Literacy

International Women’s Day at Touch the Slum

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Sylvia is a 16-year-old mom of one son who lives at the Ross House. She came to us when she was four months pregnant and homeless. She’s worked very hard to become literate over the past 6 months, and will be learning a vocational skill in Skill for Life starting next term.

“I am smart” is not something she ever thought.

She’d never been to school. She’d never been cherished or complimented or taken care of.

But now, that was the sign she chose. We had others for International Women’s Day: I am Brave. I am Powerful. I am Worthy. I am Strong. The girls got to pick the one they wanted to have in their photo.

Sylvia chose I am Smart to describe herself, and that makes me incredibly proud (and a bit teary-eyed!).

For International Women’s Day (which is today as I’m writing, yesterday when you’re reading), I hope you’ll take a minute to check out our Instagram page (link at the bottom) and see the videos of these amazing young women taking charge of their own lives, determining their own destiny, claiming their own strengths.

Teen girls in Uganda are at the bottom of the social ladder, but slowly by slowly (mpolo mpola) we are changing that culture.

THANK YOU for making it possible!

Blessings,

Jennings

PS We launched the ecobrick water tank project on DonorSee last week and just need $130 to get to 10% so it can be visible to the entire DonorSee audience. We’d love your help – just click below!

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Holistic Literacy Includes Resiliance

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In the best of circumstances, being a teenager can be tough. I remember playing Barry Manilow records (yes, really!) over and over just to cry. (Oh, Mandy…) When you live in the slum, have been abused or exploited, struggle to find food, and possibly have a baby already, it’s a minefield to navigate.

Each week, on Friday, we host Strong Minds, which is an all-students gathering that then breaks up into smaller groups. Our staff, like Damalie above, lead the girls in discussion and teach strategies for resilience and healing.

On Saturday, we have Turning Point, which is open to the community and not just our girls. This public gathering is open to all questions and sometimes lasts for hours as girls have discussions on topics they aren’t told about elsewhere.

Our social worker Sarah, house mother Mama Santa, and our teachers also regularly engage the girls one-on-one to help them with struggles. Santa, Betty, Derrick, and Ronald all help with money and financial issues and questions and help the girls learn to save for their future.

No questions are off the table. They only heal when they can talk and question.

Our goal is a sustainable future, and that doesn’t just mean that a girl can work her trade. It means she can raise confident children. She can resist the kind of exploitation that targets teen girls and women in the slum because she knows her value. She doesn’t engage in behaviors that harm her or her children because she has healed.

None of this is possible without trust, without diving deep, without a shared life of joy, tears, laughter, and friendship. It takes time. It takes commitment. It takes asking hard questions and listening to hard answers. It takes a vision of the future that is both felt and shared.

I’m immensely proud of our staff, both women and men, who are committed to changing the culture surrounding the treatment of girls and women. Change is slow, but it starts with a dedicated group of young people who want a better life for themselves and their community.

Thank you for joining us in this journey. We are very grateful for your support — you are making a difference every day.

Webele nyo!

Jennings

PS Teen mom Jackie’s project for hairdressing supplies is 80% funded – we just need $55 for it to be complete. We’d love your help today! Click below!

Jackie’s project!

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Skills for the Future of Uganda

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In early 2022, we raised the funds on DonorSee to create a computer lab. One of the main drivers for this project was that the government had used the pandemic lockdowns as the impetus for moving many of its services online.

Things like National ID, medical service access, and more were no longer available in person — and thus no longer available to the large percentage of the population (about 50%) who are illiterate and the more than 70% who do not have access to computers or the internet.

So at the same time as we were creating vocational literacy through Skills for Life, and linguistic and mathematical literacy through the Literacy Program, we instituted Digital Literacy so that our girls wouldn’t be left behind.

Teachers Justin and Gloria make sure their students can type (preferably with more than two fingers!), use Word and Excel at their most basic, and navigate the internet to access services and information.

The girls use the computers when they are preparing for exams, to research designs in African braiding and fashion.

The Photography and Videography students use the computers to edit their work.

Some girls are planning to use their skills to earn money by typing forms and documents for those in the slum who can’t do it for themselves.

