DonorSee

Teen Mom Harriet’s Journey To Small Business Owner

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After her father passed away, Harriet moved to the Namuwongo slum to live with her mother in a teeny tiny home. Her mother didn’t make enough to meet their basic needs, so Harriet “got a boyfriend” who could help provide some of the necessities of life, such as food and sanitary pads.

After she found out she was pregnant, the boy fled. Our social worker Sarah found Harriet in a squalid, bedbug infested, teeny tiny home with a one-week old baby who wasn’t thriving.

Harriet and the baby moved into the Ross House, and she moved through Literacy, Basic, and Advanced Tailoring. She is now running her own small tailoring business in the family’s home village.

This is her story.

It’s your support and encouragement that keep Touch the Slum open and providing such critical care and services to vulnerable teen girls in the slum. We so appreciate all you do for Ten Eighteen and Touch the Slum!

Mwebele Nnyo!

Jennings

PS Just $35 pays for a month for a teen girl at Touch the Slum! 100% of your donation goes to the program, always. To give today, just click the button!

DONATE NOW!

PSS TODAY IS RONALD’S BIRTHDAY! Hit Reply with some well wishes and I’ll forward them to him!

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New Large Project Alert!

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I wanted to send this off-cycle announcement because it’s so exciting!

We have a new large project on DonorSee:

We are going to move our 12 residential girls to a new compound, just for them!

We opened the Ross House first, in October 2020, for teen moms in crisis. Since then we have added 2 more residential dorms, five skills, and have over 100 people in the small compound every day. It’s fun, loud, chaotic, and wonderful… but it makes it difficult for the residents to find any quiet time or splace, especially when they first come to us and are in crisis.

The project is $11,500 and will pay for the house, staff (Mama Santa and a security guard), utilities, food, furniture (living and kitchen), and everything else we’ll need for ONE YEAR.

We already have 10% funded — we’d love you to check out the video! Just click the button below.

Mwebele nnyo!

Jennings

MOVE Project!

New Large Project Alert! Read More »

Better late than… naked?!

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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:

  1. Call a vendor on the phone.
  2. Tell them we have a dozen babies and toddlers who need clothes.
  3. Wait a few hours.
  4. Receive a (literal) vacuum sealed brick of clothing in a tightly wrapped bundle.
  5. Team up with friends to even lift it off the boda and carry it inside.
  6. 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!!

Here’s a THANK YOU video from all of us!

THANK YOU!

Better late than… naked?! Read More »

So Many Updates, So Little Space

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I don’t usually do bullet-list updates, because I love to tell stories. But sometimes we just have so much going on that you should know about… Today is that day, so here we go!

  • Ronald is doing training with Plan International and one of their partner organizations, and has repeatedly been told that they can’t believe there isn’t a “hidden mzungu” somewhere funding everything because we get SO MUCH DONE on such a small budget. Y’all can take a bow, because that’s all YOU!
  • Ronald has also been asked to do a guest lecture at Mkerere University on our work with teen girls and children in the slum! Way to go, Ronald!
  • We had two sewing machine projects funded this week on DonorSee, one for resident teen mom Harriet for her new life in the village, and one for Husinah so she can support her family in the slum. It was all done in one day and both girls were so excited! Harriet is holding the sign, in the black and white strips. We’ll sure miss her!
  • On Sunday, Betty boarded a bus for a week-long intensive training with Neema Development, the provider of our Entrepreneur Training Course. This is going to enable us to expand this course to more girls, and also add the second half of it. Because you all have supported our Literacy program, we can move deeper into the training. Mwebele nnyo!
  • Our new nurse, Brenda, completed her time learning our compound Haven Clinic with Nurse Sherry and is now our full time nurse. We will miss Sherry so much, but we’re excited to welcome Nurse Brenda to the TTS family.
  • And last but definitely not least, we have now had 275 projects funded on DonorSee! That’s over $113,400! If you haven’t checked out our page there, just click here. We always have 10-12 projects up, and we have a new large project in the works which is super exciting. (Yep, that was a teaser… more to come!)

You all are the lifeblood of Ten Eighteen Uganda and Touch the Slum, and the only reason we can do so much to change lives and culture in the Namuwongo slum. We honestly can’t thank you enough for your generosity and support. (Really, take that bow!)

