Recognition and Awards For a Friend

A year ago, a young man called the Legacy offices and told us, in his own forthright and assertive way, that he was going to Uganda to take pictures and he needed our help. Turns out, that young man wasn’t just anybody, it was Alexander Fortson, an activist, photojournalist and student, and the pictures he took weren’t just snapshots. They create a narrative– Sons Like the Dust– that tells, in no uncertain terms, the realities of life for the most vulnerable people in Northern Uganda.

Alex and his partner Kristen Houser are good friends of Legacy World Missions; they both contributed to our Legacy of Art show in June and we screened part of Sons Like the Dust at the event. Alex’s series of portraits taken in a Sudanese leper colony (above) were the hit of the fundraiser. Recently, we’ve heard some great news: Sons Like the Dust won the Silver Medal in the Multimedia Project Category at the 64th College Photographer of the Year Competition. Kristen and Alex, we are so, so proud of you both!

Generally, I personally dislike the term “raising awareness.” It seems ambiguous and open-ended. Awareness itself shouldn’t be the goal, should it? What Alexander and Kristen have done with Sons Like the Dust is far beyond raising awareness, though. They’ve forced us to redefine both childhood and survival. They’ve stirred our empathy and compassion, they’ve brought human dignity to their subjects and they’ve thrown down a challenge: do we tolerate a world that tolerates this sort of wholesale cruelty, or do we do something about it?

The documentary is split into three segments, each about 10 minutes long. Make the time to watch it, and when you do, think about what Eugene Debs, nominee for the 1924 Nobel Peace Prize said: “While there is a lower class I am in it, while there is a criminal element I am of it; while there is a soul in prison, I am not free.” Sons Like the Dust reminds me of who we’re committed to helping and why: Because we’re not okay with living in a world that’s okay with this.

Again, everyone on the Legacy staff congratulates Kristen and Alex. We also thank them for having the courage to not just look at people the world has largely dismissed, but to take pictures.

-Angela

An Open Letter to Congress and Senate

This is a letter that we sent to Georgia Senator Johnny Isakson and Georgia Congressman David Scott. They are members of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs and Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, respectively. Right now, these committees have the power to move on legislation that would make dramatic and positive changes in Uganda, but they won’t do it unless they know that there’s a constituency of people who see the importance of it. If you feel strongly about helping the people of Uganda, write to the House Committee or your own representatives and tell them so.

Dear Senator Isakson and Congressman Scott,

We are writing to you today to ask for your help. As members of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations and the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, you both have a unique opportunity to disarm one of the world’s most ruthless terrorist organizations and bring lasting peace to an East African ally.

The Lord’s Resistance Army Disarmament and Northern Uganda Recovery Act of 2009 ( S. 1067, H.R. 2478) is currently in committee, and we fear that, in this unprecedented legislative session, this bill will be ignored and forgotten. It’s bitterly ironic that Uganda’s war with the terrorist LRA has crippled the country for more than twenty years, and while similar conflicts in neighboring Sudan, Rwanda and Democratic Republic of Congo received international attention, Uganda has continued to struggle with almost no global support. We need a comprehensive disarmament plan and a short-term humanitarian effort to stabilize those made vulnerable, and this bill provides for exactly that.

Gentlemen, the findings in Section 2 of the bill explain the urgency of this action: thousands of children have been abducted. Thousands more have been killed. Hundreds of thousands of families have been displaced from their ancestral lands, now living in unsanitary and dangerous refugee camps. What the bill doesn’t explain, however, is the human tragedy of a civil war that has raged unchecked for two decades. Wholesale rape and murder have left an entire generation of Ugandans scarred and vulnerable as they’ve watched their parents, siblings and loved ones slaughtered before them. Farmers are hacked to death with their own tools. Girls as young as eight or nine are kidnapped and raped incessantly until they die from their injuries. Those who survive often die in childbirth, their young bodies too weak and small to handle a pregnancy. There are reliable reports from international aid workers of women forced at gunpoint to bury the pieces of their infants, cut up with machetes. I don’t tell you these things for the shock and horror of it, but to remind you that this is a common reality for thousands of Ugandans today. Imagine the most heartbreaking depth of human cruelty you can conjure, Congressman Scott, and then double it. Triple it. The gruesome terrorism of the Lord’s Resistance Army eclipses anything a Hollywood horror film could ever produce.

