OCTOBER 11, 2016
A basic education is something all of us take for granted. However, for many of the world's children this is a luxury. I was contacted last year by a young man, John Deng Akuai, from Uganda. The way that he found me is a relatively unimportant mystery. The important thing is he found the right person. He told me of his situation, losing a parent in the civil war in Sudan, finding himself in a go-nowhere job as a house boy, and living in a refugee camp in the Arua district of Uganda. His biggest desire was to continue his education. This was something that could not be ignored! I contacted Gayle Kliever, a friend who created the GLKStudentFund which provides scholarships for children in Tanzania. She referred me to a priest from Uganda, Father Godwin Ogam. It seemed nothing short of miraculous that he visited John in Arua, oversaw his registration in school in Kampala, while on our end we were able to raise over $1,000 to ensure two terms of his schooling. This is only the beginning. The fulfillment in changing someone's life changed me. There are children out there whose strongest desire is to go to school. So this is where the story continues. In order to make a larger impact, I've decided to devote my time to the creation of a non-profit organization that can appear on a larger stage, garner more attention, receive corporate sponsorship. And this is where you come in. Not just monetary donations that are necessary to reach our goals, but I also ask for your words of encouragement and inspiration, your attention to this project that will, indeed, change the lives of many.