REACHing Out

Generation Alive focuses on four interlocking projects that will restore life to the poorest of the poor:

• Abolishing human trafficking

• Building orphanages

• Digging wells

• Providing food

When we rescue children from traffickers, they need a place to live. So we’re building orphanages.

When we build an orphanage, we need to provide access to clean water. So we dig wells.

Now the kids not only have shelter, but they have clean water to drink. They need food as well, so we host Feed the Hunger events and send food.

This is the initial part of the project. Shelter, clean water, and nutritious food are the initial things that get the kids going. These are the things that heal them and get their bodies working the way they should. Now their minds begin to develop. We can start thinking about their education. We’ve got to send them to school.

We created the REACH program because we were brainstorming and wondering how to reach out to these kids, the ones we’re providing with shelter, water, and food. Here’s the idea we had.

Our orphanages are in Uganda. And in Uganda, you can’t go to school unless you have a uniform. Through the REACH program, everyone who donates can help orphans go to school by paying for them to have a uniform.

But our donations do so much more than just provide a school uniform. We’re partnering with the Global Orphan Project on this, and they’re working with local businesses in Gulu who provide sewing services. So we don’t just buy school uniforms, we place orders with local Ugandan businesses. This way these local businesses have customers. We help create a market for their goods and services, and that in turn helps create jobs.

Meanwhile, the kids are going to school. They’re getting a good education, and they’ve started thinking and dreaming about the work they’re going to do, and the jobs they’re going to develop.

So not only do we REACH out to these kids by sending them to school, we help their communities create sustainable local economies that survive and continue to sustain the next generation, and the one after that!

By becoming part of REACH, you can help create sustainable communities. I hope you’ll go to your youth groups and ask them what they think of our idea. When one young person here raises eighty dollars, they’ve paid for four school uniforms there. One student here can send four Ugandan orphans to school! Imagine what 20 students could do!

We’re also trying to establish community. I’ll tell you more about that next time. See you Friday.