We are sure that, with diplomatic challenges in North Korea, Cuba, Iran and elsewhere, Uganda seems like less of a priority. Let us assure you that it is not. Uganda is the most pressing humanitarian crisis we face in the world today. Our organization, Legacy World Missions, is headquartered in Georgia and works exclusively to repair the damage that poverty, disease and this brutal lasting war have left on the face of Uganda. We are an ecumenical ministry and our volunteers and donors—almost entirely Georgians—have recognized the urgency of stopping the violence in Northern Uganda, and on behalf of them, we urge you to do the same. There are Georgia natives working fearlessly in Uganda right now, and we are all praying that the Lord will lay a hand on your hearts and let you know the fear, hunger, disease, trauma and sadness that burdens Uganda, and move you to end this suffering.

Senator Isakson and Congressman Scott, it is morally and ethically unacceptable to allow this war to continue, and you are in a unique position to make a lasting change. Legacy World Missions and many more humanitarian ministries fight every day to bring a lasting peace and successful recovery to Uganda, but we need your support for our work, and for Uganda’s 2.5 million orphaned children. Support the Lord’s Resistance Army Disarmament and Northern Uganda Recovery Act and end the world’s greatest humanitarian tragedy.

With hope and blessings,

The Legacy World Missions Staff

Announcing Virtual Volunteer Opportunities

Dr. Catherine Sagala, Legacy's Executive Director in Uganda, is an extraordinary volunteer.

In a recent Legacy World Missions newsletter, we conducted a poll to gauge interest in virtual volunteerism. (If you’re not currently receiving our newsletter, go sign up! It’s quick, easy, and since we personally write and send it, there’s never ever any spam.) As it happens, about 80 percent of Legacy supporters were interested in learning more about virtual volunteering.

Virtual volunteering is exactly what it sounds like: completing volunteer tasks online from your home computer. For many people– those with nontraditional work schedules, disabilities or home-based obligations– this is a great way to contribute their efforts to a worthwhile cause without having to be on site. Virtual volunteers use their time and resources to contribute in several different ways: they may do online research, fundraising, web and graphic design, tutoring and mentoring or even run an organization’s social media sites. They do these things with little or no direct supervision, but stay in close contact with the agency they’re supporting. The result is a perfect blend of philanthropy and technology, and virtual volunteering is quickly becoming popular among volunteers and agencies alike.

Virtual volunteering is perfectly suited to Legacy World Missions. We’re based in Atlanta’s western suburbs, but we serve vulnerable children in East Africa. What’s more, our supporters come from all over the country, and online volunteer opportunities give them an option of helping out from wherever they are.

Virtual volunteering isn’t for everyone; this great article can help you determine if volunteering your time online is right for you or not. When you’re ready to volunteer with us, download our volunteer packet and let us know that you’d like to join the team!

Time Heals The Wounds…

But then there’s still a scar.

Much of Uganda has been scarred by so much war and unrest. Colonial reign, two brutal dictatorships and in northern Uganda, a h0rrifying civil war that raged for 22 years has left the nation ravaged, but not broken.

Uganda is repairing itself. Half of the country’s population is under 25 years old, and there’s a pervasive sense of buyant hopefulness. Still, ask any adult Ugandan living today about their childhood and the story they’ll tell you will invariably be influenced by war and fear.

Everyone has a story. Pastor Isaac Wagaba survived a firing squad under the Amin regime, was left in a pile of dead friends and neighbors and woke up badly wounded by a gunshot but living. he went on to found Canaan Children’s Transit Centre, a safe and nurturing environment for orphaned Ugandan children, and one of our partner facilities.

Stories like this exist everywhere, and the children are not exempt from this. The best documentary we’ve seen on the subject is War Dance, an absolutely heartrending film about Acholi children growing up in a refugee camp and coping with the lasting trauma of all they’ve seen in their young lives. Sometimes unintentionally funny (because children, no matter who or where they are, have great senses of humor) and always hopeful, War Dance is absolutely worth picking up. It’s available through Netflix and most video outlets. We’ve just purchased an office copy to lend out ot our volunteers.

