Hannah here 🙂 Wow! Where do I begin? This trip has been in the making for over 5 years and needless to say, I am beyond excited that this dream is finally becoming a reality. 5 years ago, my sophomore year in high school, I went with my youth group to a camp, organized by Sports Outreach Institute, that was made to resemble a typical refugee camp in Sub-Saharan Africa. During this 24 hour experience, the leaders took all forms of technology, our shoes, our belongs, and our food. All we had were the clothes on our back and all we had to eat was one bland bowl of rice. That night, we sat in the open field and watched a movie about the atrocities of war, famine, and poverty for those living in Uganda. The next day, two of the guys from Sports Outreach explained that it only took $7,000 to build a well in a Ugandan village. This figure echoed over and over in my head and heart when I got home. I knew I needed to do something!
I started brainstorming ideas and proposed the idea of building a well to my youth group. Everyone was really receptive and the ideas started flowing. Throughout that year, people united as a team and we raised $10,000, surpassing our original goal by $3,000! The well was built in Pugwini, Uganda which is now so close to my heart! And this summer, YES THIS SUMMER, our team is going to get the opportunity to witness how water has transformed a village. When we were fundraising, we learned that less than 1% of water projects are visited. Our team is going to be a part of that 1% and see how lives in Pugwini have been changed by the well. We hope to build a lasting relationship with Pugwini and other surrounding Ugandan villages and spread the contagious hope and love of Jesus! It has been quite the journey, but seeing those beautiful smiling faces refreshed and healthy by clean drinking water will make it all worth it!
Pictures taken in Uganda from a previous Sports Outreach trip:
Kids from the village:
Photographs thanks to Catherine Adams
Walk in Love - "Okutambula Mu Omukwaano" 