Poverty. Injustice. Bondage. Brokenness. War.
For the past two decades, this has been the story of northern Uganda. No person has gone unaffected by the consequences of this rebel-led conflict. Nearly two million people have been forced into “Internally Displaced Persons” camps, struggling to stay alive in the most unsanitary conditions imaginable. Thousands upon thousands are living on top of one another. A dozen children sleep on a cold, mud and cow dung-covered floor of an eight-foot round hut that they call “home.” Adults over the age of thirty are no-where to be seen. They are all gone…dead. Children have vanished into the bush. Yesterday they were attending second grade. Today they are carrying a gun and called a “soldier.”
For the past twenty years, this has been the story of northern Uganda. But the people are ready for a new story.
Freedom. Opportunity. Joy. Dreams. Hope.
This is the new story made possible by the work of Touch The World. Through the programs offered by TTW, young victims of war have been given an opportunity to dream of a new future. Vocational skill training through TTW’s “Dream Center” in northern Uganda is providing an opportunity for the un-educated young adults to earn an income to support their family and offering a sustainable skill that will benefit the entire community. To date, TTW has graduated 58 students with tailoring training and is currently teaching 25 young men in brick making and masonry. The vision for this project is long-term and impassioned with the focus of equipping the people to achieve self-sufficiency and sustainability. I believe in this cause because of the changed lives and the stories of hope I have witnessed that have in turn, changed my life and others who hear their story.