Much of the film’s music is by Geoffrey Oryema, a Ugandan war survivor living in exile in France. This song, “Makambo,” is used in the film and beautifully captures the bittersweetness of the Ugandan experience. It’s tender and a little heartbreaking but beautiful and graceful. Give it a listen, and watch the movie. You’ll be glad you did.

Food Shortage Threatens Schoolchildren

The conflict between the Kingdom of Buganda and the Ugandan government continues. Our own Dr. Catherine Sagala, Legacy World Missions’ Executive Director in Uganda (and herself a member of the Buganda tribe) said in an email to us that “The riots in Kampala were triggered by current politics of intrigue.” President Museveni blamed the conflict on opposition to the government, and has said that something shouold be learned from Uganda’s history. He has a good point; throughout Uganda’s history, much of its instability has been caused by a breakdown in relationships between Buganda and the government. The resulting instability leaves the country vulnerable to everything from military coups (like those in which Milton Obote and then Idi Amin siezed power) to famine and disease. As this conflict continues, we’re carefully watching the situation to see exactly what result this is going to have on the MOST vulnerable Ugandans: the unprotected women and orphaned children who are most at risk.

Worse yet, The World Food Programme is pulling out of Uganda’s Karamoja District, which could cause as many as a quarter of a million schoolkids to drop out of school. A local official said that when the emergency relief ends in November, “nobody will go to school. They will all look for wild fruits to eat.”

Happy kids at KAYDA Facility in Uganda receive their first shipment of food from Legacy World Missions

We’ve seen the direct link between food and education in Uganda. Legacy World Missions’ food program feeds 10,510 school-aged kids every day, and has done so for a year. The reports we’ve recieved back from our partner homes and schools has been remarkable; school attendance is up dramatically and academic performance has improved.

We’ve said before, there are plenty of worthwhile criticisms on why food aid can hurt more than it helps. It can undercut local farmers, depress the local economy and even support civil war through the black market. And frustratingly, Uganda’s one of the most fertile places on the planet and could easily grow enough food to feed the entire Horn of Africa, but with political instability, two years of concurrent droughts and floods and a lack of infrastructure to get crops to market, we’re fighting famine among the poor, and this affects children the most.

We designed Legacy World Missions’ food program to keep a tight control on the inventory and make sure the food went entirely to the target population: schoolchildren. So far, we’ve delivered more than 7 million meals for a year, with almost no theft or damage loss, and by literally every measure, the program has been a success.

It’s not enough, though. Several of our partner facilities are low or completely out of food, and as other international aid like the World Food Programme cease their efforts to help, we’re trying hard to stop a full-scale crisis among Uganda’s orphaned children.

We’re working on several possible solutions right now to creatively tackle the problem. The most effective option would be to ship another container of food from the US to Kampala, which we can easily do. The food– almost 19 tons of it– is already procured through our partnership with USAID, but the shipping and clearing costs are prohibitively high. $15,000 would cover the cost and feed more than 10,000 children for six months.

Like every other charity, foundation, nonprofit and ministry, we’re feeling the economic pinch. It’s frustrating to know that, with food becoming less secure for Uganda’s schoolchildren and civil unrest threatening more violence, the only thing preventing us from protecting these vulnerable children is money. Hopefully, we’ll have a solution worked out by the end of the week, so check back for good news.

Blessings from the Legacy Staff

Tribal Unrest in Kampala

“Deliver me, Oh Lord, from the evil man, protect me from the violent man, who plots trouble in his heart and stirs war continually.” -Psalms 140:1-2

Internet news outlets are reporting that a second day of rioting has rocked Kampala. As supporters of the local tribal king clash with security forces, it’s hard not to see the conflict as friction between the past and the present.

Uganda has an ancient history of proud and powerful tribes, including the Toro, now known for their boy king, the Acholi, marked by the long-running civil war in northern Uganda, and the Buganda, one of the largest tribes and the dominant tribe of southern Uganda. Politically, Uganda is a republic, with democratically elected representatives, but the tribal system is still dear to Ugandans, who hold find pride in their tribal heritage and hold the monarchs in high regard.