The computer lab is an integral part of our Holistic Literacy philosophy and it was funded 100% by YOUR donations. We can’t thank you enough!

Mwebele nyo!

Jennings

PS The computer lab was a Large project on DonorSee. We’re allowed to have one Large project (over $500) at a time on the platform — our current one is the farm, which is 85% funded. We have several Large projects ready to go once the farm is fully funded. Can you help us get there? 100% goes to the project! Just click!

FOR THE FARM!

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Looking Ahead in 2023

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Over Christmas, we lost two young students at Wells of Hope School to malarial fever. Gideon and Celebration Tabernacle Church, which oversees the school, have launched a campaign to put 400 mosquito nets into the hands of the students this month. We have the first of 4 projects up on DonorSee to help! Since there is no clinic in Rwakobo village – the nearest is 10+ miles away – and since the villagers are shockingly poor, malaria is rarely treated. Nets cost about $4 each, which is more than most villagers make in a week.

We will be expanding our Literacy Program starting with the next term to at least double the number of students in the program. (Thanks Expat Money Community!) We will be hiring a teacher this month who will help our current teacher, Fortunate, as we have more students than usual this term who are struggling.

Thanks to your generosity over the Giving Season, we are bringing our five our full time volunteers on board as paid staff. These great people (one social worker, our finance/accounting guy, our daycare manager, and two teachers) worked all of 2022 free because they believe in our program. We are very excited to be able to pay them what they’re worth in 2023!

My mom is joining me on my next trip to Uganda, March 19 through April 10. She’s a retired hospice social worker and mental health professional plus a great artist and teacher, so we’ll be using all her talents to bring new knowledge to our staff and students. She’s never been to Africa, so we’ll be going on safari at Lake Mburo so she can see all the beautiful native wildlife there.

The farm is 85% funded, and Farmer Derrick has moved into the farmhouse. The water project is underway, and we bought a slightly used boda (motorbike) for deliveries and errands. Next up will be chickens and new planting, plus continuing to harvest our current crops of fruit and veg. This year we’ll get the greenhouse up, a (sturdy!) goat pen built, and increase the volume of what we’re growing. I can’t wait to visit!

And, of course, every day we’ll have classes filled with enthusiastic teen girls learning new skills, our free clinic and daycare running, and Mama Santa’s delicious meals.

We’re so excited – and so grateful that you’ve make this possible. Thank you so much!

Blessings,

Jennings

PS Don’t forget to check out our social media – I post a lot of things there every day that you won’t see anywhere else. Links at the bottom!

Looking Ahead in 2023 Read More »

End of the Year at Touch the Slum

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The girls get water bottles thanks to partners on DonorSee

When we homeschooled, I learned an important lesson: It’s almost impossible to do any “real” learning between Thanksgiving and Christmas! And I remember that as a child, too. While we all counted down to Christmas, it was really Thanksgiving (in the US) that was the start of the holiday distraction season.

Our girls are way more motivated to learn than we were!

We celebrated Thanksgiving with a feast, and tomorrow we’re having a Christmas lunch for all our students and residents. Then we start our Christmas break, which will go to January 9th. They’re already sad to go! (Don’t worry, the most vulnerable girls will be coming back daily for a meal.)

If you’re new here, you’ll soon find out that we believe in fun, celebration, and gratitude every bit as much as we believe in hard work, healing, and opportunity.

These next few weeks are important for everyone. We implemented a LOT of new programs in 2022: Literacy, Digital Literacy, Advanced Tailoring, Neema Development Entrepreneurship, the daycare, and the clinic.

Our staff has worked tirelessly to counsel, support, encourage, and teach. They’ve managed crisis situations, discovered abuse, provided love and support, and celebrated accomplishments. It’s not an easy job, but they are all from the Namuwongo community and committed to our mission.

None of this would have been possible without YOU, and all we can say is

Tweyanzizza nnyo, tweyanzeege — we are so grateful, thank you very much!

Blessings,

Jennings

PS If you haven’t visited our year end campaign page on DonorSee, head over there! It’s pretty cool, with a goal meter and all our projects! Click the box!

Year End at DonorSee

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Update from Panama!

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I’m still in Panama until (earlyyyy) tomorrow morning. The weather has been great, the fundraiser was wonderful (donations still coming in), and yes, I’m looking forward to getting home. Because HOLY COW Christmas is right around the corner!