Mwebele nnyo!

Jennings

PS Don’t forget to follow us on Instagram where we have daily video of all that’s happening. When you get 100 people in a small compound every day, there’s always a LOT going on! We also have a YouTube channel with some fun video.

So Many Updates, So Little Space Read More »

Dancing in the sun…

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“There’s a great joy in my giving. It’s thrilling. It’s exhilarating. It’s important to be a part of sharing.”  W. Clement Stone

Well, the well adventure is complete!

It may have taken Ssewak Engineering longer than they said to actually get out to the site to dig, but boy, did they hustle once they got there! Here’s the timeline:

Thursday, June 29 (a national holiday), they arrived at 2:00, ate lunch, set up, and started to drill. Drilling went on until 8:30pm, after dark.

Friday, June 30, they hit water! After letting the water run until it was clear, they stopped to let the bore hole dry.

Saturday, July 1, they built the bore, attached the filtration box and pump, and started the cement pad. My team didn’t leave the site until 11:30pm!

Sunday, July 2, we woke up a sign painter who created the sign. The cement pad and small adjacent wall were finished, with the sign cemented into the wall.

Monday, July 3, the well was officially handed over to the community! (And the LC asked Gideon if, since we’d built a well, we could now build a good road! hahahaha NO.)

Y’all… this was truly miraculous. As you can see from the photo, Gideon, the Wells of Hope students and staff, and members of the Rwakobo community celebrated and danced, even under the blazing dry-season midday sun.

WE DID GOOD!

All of us! The donors who made it possible, the supporters who sent prayers and encouragement and declarations of celebration, my team who walked the project all the way though despite the obstacles and setbacks, and everyone who has encouraged us on social media as they’ve seen the progress videos.

It was a team effort, and we all deserve an atta boy! We truly can’t thank you enough!

Mwebele mnonga!

Jennings

PS Yes, stuff was still happening at Touch the Slum, even while Ronald, Fauza, and Ritah were in Rwakobo documenting the well. We’ve got a number of important projects up on DonorSee, including a new irrigation tank for Mikisa Farm, some of our Literacy girls who are in truly dire need at home, and more. You can check out all our projects on DonorSee — as always, 100% of donations go to the program!

Take me to DONORSEE!

Dancing in the sun… Read More »

We Have Water!!

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WE HAVE WATER!

The trucks arrived in Rwakobo around 2:00 yesterday afternoon with very little notice. Gideon quickly called Ronald, who got on a bus with Fauza and Ritah to head back west – it was 9 hours, since it wasn’t a direct bus. Villagers quickly cleared roads and the land where the drilling would happen.

After a quick lunch cooked on a charcoal stove, they started drilling.

And 30 minutes, as I was driving home from an appointment, Ronald Face Timed me (I pulled over!) and showed me the water!

Even as I watched it got cleaner and clearer. How we rejoiced!

It was very loud, and the team was getting other footage, but it was the next best thing to being there for it. I’ll have more soon, but by Sunday or Monday it should be DONE.

THANK YOU ALL for your kind support and encouragement – we hope you are celebrating with us in this historic moment for Rwakobo village.

Mwebele mnonga!

Jennings

We Have Water!! Read More »

A Quick Exciting Update

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Last evening we had our 250th project funded on DonorSee!

That’s 250 projects in 20 months and almost $104,000 that you have donated to Touch the Slum, Hopeland Primary School, and Wells of Hope Primary School + Rwakobo village.

We can’t thank you enough!

Mwebele nnyo and mwebele mnonga,

Jennings and the team

PS If you’ve never checked us out on DonorSee, just click the button to visit our page.

DONORSEE PROJECTS

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Well, Well, Well… We’re Getting a Well!

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You won’t believe this…!

We (YOU) have funded the deep well for Wells of Hope Primary School and Rwakobo village in FIVE WEEKS. That’s $10,134 raised with only 9 donors in 5 weeks.

You know that word “gobsmacked?” Well, that’s what we are, especially Gideon.

I texted him last night after I got the email that the project had funded, read it about 6 times to make sure I wasn’t dreaming, and then cried a little. (True story!) Here’s what he said:

“Crazy crazy! It’s unbelievable! Thank yooooooou [yes, all those o’s!] so much, I didn’t see this coming through, I thought it was way too expensive. This is the biggest project we have done here, I’m super excited — I hope I get sleep!”

