Christine, at the ChildVoice Lukome Center in Uganda
ChildVoice has been blessed in remarkable ways this past year. In a few moments, I want to share exciting news of yet another blessing – a $50,000 Christmas Matching Grant from a New England foundation. I want to encourage you to consider making a generous end of the year gift during this December. Your gift will be doubled with this matching grant opportunity, increasing our ability to help more girls in need in 2014.
But first, let me tell you how your support is making a real difference in the life of one of the girls served by ChildVoice. After living in the bush for over 20 years, Christine was rescued and brought to ChildVoice earlier this year. After several months of living in the therapeutic community, Christine is moving forward in her recovery and providing inspiration to abductees still living in the bush. Just before Thanksgiving, Christine testified before Parliament in an effort to send a message of hope to children abducted by rebel forces now believed to be living in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Central African Republic.
Your support enables stories like Christine’s to happen every day at ChildVoice.
Here are a few other reasons for celebration this season:
Progress in the Year Past
New Leaders: In 2013, we were able to start a new class of girls at the Lukome Center not only in new buildings, but also with new leaders. Michael Lapyem and Richard Kyitarinyeba have worked at the Lukome Center since the start, have proven their merit, and are now serving and leading with wisdom and confidence.
Fresh Starts: A new class of 20 girls and their 22 children started at the Lukome Center. Your support is making a difference in these young lives!
Graduate Surveys: In order to improve ChildVoice and learn from the past, we conducted nearly 50 face-to-face interviews with Lukome Center graduates this summer. Although we found areas for improvement, overall, we are encouraged that we are meeting the goal of girls raising their families and working in good jobs or in businesses they have created.
Put simply, the work in 2013 showed how ChildVoice is truly an oasis of stability in a very unstable region.
Potential for the Year Ahead
Lukome Center Enhancements: We have built more needed buildings and expanded our farming enterprise. The Lukome Center farm helps feed the girls and provides revenue to sustain a portion of our operations.
South Sudan: We are officially registered in South Sudan to begin operations there! We now look forward to officially starting to work here in 2014/2015.
So, there was great progress in 2013, but we are eager for the opportunities ahead in 2014. ChildVoice has had five graduating classes since 2007 and with your continued support; we look forward to many more in Uganda and other war-torn countries in the years ahead.
As mentioned earlier, because of the generous support of a New England based foundation, we are thrilled to announce the ChildVoice Christmas Matching Grant! This grant means that every gift you give this Christmastime is automatically doubled – $50 becomes $100, $250 becomes $500 and $500 becomes $1000! With a new class starting at Lukome Center and opportunities to expand this work to other countries, the timing of this grant is perfect!
We are so excited about this unique opportunity and we are so grateful for the role you have played in keeping the work of ChildVoice moving forward and helping girls like Christine. Your support has made it possible to realize remarkable growth in the past few years, but there is so much left to do – in Uganda, South Sudan, and beyond.
Please consider a special gift – toward the $50,000 ChildVoice Christmas Matching Grant – Your gift brings hope and a fresh start to the girls of Uganda and other war-torn areas.
Sincerely,
Conrad Mandsager
Founder and President, ChildVoice
P.S. Again, many thanks for your support of ChildVoice and especially of the girls served at the Lukome Center. The impact you are having now is significant – and it can continue with your support – through this strategic work!
Please let us hear from you now or before December 31st. And, please be generous as we seek to meet the $50,000 ChildVoice Christmas Matching Grant. Remember you can also give gifts of appreciated assets like stock or even land to ChildVoice. Also, please check to see if your company matches your gift to ChildVoice. This could triple the impact of your gift!! Thank you!