We left the guest house in Kampala very early this morning - 6:30am and drove to Soroti. It was a long drive, but good to see a different part of the country. We met Joseph, Country Director for Children's Hope Chest and Beatrice who is an incredible woman! Beatrice lost her husband in 1999 and started a ministry to widows. Her program now includes 20,000 widows. Joseph and Children's Hope Chest are working with Beatrice to meet the needs of widows in this area.
It's estimated that 50,000 people are on the verge of starvation in this district. We heard the stories of the kids, many who are double orphans. Children taking care of younger siblings. These kids have been living on mangos and many go several days without a meal. We were able to provide rice and beans to about 300 kids. We were amazed that these kids were able to eat these huge plates of food!
I had the privilege of hearing some of their stories and will post video when we return home. Most of them just really want to go to school - but of course cannot afford the school fees. We played with the kids and gave pencils, stickers and candy. The difference between their disposition when we arrived and when we left was like night and day. It was truly a blessing to be with these kids today.