I don’t have a picture (yet) from the party. It was crowded and loud and I couldn’t get to my phone (and didn’t have any pockets), plus I was schmoozing and eating tacos. Mikkel’s wife was taking video though, so I should have something soon and I’ll share.

The Expat Money community has raised about $4,000 for Literacy 2.0 so far, which is amazing!

I’m going to open the project up to everyone now, so let me tell you what Literacy 2.0 is all about.

In 2022, we took 60 girls from illiteracy to speaking, reading and writing English as well as doing basic math. This is HUGE, as illiteracy is endemic in the slum, and most especially for girls.

In 2023, we want to vastly increase the number of girls we can take through this program. If we can triple it, that’s our big goal – but we’ll grow it as much as funds allow. Every girl deserves Literacy, and we’ll continue working to make that possible.

You can donate now by clicking the button!

As always, 100% goes to the program. We thank you so much for all your support and encouragement — because of you, 2023 is looking like the best year yet!

YES to Literacy 2.0!

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16-year-old teen mom Jackie in Literacy class with her daughter

Blessings,

Jennings

PS Did you know we have a (small!) YouTube channel? Check it out here!

Update from Panama! Read More »

And I’m off to Panama!

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I love to travel. I’ve been to over 60 countries and lived in several. Pre-pandemic days, I was averaging 4-5 international trips a year. (And I miss it!) While all the fun has been sucked out of air travel over the last decade, traveling itself never gets old.

Tomorrow morning, I head back to Panama!

Some of you know that our Board member, Mikkel Thorup, lives in Panama City where he runs his businesses for the worldwide expat community. My husband and I were down there in March for Mikkel’s birthday party and really had a good time. (We like the country and beach more than the city – and Panama City has a whole lot of very tall, very skinny buildings that make me nervous!)

For the Expat Money Christmas party, Mikkel is hosting a silent auction to fundraise for Ten Eighteen. I’ll say a few words and answer questions. Last year, the Expat Money community raised over $8000 to launch our Literacy program!

This year, our goal is $16,000 to launch Literacy 2.0 to triple our reach.

Expanding Literacy to more girls will help them throughout their lives, and more immediately in Skills for Life. Reading, writing, and speaking English will allow them to get jobs or have small businesses that cater to people from other tribes who live in Namuwongo – there are 60 tribes in Uganda and all have representatives living in the slum. English is the common tongue. It will also give them knowledge and skills they can pass on to their own children, giving those kids a head start.

I’ll be gone from tomorrow until the 14th – you can find daily updates on social media (links below) to see who I meet and what I’m doing.

I’m really grateful to Mikkel and the Expat Money community for their ongoing commitment to Literacy for girls who’ve never had the chance to go to school!

More soon!

Jennings

PS Our farm project is now 83% funded! We’ve raised $21,540, with just $4,360 to go. Starting the 15th, we’ll be getting the compound ready for a full-time farmer by installing a small solar system for lights, digging a borehole for water, and getting basic furnishings. You can help us get the farm funded THIS YEAR by donating now! Click the button – every dollar counts!

FUND THE FARM!

And I’m off to Panama! Read More »

It’s Giving Tuesday! (woohoo!)

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Jackie is a 16-year-old teen mom in our Literacy class. Sometimes she leaves her daughter in our free daycare, and sometimes she takes her to class. She’s not the only one – every class averages one baby or toddler every day!

But Jackie has never been to school, didn’t know how to read or speak English, and never dreamed she would have the chance to learn. Whatever she has to do to be in class she does.

We have 75 students at Touch the Slum. We are the only organization in Namuwongo that focuses on teen girls, offers free literacy and vocational training, has a residential program, and does community outreach.

How do we do all that?

YOU!

This year alone we have:

  • had over 140 completely projects funded on DonorSee,
  • seen our farm 3/4 funded,
  • increased the number of monthly donors by 50%,
  • received hundreds of pounds of donated clothing, diapers, and sanitary pads,
  • and had the privilege of speaking to several hundred people in person about out our work.

Most of this has happened because you gave, you told people about our work, you invited me to speak, or you thought of the girls while cleaning out closets or shopping.