After that, he actually called the engineer in Kampala (11pm local time)! The engineer has sent a surveyor to Mbarara already (writing this on Tuesday). He will arrive tonight, and will start surveying the area Wednesday and talking with the local leaders tomorrow about where to place the well.

Y’all, this is SO amazing! This is what happens when people see what a difference they — YOU — can truly make in this world. This project will bring water, year-round, to over 3000 people. Three thousand people who currently have to collect water from ditches, compete with animals for it, and who get sick and die from typhoid on a regular basis.

It doesn’t take big corporations or big nonprofits. It just takes all of us, the average, ordinary people, coming together to accomplish something we could never do alone.

I’m so, so grateful!

Mwebele mnonga,

Jennings

PS If you didn’t see the project and original video with footage of the school and village, you can visit it by clicking the button. It was filmed in April when we were staying at Rwakobo Rock.

WATCH THE VIDEO

Well, Well, Well… We’re Getting a Well! Read More »

Mosquito Nets and Smiles

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Our term break is going amazingly well, and our team has been so creative in the activities the Literacy girls (who are not officially on break) are doing. So far they’ve engaged in debates (Which is better, father or mother?), played all kinds of team games and relays, done some more painting, and some creative problem solving + teamwork using random items.

The teachers have had time to rework their lesson plans for the longer upcoming term, and they’ve gotten lessons on the computers from our Digital instructors Justin and Gloria. Since almost no one has a computer, this is a huge benefit to our teachers and they’re making the most of their time in the computer lab.

This week, thanks to a generous donor, we bought 70 mosquito nets! We distributed over 50 in the community in one day — yes, it was a long day! — and have the rest in the office to distribute as there is need. This is an amazing blessing, since most families in the Namuwongo slum can’t afford nets and so are at high likelihood for malaria.

We’re so thankful for this donor and for all of you who donate your hard earned money to our programs. You make an impact every day, and we couldn’t do it without you!

Webele nyo!

Jennings

PS We have crossed $93,000 in donations on DonorSee — THANK YOU! The project for baby Alpha’s final expenses still needs $145 to fully fund. Since we had to pay for those costs out of our general budget, we’d really appreciate your support to complete that project. Any amount helps and 100% (as always!) goes to the project. Just click!

FOR BABY ALPHA

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Patience Really Isn’t My Thing

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BUT WHO NEEDS PATIENCE WHEN I’VE GOT YOU GUYS?!

So far, 2023 has been very slow in the fundraising department overall. Don’t get me wrong, I expected January to be slow, because everyone was so generous at year end. It’s kind of like when I had the bakery and everyone went on a diet in January, only to emerge from starvation just in time for Valentine’s Day treats!

But man alive, do you all come through time after time!

Just yesterday the water tank project for Hopeland Primary School got over 10% funded and so appeared to the wider DonorSee audience. Today, someone who subscribes to this mailing list funded the rest!

Not ten minutes later a medical project for Touch the Slum was 100% funded by one regular donor.

First, let me say THANK YOU to ALL of you who have been so supportive with your comments and donations. You are the only reason our programs keep going, and the only reason we can touch the lives of over 550 children and teens every day.

Second, I can’t tell you how much your support buoys all of us here in the trenches. There’s a lot of need in Uganda, and a lot of need that Ronald, Gideon, and all our team are surrounded by every day. It takes a lot out of us all sometimes, not gonna lie.

But then we get so many gifts: previously illiterate girls taking notes in class. An entire P7 class passing their national exams. A text or email or message of support for no particular reason from one of you.

It goes far beyond dollars, no matter how important those dollar are. It’s partnership and friendship and collaboration that makes Ten Eighteen Uganda run, and you are as much a part of that as any of us.

We really can’t thank you enough.

Mwebele mnonga,

Jennings

PS We leave on Sunday! If you don’t follow us or check us out regularly on Instagram, make sure to put it in your calendar to do it while I’m gone. That’s the best way to keep up with all we’re doing, although I will still be sending this newsletter, too. Click the icon below to go to our Instagram feed! (You don’t have to have an account.)

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