Unsung HALO Heroes

After returning from traveling to our HALO homes in Mexico, Uganda and Kenya, I am reminded of how many amazing people work and volunteer for HALO both near and far. They put in countless hours expecting little reward. There are so many people who deserve recognition for the work they do within HALO and I've highlighted a few of the many who have inspired me. They are truly amazing people who work hard simply because they are passionate about their work.

Sarah Dunia, who runs the Lily of the Valley Orphanage in Tijuana, Mexico, has worked at the orphanage since she was a teenager. She selflessly works alongside the other hardworking staff and rarely takes time off. She is mama to the many kids who live here and she can be found helping with anything and everything imaginable. She is wonder woman.

Asiimwe, HALO Uganda Field Coordinator, has been working for HALO for over 5 years. Asiimwe is the most cheerful person. Known in our Uganda homes as 'Uncle Asiimwe,' he is always around when someone needs help, and is constantly negotiating the best price for rent, assisting the mentors, and making sure school fees are paid. Asiimwe always has a smile on his face.


Williams Sakui, our Kenya Field Coordinator, spends his evenings visiting the homes when issues arise, and the caretakers know they can call on him whenever they have a need. After talking over the phone and emailing with Williams for months, I finally got the opportunity to meet Williams and his beautiful family in Kenya this month. He is pictured here with wife Rachel, and 2 daughters Karen and Angel.



Purity, Kenya Timau Home Caretaker, has discovered the secret to successful child rearing. Her ability to manage a home of 30 young boys amazes me. Purity has worked for years to create a family environment for the boys which has allowed them to feel at home and surrounded by love. Purity embodies patience.


Mary Pryse, HALO Uganda Ambassador, is raising her own funding to be able to live and work in Uganda for HALO for 2 years. Mary has built up strong relationships with our kids and mentors in less than 8 months of serving as an Ambassador. She is a problem-solver extraordinaire and an awesome travel companion. Donate to support Mary in Uganda here.

These are just a few of the many unsung HALO Heroes out there. I feel fortunate to work with such wonderful people.

HALO Baraka Home

The HALO Baraka Home in Kenya was the last stop on my trip. The home is previously known as the Naibor Home but has since moved to a new location. The 32 kids moved to their new home in September of 2012, where they now have more space to play and are much closer to their schools. They are surrounded by great views of the mountains and Kenyan farmland. We spotted several zebras on our way out to the home.

The kids at Baraka are so sweet and live very simply. When we showed up at the home to do an art project, they sat down and waiting patiently while we divided up the watercolor paint, brushes and paper. We did a project about 'what we love.' I love their beautiful colorful little drawings.

Timau brotherhood.

Yesterday was spent at the Timau Boys Home at the base of Mt. Kenya. The home here has 30 boys, 20 chickens, 3 bunnies, 2 puppies and 1 cow. I love the brotherhood of the boys in Timau. The 30 boys living here range in age from 7 to 17 which would make you think it would be total chaos. There is a lot of energy here but the boys are incredibly sweet and loving toward one another. They truly consider each other brothers. They help each other with their homework, sing together, eat together, play together, console each other, push each other on the swings.

When I was here in 2011, the boys were pretty young and I expected to be a little sad to see them so much older, a little more rowdy. They have definitely been growing up, but the same sweet boys I hoped to see were all still there and still as joyful as ever, just a little more grown up.

I was happy to receive many positive updates, including one of our HALO scholarship recipients, Kennedy Kiiru, has graduated from carpentry school and is now working. Another of the boys, Mussei, who previously had some medical problems with his eyes has received treatment and can now see very well.

I wished I could have spent more time at the Timau Home, but the time we did spend with the boys was so good. We played on their new playground and did an art therapy project, ending with the boys faces completely covered in paint.
The love continues at Timau.

Babirye and Nakato

In Uganda there are special names designated for twins. For girls, the older twin is named 'Babirye' and the younger twin is named 'Nakato.' They are given this special 'twin' name in addition to their own first name. HALO supports 2 twin girls in Uganda. Babirye Harriet and Nakato Alice.

I met the twins 2 years ago and got to make a trip to see them again today. Until today I didn't know the background of how they came to be supported by HALO. When the twins were born their mother passed away within one hour after delivery. The twins father had abandoned them. Without a mother to feed them or a father to provide for them, the twins became malnourished and even now at age 11 are still very small for their age.

A kind woman named Sarah took the twins in when they were only 6 months old and cared for them as though they were her own children. Although Sarah provided tremendous support emotionally for the twins, she was unable to pay the fees needed to send them to school. For that reason, the twins joined HALO's school sponsorship program to provide school fees for the twins while they continue to be supported by Sarah at home. When visiting Sarah and the twins at their home, I could see she loved them as much as any parent could love their child. Her face lit up when she told me stories about the twins when they were babies, even showing me pictures of them when they were tiny and how she would sleep with one in each arm.

While we were visiting Sarah she thanked me repeatedly but she is the one who deserves to be thanked.

Below is the picture Sarah proudly showed me of her and the twins when she first took them in.

Sarah and the twins today.

Back in Uganda

I am back in Uganda after nearly 2 years to visit our HALO supported homes. I arrived last week but have been so busy running all over Kampala I am just now getting a chance to sit, breathe, and write. This time around I am visiting our new HALO Ambassador, Mary Pryse, who after only 6 months of serving as a HALO Ambassador already seems like an old pro. From navigating the streets of Kampala, to writing food critiques for a local website, to negotiating prices, Mary is an amazing tour guide and hostess. I appreciate her working 14 hour days to accommodate all of the things we're trying to pack into a relatively quick trip.

I am also excited to have Valerie Mayen traveling along with me in Uganda. Valerie is an incredibly talented designer who runs Yellowcake out of Cleveland, Ohio and also happens to be a super cool travel companion and fellow ukulele enthusiast. Valerie is helping me to establish sewing and design programming in some of our HALO Uganda homes. We have purchased some new sewing machines and have been so excited to teach the girls in the Mengo and Lungujja homes some new sewing skills. We have not been able pick up on their Ugandan dance skills as well as they have picked up on the sewing.