Hello friends and happy 2016! I know it’s been a little quiet around here and for that we apologize. There is so much going on at Tusubira Village and planning and organizing being done on this side of the world. There is progress and change and exciting plans coming and we thought we would share some of that with you!

The Grow Hope Foundation is heading towards it’s 3rd year and we are slowly refining what it is we want to do going forward. We have learned so much in the past two and a half years thanks to partnering with our amazing team in Uganda. They are so filled with wisdom, ideas and passion for the community they are working in. They help guide us in the directions that will most impact the people there and through them we are beginning to find clarification in what it is we need to do on this side to empower their work there.

The Grow Hope Foundation is not an aid-based program. Rather it is a program that strives to empower communities and the people in them by providing the tools and resources THEY need to make improvements in their lives. We provide education in areas such as sanitation, hygiene and nutrition. We teach skills that allow them to then create an income source, which in turn provides the finances they need to do things like feed their families, send children to school or make improvements on their homes. We feel that this is the ONLY way we can impact communities long-term. There’s an old Chinese proverb that says “Give a man a fish and you will feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you will feed him for a lifetime.” Teaching a woman to fish is going to provide for her long after we are gone, as well as giving her something to teach her children, so that they too can create better futures for themselves and their families.

Our Most Pressing Project Right Now

We are in the process of raising funds to complete the Education Building at Tusubira Village. That building will not only house our social worker, who facilitates all of our programs, but will also offer accommodations for teams that travel to the compound to help educate the community. When the building is complete we hope to bring a team of teachers who will help educate and empower the Ugandan teachers currently working at our little community school. By empowering them with tools and skills that they would otherwise go without they will begin to take pride in the jobs and their students which will in turn give those students what they need to go further in their educations. We feel that by educating the educators (rather than the students themselves) we are providing a long-term solution to the challenges that public school teachers face in our community- lack of funding, support and encouragement. Better teachers empower students and our goal is to raise the number of successful students coming out of our community public school. Stay tuned for ways you can help in this area!

Electrical, plumbing and a ceiling are going in thanks to recent donations!

As for progress on the Education Building, we are slowly making progress as we generate funds to do so. The ceiling and walls have begun to be finished as well as some plumbing and electrical work. There is still much to do and we would love to have you join us in completing this building. All it takes is a donation - any amount is gratefully accepted. We have about $26,000 left to raise and with your help we KNOW we can do it! Use the button below or the Donate Now tab above to help us finish this building!

Help us raise $26,000!!!

In the coming weeks we look forward to sharing posts written by other members of the team both here in the states and in Uganda. We also have a number of fundraisers planned that we will be announcing soon so stay tuned for those dates! 2016 is going to be a productive year friends - please join us in making it our best one yet!