This year, we have a generous donor who has offered to match all gifts up to $5,000!! That means every dollar you give is doubled!

Can we count on you for a year-end gift?

As always, 100% of your donation goes to the program. You can make sure we’re ready when the next teen mom like Jackie comes to us for help! Just click below, or mail a check to Ten Eighteen, 3500 Rock Creek Drive, Raleigh, NC 27609.

Tweyanzizza nnyo, tweyanzeege — we are so grateful, thank you very much!

Jennings

YES, I want to donate now!

PS I’ll be doing an Instagram Live today with Ronald at 12:30pm EST – pop over and say hi!

It’s Giving Tuesday! (woohoo!) Read More »

What’s Going on with Literacy These Days?

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Y’all, this photo made me laugh when I saw it on the bigger screen. Jennifer, in the middle, is that one kid… The one making a goofy face or holding up 2 finger-antennae behind someone’s head or just overall looking fed up with the process. Raise your hand if you’ve ever sent or received a Christmas card with “that one kid” in it! (I really need emojis right now!)

ANYWAY, these are some of the girls from the current Literacy class. Now, you may be wondering what coloring has to do with Literacy, aside from writing their names on the paper.

Let’s call it “anti-traditional” education, and I’ll illustrate it with a story.

In 2014 we did a week-long basketball camp for 40 kids in the slum. We had some great ideas, one of which was to get a long roll of white paper, tack it to the wall in a continuous piece, and let each child write or draw whatever they wanted in a space of their own. We had markers and crayons and finger paints and were really excited to see how it came out.

How it came out was 40 individual spaces that all looked almost identical to each other… Each one had an airplane, a teacup, a house, and a tree. Each airplane was drawn in an identical style. Same with the other subjects. IDENTICAL. The only differences were colors or medium or finesse due to age.

Frankly, it was really depressing. These kids didn’t all go to the same school. They weren’t related. They shouldn’t be drawing the same four things. Yet there it was.

That sums up Ugandan education: rote learning, with no creativity or individuality allowed.

But not at Touch the Slum!

We believe in creativity. We believe in problem-solving. We believe that each girl is an individual and should be able to express herself. Our girls actually have an advantage over girls who have been to traditional schools, because they were never indoctrinated into the cookie-cutter sameness that their peers were.

Launching the Literacy program this year has been one of the highlights of our work in Namuwongo. The joy it brings to these girls when they find out they can learn, they aren’t stupid, they do have value… It’s truly amazing.

Blessings,

Jennings

PS We have a project up for supplies for the Literacy class. We’d love your support to keep them going full steam ahead for the duration! Click below!

SUPPLIES!

PSS You can still get your free ticket to see me speak tomorrow at the Expat Money Summit!

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What’s Going on with Literacy These Days? Read More »

Past the Halfway Mark in T3 Skills for Life!

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16-year-old Husinah is having a stellar year! She was in our first-ever Literacy Class, and just graduated a couple of weeks ago from Basic Tailoring. (If you didn’t see the video from that EPIC graduation, go check it out on Instagram!)

But she didn’t stop there — now she’s in Advanced Tailoring, and look what this gal is doing: TAKING NOTES.

She’s TAKING NOTES, y’all… She was totally illiterate at the start of 2022!

I don’t know about you, but I find that absolutely astonishing. And how did this happen?

YOU!

Some of you donated to the Expat Money Community’s fundraiser at the end of 2021 which paid for the Literacy Program to launch and run through this year. Some of you donated on DonorSee for supplies for Skills for Life. Some of you are monthly donors who help us keep the lights on and the electric sewing machines running all day.

When I first saw this picture, I looked at the usual things – Husinah’s pretty dress, her concentration, the machine. And all of the sudden it hit me what a monumental win this is, because it seems so normal.

This isn’t normal for the majority of girls in the Namuwongo slum. Our goal is to change the culture one girl at a time until it is. Thank you for joining hands with us to make it happen!

Webele nyo!

Jennings

PS We have a project up for supplies for this term’s Literacy class – they go through a lot of notebooks, crayons, pencils, pens, art supplies, and paper! If you can help, just click!

LITERACY CLASS SUPPLIES!

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