen a beach and had no clue what it looked like, we decided to give them a special treat and hold the graduation on the beach of Lake Victoria in Entebbe. We loaded up all the live-in girls as well as the drop-in center girls and headed to the beach.


It was an amazing day and we've never seen the girls so excited!

"The Bird Who Could Not Fly"

(A creative story written by Beatrice at the Total Impact House)

Once upon a time there was a bird that lived in a farm. That farm is big, full of trees, with a beautiful colour and it is also cool, and quiet. The bird lived in that farm but he could not fly! The name of that bird is Dove. That bird is funny! Its colour is black, the mouth looks short, the legs are big, and the eyes are red. That bird is beautiful.

The bird is friends with other animals from home. One animal that is friends with the bird is a dog. And you know what? That animal is funny. The name of that animal is Moose. Moose always likes being quiet and active. He is big, his colour is beautiful, it is brown, and his eyes look black, and he is young.

And you know what? Moose likes staying with the dove because the dove sings to Moose, and Moose dances. They like staying together and they are friends. And you know what? That bird cannot fly because his wing is broken. He is even sick so he is too weak to fly.

So one day the bird sat down and thought…But I can not fly, where am I going to eat if my friend Moose is not at home? Am I going to sit without eating? If I sit with that broken wing of mine I am going to die. So, it’s better for me to go to what? The hospital. So I can get what? Treatment. So that my wing should get healed so I can go anywhere I want to go.

So that is the end of the story about the bird that could fly.

Hairdressing Graduation

The countdown begins! The drop-in center girls eagerly await graduation on May 13th! Watch as they share their feelings about their final exam and future aspirations

Joy

Camp Scholarships

This Easter weekend, Annet and Winnie (above) were given scholarships to attend a Scripture Union Camp. Scripture Union is a Christian club on most school campuses in Uganda. Our girls are active members of this club and participate in lunch-time prayer and bible studies.

Winnie and Annet were given scholarships because they are distinguished as leaders at school and at the Purse of Hope home. We know that they'll be eager to share the lessons they learn at camp with their other sisters when they return home.

We're so proud of these two girls and believe the lessons and skills they're learning at this camp will encourage their growth into incredible leaders in their community and the even the world. Great job girls!

A beautiful Gift

Eve, a mentor in the Total Impact Home, has a unquenchable passion for music. Although she's soft-spoken and typically quite mellow, she comes alive when she worships.

Since her arrival to the home in October, we've watched the Purse of Hope choir grow in amazing ways. Our girls are now singing in 3 part harmonies and awing all who visit the home.

We often find the girls spending their free time sitting with Eve under the mango tree, memorizing the lyrics to new songs and practicing together.

Eve has been praying that God would provide a way for her to join a class at church to learn how to play the guitar. Little did she know, that God was sending Danny Lima to Uganda to answer that prayer. In the picture above, Eve is proudly strumming her new guitar, a gift from Danny.

Thank you Danny for this incredible gift! Who knows what could be next for the Purse of Hope Choir...an original piece with guitar accompaniment? We hope so!

Pauline Sheds Light

Meet Doreen

Love is patient

Since the beginning of the school term in January I’ve noticed monumental change in the girls’ study habits and excitement for school. Yesterday I was chatting with them and asked if they could describe what caused the great change.

Juliet shared with me that the reality of hope is responsible for the transformation. She explained that over the course of their first year at the Total Impact House, she and the other girls spent a lot of time thinking about the past and had a difficult time believing that there was any real hope for their future.

Now, she told me, they know that God has a plan for them. They have experienced love and support and encouragement and know that there are people all over the world who believe in them and want them to succeed. They believe that they will have lives full of meaning and won’t ever have to go back to the way life was before.

Juliet and the others are now giving school their all. Some have even been chosen for leadership positions in their classes. To me, this story is a lesson on love. Love must be patient. We can’t expect change to happen over night, but must understand that change takes time, and a great amount of love.

Our First Graduate

Today was a monumental day in Purse of Hope history. Eva, one of Purse of Hope’s very first girls, received the results of her Senior 6 exams. This exam is taken at the end of a student’s high school year and the results determine whether or not a student will attend University and which area of study they’ll receive.

Though she finished almost 5 months ago, Eva has been waiting anxiously to hear the news that will set the course of her future. The results are in (drum roll please…) And she passed!!!! With tears in her eyes and wild excitement, Eva sobbed that years ago, she had no hope of ever completing Secondary School, and absolutely no clue that she would ever attend University. She never dreamed such a thing could happen to her. Now, her dream has come true and Eva has a bright future ahead of her.