Like much of Uganda, the tribal system has seen modernization. Sylvia Nagginda, the Nnabagereka (Queen) of Buganda holds graduate degrees from prestigious universities and uses her position to raise support and awareness for HIV/AIDS. Because of her grace and beauty as well as her compassion, Nnabagereka Sylvia has drawn comparisons to Britain’s Princess Diana.

Still, the tribal system is rooted in ancient traditions, and occasionally, the ceremonial authority of the kings runs headlong into the practical authority of the military. Right now, there are riots in Kampala from this exact sort of clash, a conflict between the king of Buganda and the Ugandan government, who denied the king the ability to travel to a distant part of his kingdom. At least thirteen people have died since last Thursday.

We hate hearing news like this. Violence is never good, but Uganda can scarcely stand more suffering coming on the heels of a civil war that raged for 22 years. It’s never good when a country’s cultural soul and political heart are in conflict, but maybe it’s an opportunity to learn something.

Sometimes it’s hard for those of us in the West to understand the emotional tribal bond. Many of us in the United States know only that our parents or grandparents were immigrants from the British Isles or Scandinavia or South America or the Middle East, and we feel a loyalty to those places, but the feeling doesn’t go beyond that. It’s hard to understand how a tribal conflict could claim the lives of 800,000 people in Rwanda’s 1994 genocide. It’s easy to think that, in a modern world, tribes shouldn’t make a difference.

If we look a little closer, though, we see how important these connections are. Being a part of a tribal group that traces its history back to 400 years after Christ died is important. A history that rich, passed on for generations through the oral tradition, is worth preserving. Furthermore, tribal affiliations are great for mobilizing people to combat poverty and disease, like we see with the world of Queen Sylvia of Buganda. But there has to be a balance and a mutual respect that allows the presidents to govern and the kings to guard the cultural traditions.

Please pray for peace in Uganda this weekend.

Progress in Mukono

Legacy World Missions’ third anniversary is coming up, and we’re taking the opportunity to take a deep breath and launch some new features, but most importantly, we’re taking a few minutes to reflect on how far we’ve come. That doesn’t mean we’re resting on our laurels; it means we’re examining our progress to see exactly how much tangible difference we’ve made in the lives of Uganda’s vulnerable children. Actual, measurable, tangible difference is how we show return on our investment. To that end, I’d like to share a case study.

COMDEV International is a home to 250 children in Mukono District, Uganda. Headed by Pastor Gessa Franklin, COMDEV has been one of our partners in our food program since the very beginning. Like many children’s homes, COMDEV was feeling the burden of so-called food security in southern Uganda. Over the past two years, many of the international food aid groups have shifted their focus to northern Uganda, where hundreds of thousands of displaced people are returning to their land and are in need of food. As food aid moved north to respond to the refugee crisis, however, many orphanages where left without resources. Children’s homes are particularly vulnerable to food insecurity; many of them are supported by donation only and many rely heavily on food aid. Legacy World Missions seeks to promote self-sufficiency and independence from aid, and that’s an important long-term goal. It’s hard to explain long-term goals to hungry children, though.

COMDEV International is a stand-out facility for a few reasons: Pastor Gessa Franklin is a motivated director, with a strong desire to build a safe, nurturing environment for learning and growing. The kids at COMDEV are bright and happy and never fail to capture our hearts in the photographs that Pastor Franklin frequently sends us. As a recipient facility of Legacy World Missions’ food program, COMDEV has recieved weekly food deliveries for a year now. Recently, we recieved an update from COMDEV that shows exactly how much positive change a simple food program can bring.

Children at COMDEV International

In the picture above, the kids from COMDEV are saying a blessing over the food they received from Legacy World Missions. The blue and white wooden structure behind the children has served as their classroom for years. Run down and rotting, it needed to be replaced, but COMDEV staff struggled to simply feed and clothe the children, until Legacy World Missions’ food program. With weekly deliveries of food and a one-time gift of clothing for the children, COMDEV was able to begin construction on a new classroom building.

Pastor Gessa Franklin told us of it in a letter:

The financial and other resources saved as a result of the food delivery enabled us to mobilize resources to make these clay bricks. With these bricks, we’ve started the construction of a permanent classroom structure that will replace the dilapidated wooden structures, which were in a sorry state. These were being used by our younger children in Nursury and Primary grades.

