When Monica’s mother died, she had to stop going to school. While she went further than most in the slum — through Senior 4 — she didn’t have any skills that made her employable.
But that might have been the best thing to happen to her, as it led her to Touch the Slum, photography, and a newfound passion to become the best female photographer in Kampala.
Every Tuesday in November and December, we will be bringing you a story, told by the girl herself, of how Touch the Slum has impacted her life.
We hope you enjoy this series and seeing how you have so tremendously impacted the lives of the eight girls featured — and many, many more!
Mwebele nnyo!
Jennings
PS Want to help more girls like Monica achieve their dreams?Become a monthly donor or make a one time donation today!$35 pays for a month of our program, and 100% of your donation goes to the program and makes a lasting impact on the girls at TTS.
I don’t know about you, but when I go shopping for clothes, I browse, scrutinize, reject, make piles, sort, try on… it’s exhausting! (And let’s not get started on bathing suit season…!)
Did you ever stop in the middle of TJMaxx and think, “Wow, this is quite a luxury?” Yeah, me neither.
When girls who join our residential program get to the point where they are in crisis and come to us, they have nothing but the clothes on their backs. And those are almost always infested with bed bugs, so into the fire barrel they go.
From Day 1, they have to rely on us for literally everything from a toothbrush to shoes to sanitary pads to clothes for their children. Choice, as a concept, is pretty limited — but that’s true for everyone living in the Namuwongo slum.
Donations have been slower this year, and inflation and wars make people justifiably afraid. Some of our larger projects, like clothing for the babies, have been slow to fund.
But YOU!
As you always do, you came through with much-needed clothes for our babies yesterday (hence the belated newsletter). And let me tell you how they shop:
Call a vendor on the phone.
Tell them we have a dozen babies and toddlers who need clothes.
Wait a few hours.
Receive a (literal) vacuum sealed brick of clothing in a tightly wrapped bundle.
Team up with friends to even lift it off the boda and carry it inside.
Carefully cut open the clothes from the UK and see what surprises wait inside. (You can watch the video on our Instagram page!)
It was like an early Christmas, and the clothing spread out everywhere gave the girls plenty of choice for their little ones. We also have some put aside for later needs.
Not every “win” is an exciting gotcha moment, but for girls who have learned to expect nothing from life, what you provide by supporting their basic needs as well as their education is HOPE. In humanity, in their futures, and for their children.
There is nothing else more valuable.
Mwebele nnyo,
Jennings
PS We’ve got some new projects up on DonorSee, like providing a Thanksgiving dinner for the girls in the residential program, November’s diapers for the 20 teen moms in Skills for Life, and more art supplies for the Literacy program. We’ve raised over $116,000 on the platform thanks to you!!