We’re so proud of our first daughter to graduate Senior 6. She is now a role model for the other girls to look up to. Eva shared with us, “Now I can encourage the other girls to work even harder than I did. If I can pass, all of the Purse of Hope girls can. We all have a bright future.”

Congratulations Eva!

Life Skills Training

Last week Purse of Hope introduced "Life Skills Training" to our list of programs in Bwaise. This awesome new initiative is taught to drop-in center beneficiaries by our trained staff.

The girls are learning valuable life skills that will help them continue to lead healthy lives after graduating from the drop-in center courses.

We're excited to watch this program develop and will keep you updated on all the great things these girls are learning.

Staff Spotlight: Pauline

We want to introduce you to our beautiful staff - The people who are dedicated to making instrumental change happen here in Uganda. The patience, love, and passion they exhibit are constantly transforming the lives of our girls.

This week we present Pauline Amony, our Project Director in Gulu.

Pauline is confident, independent, and compassionate woman. When it comes to her work, she is a force to be reckoned with. Pauline has a fiery passion for our girls and other girls in the community with similar backgrounds. Though she appears to be small and fragile, she’s tough. She walks into the slums and ghettos with authority and has the ability to soften even the most hardened teens.

This loving woman is the perfect mother figure for our girls in Gulu. She shows love in ways that only a natural mother could and knows more patience than most could dream of. She truly believes in the goals of our project and was even reaching out to this demographic before Purse of Hope came into existence.

Our girls see her as their adoptive mother. Though many were abandoned or orphaned, they’ve found the consistent love they’ve longed for in Pauline.

When asked about her role as a mother to the girls Pauline responded, “I feel blessed to be a mother of so many lovely girls. It’s something I had only ever dreamt of.”

In addition to her long list of skills (which include, administration, managing staff, loving our girls, organizing programs, counseling, etc.), Pauline is a gifted conflict mediator. She has a heart for reconciling the girls back to their families. Though many of the families are the cause of the hardships in the lives of our girls, Pauline is dedicated to helping them change.

This task is not an easy one, but when accomplished, can change their entire course of a girl’s life. The shame, neglect, and abandonment they feel can disappear when a family member asks for forgiveness and admits fault. Though this takes time, Pauline has the patience and perseverance to continue the work and we’ve seen many instances of reconciliation in the past few months.

Pauline hopes to see the girls become educated, responsible women of their nation. And we’ve already seen this dream coming true. Purse of Hope is beyond blessed to work with this incredible woman whose love knows no end.

A Brighter Future

This week Juliet and Beatrice started Secondary School (High School).

Beatrice spent the last year repeating Primary 7. She was faced with adversity each day as a 17-year-old in Jr. High. But thanks to the encouragement of our amazing Project Director, Pauline, and her Purse of Hope sisters, Beatrice found the courage to study hard to have another chance at passing her exams. The weeks leading up to the release of the exam scores was filled with nerves. Both Juliet and Beatrice were totally freaking out. This news could make or break the future of their education.

Upon receiving the news that they passed, they both broke down in tears. Before coming to Purse of Hope, they never thought they would set foot in a Secondary School. Their hopes had been shattered by war, abuse, and abandonment. But on this day the hopelessness of the past was broken. Juliet and Beatrice have a second chance at life with Purse of Hope. They have the chance to be kids, to be students, and to be loved.

Thank you for supporting these girls and cheering them on as they walk bravely into a brighter future.

Healing Transformation

An important part of the healing process for the Purse of Hope girls is moving from feeling victim to circumstances to feeling empowered as an agent of change in their community. After a year of growth, transformation, and healing, the Purse of Hope girls are truly becoming empowered young women.

A few months ago they began asking us if they could begin ministering to people in their community. Now, they have not only participated in community outreach activities such as cleaning wells and bringing food to poor families, but they have also chosen to volunteer at St. Jude's, an orphanage in Gulu town.

In addition to these activities, they have also started leading activities for their sisters in the home. The Purse of Hope mentors, or "aunties," challenged the girls to begin leading bible studies and devotions in the home. The girls have stepped up to this challenge and excelled! This week, Annet (pictured above), asked the aunties to teach her a worship song so that she could teach her sisters. It was a beautiful lesson to observe.

The girls sat attentively under the mango tree while Annet fearlessly taught "Hosana" to her sisters line-by-line. The beautiful voices of the girls soared over the compound wall and into the neighborhood. Before they knew it, children were climbing the trees and fences to catch a glimpse of their lesson, shouting "sing it again!"

It is these moments that take hold of my heart and reveal that these girls will bring hope to a land that has been plagued by war, violence, crime, and poverty. They will be agents of change that will forever change a generation.