The foundation at which the children are assembled was constructed as a result of the savings made on food. Legacy World Missions’ food deliveries enabled COMEDEV  International to save funds with which construction materials were made. We have started construction of a three-room classroom block to enhance the learning enviroment, improve hygiene, and instill more confidence in children and the community.

Thanks to Legacy World Missions for the food delivery, without which this could not have been possible.

COMDEV and their new classroom building is just example of the progress we’ve made. One simple food program made a difference in the health of the children, but it also allowed this children’s home to undertake a building project, using local labor and materials, creating jobs and, in some small way, stimulating the economy in Mukono District. We haven’t forgotten that there’s so much more work to be done (in fact, COMDEV needs financial help finishing the structure; click here to donate), but seeing what we’ve done with the help of our donors, partners and supporters is both humbling and motivating.

In the coming weeks, you’ll see more about our third anniversary, our direction for the future and more success stories like this. For now, though, we’re proud of COMDEV and Pastor Gessa Franklin for his persistence and resourcefulness, and we’re proud that we’ve had a small role in improving the lives of these children.

Legacy of Art

On June 12, we held our very first fundraising event, Legacy of Art at Rose Squared Gallery in Decatur, Georgia. The night was, by all measures, a complete success.  Twenty working Atlanta artists donated their creative work to benefit the children of Uganda, and with the exception of a few small learning errors on my part, the auction went off without a hitch. At one point I was engaged in a great conversation with a supporter and looked over my shoulder into the gallery and saw nothing but a crowd of people, so thick you couldn’t move. It was amazing and moving and overwhelming.

We have so many people we need to thank for making the event such a success. Of course, there wouldn’t have been an event without the artists, and I encourage you to visit their websites and show them all some love:

• Jo Baskerville
• Bob Burkhardt
• Peggy Dana
• Harold Daniels
• Alex Fortson
• Michael Goettee
• Kristen Houser
• Michelle Lapid
• Gary McMillan
• Donna Munday
• Robert Hunter Simmons III
• Jack Simonetta
• Lisa Zawacki

I also have to send plenty of love to the two people who worked the hardest in making this happen. JD Isaacs, our gracious host and owner of Rose Squared Gallery and Framing,  and Cindy Weatherspoon, our Bookkeeper all worked so hard. From the moment we began planning this event, Cindy was literally right beside me with whatever I needed, doing research, promotion and, on the night of the event, taking pictures. (She also contributed one of the most popular pieces in the show!) Tom came on board right as preparations for the auction were really ramping up, and he jumped in with both feet and took the lead on so many aspects of the planning. And truly, I can’t say enough glowing things about JD. As our host, JD opened up his gallery and his business. He gathered artists, accomodated all of our needs and did it all with grace and generosity. Since Legacy’s inception, JD has been a fervent and tireless supporter, and I personally can’t thank him enough.

Welcome to Uganda, President Obama

President Obama is planning a visit to Uganda on April 21.  Guess who’s excited about this– Ugandans.

I’m excited, too. Uganda is a gracious hostess; when Queen Elizabeth II visited last year for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, she was met with respect, enthusiasm and national pride, and I have no doubt President Obama will get the same treatment. Perhaps even better; though Uganda was once a British colony and retains ties to the United Kingdom, there’s an overwhelming sense that, with Barack Obama, this visit is less of a social call and more of a homecoming. 

President Obama’s father is from neighboring Kenya, but that doesn’t stop Ugandans from feeling a deep sense of connection to our 44th American President. After the 2008 election, Uganda’s online newspaper forums were packed full of messages of goodwill and pride, even debating what traditional East African tribe President Obama belongs to. When President Obama’s Kenyan grandmother (affectionately known as “Mama Sarah”) left Nairobi for the Inauguration in Washington, DC, East African newspapers covered her journey in real time, reporting on her flight layovers and carry-on luggage.  ”An African son will change the world forever,” one commenter wrote on the New Vision discussion boards. “Africans and African-Americans will no longer be a slave class.” 

