If you can't touch the sun reach for the stars

Stella, a HALO supported girl living in the Mengo Home in Kampala, Uganda, recently received a scholarship from HALO to attend Makerere University. Stella is extremely deserving of the scholarship and I felt very moved by her story. Below is an interview with Stella after she received notice about the scholarship. Read her interview through to the end and you will be inspired. For me, this serves as a reminder of the importance of our scholarship program.

What about going to college are you most excited about?
“I am most excited about the fact that I am joining the most beautiful university in Uganda. It is very hard to be accepted there. Even if I’ve not touched the sun at least I’ve touched the stars.”

Are you scared about going to college?
“Not at all. I am very happy and proud.”

What was the hardest part of your journey to this point?
“Before I joined HALO school fees were my stumbling block, and moving long journeys from home to school.” Stella explained that she had to walk very far every day to get to school. She said it was hard to stay late and get there early and the teacher would beat her for being late and not having all her homework.

What was the most joyous moment in your life?
“When I completed Senior 6 (the last level of advanced secondary school) because I never thought I would reach that level.”

What was the saddest moment in your life?
“When I was in Senior 2 and the people (my step-mothers and siblings) I was living with chased me away.”

Was there any point when you thought you might give up?
“Yes, when our father neglected us and didn’t give us anything. I thought I was born by mistake. I thought I was the problem. Our mother struggled so much that we thought maybe we shouldn’t be alive.”

What do you want to do after college?
“I will search for a job so I can support myself and my family. I would also like to continue to get my masters.”

What advice would you give the other Mengo girls?
“Be patient, very, very patient. Think about the future.”
Stella added, “I’d like to thank HALO because they have added a lot of value to my life. It was like a miracle.”

photo courtesy of Mary Pryse.

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.

Please help me say yes.

Every week I receive scholarship applications from deserving HALO youth from around the world. These youth have grown up in our homes, receiving basic needs and a lot of care. The big question comes when the kids get older and are ready to move from secondary school into college or vocational training. What next? Before HALO, most of these kids would not have even thought of college as an option at all. But we let all our kids know if you do well in primary and secondary school (elementary school & high school) you will be eligible to apply for a scholarship. Work hard, and good things will come, right?

So far we have been able to give a scholarship to our eligible youth who have applied, with the generous support form an organization called the Woodland Foundation and generous HALO donors. We received great news from Woodland 2 years ago when they offered to give a matching $1,000 scholarship to any HALO donor who signed up to become a HALO Hero. Without this opportunity, we would not have been able to start our scholarship program and I truly believe this opportunity has and will be the difference in our kids' lives to prevent them from ending up back in poverty.

When I read over the scholarship applications, which include an essay portion, I am amazed at the amount of our kids who have the goal of not only improving their own life through the scholarship, but the lives of their family and community.
One example comes to mind in Rehema, a girl from the Mengo Home in Kampala, Uganda:
Rehema has been living in the Mengo Home for 4 years. She is currently 18 years old and is the first of 5 children. Rehema and her siblings lost their parents at a young age and have been relying on their grandmother who has cancer and is unable to care for them. Rehema is extremely compassionate and plans to attend nursing school to assist her grandmother. When asked why she would be a good candidate for the scholarship, Rehema answered “Given the fact that the only person I have to support me is my grandmother and yet she is not in a position to support me. I have the passion to support my nation and I believe through this course I will be able to serve and influence many people and my family as well. I will be grateful if considered. If I finish this course I will work hard and open up my own clinic where by I will be able to support my people and also I will able to treat my grandmother of cancer."

I'm proud to say Rehema has been granted a scholarship from HALO to attend nursing school. She is one of many amazing stories I get to read when I go through the scholarship applications. The best thing about my job is saying yes to these kids.
I want to be able to say yes to each of these deserving youth. Unfortunately, that may not always be the case. Our generous opportunity to receive matching scholarships for HALO youth ends December 31st, 2012. We have the potential to receive 40 more HALO Heroes in that time frame. Please help me say 'yes' to more HALO youth by becoming a HALO Hero and by sharing the opportunity with your friends and family. I can't think of a better Christmas gift to share.