One $30,000 truck ... a lifetime of opportunities
This year I was able to travel around Africa. While beautiful, I was struck by tragic poverty I saw first-hand. Wanting to help, I found a group that is delivering real results, especially with respect to education. I believe that with education we can grow into ourselves and reach our potential. To do my part, I am raising money for the Mpondwe Lhubiriha Secondary School (MLSS) in Bwera, Uganda. This school boards 100 children from the surrounding areas and gives them a whole new life path.
Over the years, Partnerships for Opportunity Development Association (PODA), has done amazing things. They built the school, launched 8 businesses, dug a well, founded a garden, and created a micro-loan program. To support these efforts, they are in dire need of a new truck - which is the life blood of the community. To see what the truck does, please click here: School Truck Tour via Google Earth.
In addition to the wonderful work above, the PODA team is working at a grass-roots level to help fathers understand the value of education for their daughters. They are creating partnerships between schools and local employers such as hospitals and wildlife lodges, for future job options. This is important work as the practice of dowry (usually paid in the form of goats or cattle) incentivizes fathers to commit their daughters to marriage for economic reasons. The median age of marriage is 17 years old with 10% being under 15. It is not unusual to hear stories about girls that are 15 years old when they married off for about $15, a cow and a basket of cassava (a root vegetable).
Education is the hope. Per the UN, when educated Ugandan women are more likely to invest back into their families. Roughly 90 percent of an income will usually go back to the family. Statistics show that educated mothers are more than twice as likely to ensure the education of their children. They are also more likely to earn higher wages than an uneducated person. A World Bank report shows that there would be a 14 percent rise in a girl’s wage if she would continue her education rather than get married.
This amazing school and community is now in dire need of a truck. The truck in the photos below is over 30 years old and is no longer usable. This new vehicle will truly be the life blood of the school, and also supports the transportation needs of the connected businesses in the surrounding area. The total cost of the truck is estimated at $30,000 (US). My goal is to raise as much as possible by October 1, 2021 to help continue the momentum for the school and all the people involved.
Below you can see photos of the school, the different ways the old truck was used (e.g. bringing the kids to/from school, bringing supplies, taking goods to market), and most important ... the children.
If you have the time, I know you will be amazed at the difference one truck can make, click here: School Truck Tour via Google Earth
Please help me support PODA by donating to this generation changing effort!