 

Last August, with just a few months to go until the election and the presidential tension rising with the temperature, I attended the Uganda-North America Association conference in Orlando. The annual convention brings together Ugandans in diaspora from all over the US and Canada. High-ranking ministers, government officials, religious leaders and successful businesspeople all attend, and for one very long weekend, we are immersed in Ugandan music, food and heated discussion.  For those Ugandans who have moved to the West, so far from their native country, it’s a homecoming of sorts, and a chance to see old friends. There were plenty of things to talk about, and the debates were lively: the development in Gulu District, changes in the law for those who own land in Uganda, and of course, Barack Obama. Without exception, the Ugandans I spoke to were overjoyed at the possibility of an African-American president, especially one with such close ties to East Africa, but had reservations.

I had a chance to discuss then-Senator Obama’s popularity with Opiyo Oloya while we were attending the UNAA conference. Mr. Oloya is a popular opinion columnist at Uganda’s New Vision newspaper and covers many events in North America for his Ugandan readership. Mr. Oloya was interested in what Obama’s election would mean for racism worldwide. At the time, we didn’t know who the next president would be, but I could sense the anticipation from every African I met. (As it happens, Mr. Oloya attended the Inauguration, as did I. His article about it is here.)

It occurred to me, during my conversation with Mr. Oloya, that East Africans have such fond affection for Barack Obama because he brings a legitimacy to their position in the global community. In many ways, sub-Saharan Africans have struggled against the Western idea of their way of life. Kenyan businesswoman and attorney June Arunga made this point eloquently when she encountered the assumption that Africans are too poor to have cell phones. I know from my own experience that East Africans are painfully aware of how the developed world views them, and they’ve struggled to define themselves in American eyes as something more than a continent of poor mouths to feed. 

This is our biggest challenge at Legacy, and our biggest goal: to bring strategic aid to Uganda while we recognize and celebrate the individual humanity and uniqueness of each and every Ugandan that we help. I think the excitement in Uganda about President Obama’s visit indicates a real hope that the country– and its people– will be seen by their global neighbors as peers. One of their own (or at least, one they claim as their own) is the President of the most powerful country in the world, and it’s a point of pride for them. Ugandans and their East African neighbors feel that finally, they’ll be respected.

I’m happy for Uganda and I’m pleased that President Obama has chosen to visit the country where I work. We’re hoping that his visit brings to light the challenges Uganda still faces and helps to grow support for the country and its people. 

Unfortunate News from Kampala

Normally, we rely on an amazing team of motivated people tot keep Legacy World Missions running day-to-day in Uganda. At the moment, though, we’re without one of our dearest friends and most valuable assets. Dr. Catherine Sagala, Legacy World Missions’ Executive Director in Uganda, sent us some unfortunate news: A building collapsed in Kampala on Friday, killing eight people and leaving dozens more injured. Dr. Catherine annd her husband Dr. John share an office in the destroyed building. 

Dr. Catherine told us, “Our address on Nasser Road is no more. The building came down in a heap of rubble on Friday afternoon. A property developer next door weakened the fooundation trying to excavate a basement. The building split in two and the left side went tumbling down into the excavation pit next door. It was just by the grace of God that our office remained intact; the husband and wife in the office next door were among the dead. There was only one girl in our office at the time, who survived by holding on to the opposide wall; she walked out of the building as soon as the dust settled but later collapsed and was taken to hospital. John organized a rescue effort for several hours until everyone was out of the rubble.”

Dr. Catherine’s matter-of-fact tone is evidence of why she’s a good physician and an excellent director. She assesses the situation, explains the facts and determines a plan of action. But even with all that medical training in trauma situations, we know how this event has shaken Dr. Catherine and Dr. John, and our hearts are broken for them. This is just the latest in a series of building collapses, structure fires and plane crashes that has plagued Uganda recently, and all of our Ugandan colleagues are weary of the bad news. 

At the US headquarters, we’re tired of the bad news, too. We share a much deeper bond with our Ugandan staff than most normal work colleagues do. We’ve celebrated birth, marriage and success with them; we’ve cried with them, trusted them with our lives, relied on them to be our eyes and ears and when we hear their voices across thousands of miles of phone lines, we miss them like they were family. We are shaken to the core with this terrible news, and our hearts are with Dr. Catherine and her family as they gather, mourn and rebuild. 

“Stay cheerful,” Dr. Catherine writes, “like we are trying to do.”