February 2022

WHY IT MATTERS

/ / , ,

Friend, sometimes, we go outside our brief…

In our Namuwongo project, here are some things we don’t (usually) do that we did last week:

  • Take in pregnant teens
  • Provide food for people not in our program

It’s just a matter of budget – there is SO MUCH NEED among the 30,000 people that live in Namuwongo, and we are one small nonprofit. We have to say no MUCH more often than we can say yes.

But sometimes, you just can’t say no.

A few weeks ago, the LC (local community leader) called about a pregnant 15 year old girl. While it’s in our “one day” plan, we currently aren’t equipped to take in pregnant teens. But we brought Kalunji to the office for counseling, and she has come back and spent all day every day there. She gets 2 meals a day, she’s finally gotten prenatal care and vitamins, and she’s safe.

Last weekend, the team went with her to visit her home, where she lives with her jaja. What they found was an elderly woman near to starvation, in a home where they slept on the bare dirt floor.

When Ronald sent me the video, there was no question. OF COURSE. Buy food. Get charcoal, a mattress, bedding.

OF COURSE. Because sometimes, you just can’t say no.

I WANT TO HELP

WHY IT MATTERS Read More »

WHEN YOUR CHRISTMAS PARTY IS AT KFC

/ / ,

When Ronald said the girls had picked the place for their Christmas party, I just knew…

A few years ago, KFC opened their first store in Kampala. Zeke and I went there during our 2020 visit — it was good, and they were actually fast, which doesn’t usually happen in Ugandan restaurants.

So when Ronald said that the girls wanted to go out this year instead of having a Christmas feast at the Ross House, I felt the silent mantra start in my head: wait for it… wait for it…

Because I just knew what it was going to be! And sure enough – it’s chicken and chips at KFC time!

Y’all, this is a BIG DEAL for these girls. Most of them have never been to an actual restaurant outside the slums. This year, they got their first-ever pizza. And we’re doing this as a MOM-ONLY outing, arranging for the staff to watch the toddlers.

They are SO excited – we can’t wait to share their December 23rd outing with you! (It’s ok, you can laugh. I did!) We’re working on a DonorSee project to fund it, which I’ll share with you soon.

FOR NOW, JUST BASK IN THEIR SHEER DELIGHT OF CELEBRATING CHRISTMAS AT KFC!

WHEN YOUR CHRISTMAS PARTY IS AT KFC Read More »

GRADUATION DAY!

/ / , ,

Graduation Day!

Imagine… you grew up in your country’s largest slum, desperately poor, unable to go to school more than just a few terms.

Imagine… you’re a teen girl with a single mother, living with 6 siblings in one room.

Imagine… your country has a complete lockdown and there is no… nothing. There is especially NO HOPE.

Now imagine that you’ve gone through free vocational training to learn a skill that can allow you to get a job or start a small business. The 2021 lockdown delayed your graduation by 6 months…

BUT THE DAY IS FINALLY HERE!

IT WAS AMAZING!

The current Skills for Life tailoring class made the caps and tassels. (The gowns were a last-minute borrow!) The hairdressing class did everyone’s hair so they looked gorgeous. Families and friends came, speakers encouraged and praised them, they danced and ate and had cake — and couldn’t get those grins off of their faces.

THANK YOU!

Your ongoing support and graduation-specific donations made this day possible!

GRADUATION DAY! Read More »

ROSS AND THE ROSS HOUSE

/ / , ,

Ross and the Ross House

Today is my grandmother’s birthday. She would have been 108. Many of you know she lived to 106 (and a half!). We just had her memorial service earlier this month (November 2021).

Ross Schlernitzauer (pronounced just like it’s spelled!) was an amazing lady – a liver of life, a keeper of memories, a force to be reckoned with, and quietly generous. She passed her legacy of generosity to my mom, and it has had a huge impact on my life as well as my daughter’s.

Ten Eighteen’s US office is run 100% by volunteers. We have no administrative expenses, we don’t do any paid marketing, no one gets a salary, and we work from home. That means that your money goes TO THE WORK, always.

With donations through Donorbox or DonorSee, we use the funds within days to change lives among Uganda’s poorest youth. For all of us, it’s a labor of love that started with the grand lady we called Memommy.

DONATE TODAY!

ROSS AND THE ROSS HOUSE Read More »

BRINGING TECH TO THE SLUM

/ / , ,

Bringing the 21st century to the slum!

Friend, can you imagine life without a computer or the internet? Sure, a lot of us are old enough to remember way back when to the dark ages… but can we imagine going back to that time?

Uganda has used the pandemic lockdowns to drive a lot of in-person activity online: registration for national ID, school services, job applications, and even some health service information.

The problem is, most of Uganda doesn’t have

  • power
  • internet
  • computers
  • computer literacy

Our goal at Ten Eighteen’s Touch the Slum Namuwongo project is to educate the teen moms and girls in our programs so that they can create a sustainable income and improve their quality of life. We feel that becoming computer literate is a key for all the girls as they grow into self-sufficiency.

This project is now up on DonorSee! Check it out — remember, you can give “in honor of” another person, so it makes a perfect holiday gift!

DONATE TO THE COMPUTER LAB

BRINGING TECH TO THE SLUM Read More »

ALL THE BABIES!

/ / ,

We have a lot of babies these days!

We first met Jenifer in early 2020, when she was very pregnant and homeless. We were able to refer her to a Namuwongo organization called Amani, which helps teen moms give birth safely. However, they don’t offer care once a baby is born, and Jenifer went back to staying with various friends. Each time, they were chased out of their housing by the landlord for not paying rent.

Jenifer came back to the office when Liz was 18 months old. Once again, she was homeless, malnourished, and sick with malaria.

We admitted her to the Ross House, where she has received medical care, sexual trauma counseling, psycho-social counseling, mentoring, and is enrolled in Skills for Life learning Tailoring.

Liz is one of 5 babies/toddlers living in the Ross and Suubi Houses. There are another half dozen belonging to teen girls in Skills for Life. Most days, all these young moms bring their children to class, tied to their backs or sitting in their laps while they work.

While they make it work, it’s obviously distracting — anyone with a curious child knows how hard this must be!

In early 2022, we will be creating a small daycare for these sweet kids. Moms like Jenifer can leave their child while they’re in class or out working, and know that they are safe, happy, fed, and loved.

Want to help? We’ve got a DonorSee project up to fund the daycare – check it out! As of today, we just need $295 to fully fund this project and have it up and running when classes start back in January! Webely nyo!

ALL THE BABIES! Read More »

SHARON’S STORY AND OUR 1 YEAR ANNIVERSARY

/ / , , ,

I can’t believe it’s been a year. Or maybe that it’s “only” been a year — we’ve done SO much more than we expected, and have so many great things already in the works for 2022.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!

This is Sharon’s story. She is one of the 6 girls who has come into the Ross House program for teen moms in crisis in 2021. Because of YOU, she has hope and opportunity!

SHARON’S STORY AND OUR 1 YEAR ANNIVERSARY Read More »