Asuman Zura.

Remember when all of us gorged ourselves with Orange Leaf for a week straight? Well I received some info on the little girl we

sponsored awhile back but I had been waiting to introduce her here on the blog. Connie, the founder of Unified for Unifat, recently

made her annual trip to visit the sponsored children in Uganda. While there, part of their mission is to get to know the children

and take pics and videos for the sponsors back here in the States.

Mentor Dennis, Asuman Zura (Ali’s sponsored child), Grandmother and little sister Miriam.

This is her mud shanty.You’ll see inside later in the video.

A still frame of her “cooking area.”

This is an email excerpt from Connie about the little girl we have sponsored:

-Asuman Zura is extremely destitute. That mud shanty is her home and she lives there with her elderly grandmother, her sister, and

a boy that they took in from the streets.  The Mud shanty only fits four people lying down to sleep, on a plastic tarp.  Behind their

home is a mass burial site.  When it rains, water flows off the grave and also pours through the roof flooding their home.  On those

rainy nights, they are unable to sleep since the floor is flooded with dirty water, so they are forced to stand holding all their

possessions (which is very little).  The girls still show up to school smiling, even after a night of standing. Her grandmother makes

little money by traveling to the village, buying items in the village and trying to resell them in town. Her sister had polio as a baby

and consequently has both physical and learning disabilities as a result.  Her parents left the children for a better life in Sudan and

never came back to get them.  Zura has the responsibility of caring for her disabled sister as well as the boy when her grandmother

leaves town for days at a time for the village when money runs out.  And yet she still manages to get to school on time every day and

her marks in school are very good. I often tell people that their sponsorship is changing a life, because, as Ali always believed,

education is life changing.  However, in the case of Zura, your sponsorship is saving her life.-

 

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Friday, Ben and I met with Connie and Lisa (She took Ali’s job as the Moderator for Purcell’s U4U chapter) to talk about Asuman

Zura. Talk about heart breaking. GAH. Besides the obvious of knowing we were there because of Ali, it was so difficult to keep

the floodgates closed. Ok, well really, I didn’t. Back at Seton I used to do a ton of service work. Most weekends I was doing

something somewhere. As life after high school developed, I have been too far removed from the service scene. While chatting

at lunch, seeing these pics and videos, my heart hurt. I ache to do that service again. So much of the last year has put my life in

perspective that I can’t really even put my finger on one “this happened for a reason” moment. So many good things have come

out of our family’s heartbreak that it’s so evident the Holy Spirit is at work. Don’t get me wrong, I’m still more than upset Ali

isn’t here doing all of this with us, it’s just like “the point of life” is becoming so clear to me. Every time I spent money this weekend

all I could think was, how far my $30 could go in Uganda. Or how greedy I felt even looking at new clothes for my kids at the

mall. These kids are living in a mud covered space that’s the size of MY SECOND BATHROOM. I know that’s a discussion for

another day(s) but it still makes my skin crawl at the thought of me wanting/”needing” a bigger house. I know we work hard for

our money and deserve to enjoy it, but something just seems so wrong to me about it all. While part of me wants to puke at the

luxuries at my finger tips here, the other half of me is so thankful to have been born in America. Free. Not worried about being

stolen in the night to become a sex slave. Not worried about my house and life washing away in a heavy rain. Ugh. Memories continue

to flood back to me from my mission trips seeing all of this devastation first hand. Giving the shoes off my feet, food out of my

hand and hating coming home to a spoiled US lifestyle. GAH I need to do something about this situation! More than just sponsor

a kid. I feel like such a materialistic American right now, it’d disgusting. And I don’t even live a lavish life! I’m a proud Kohls

shopper!If you have been on a mission before, than you know it as “culture shock.” I Wish I could sit here and say I’m going

to change everything about my life and be 100% content with what I have. I don’t need anything more but of course it’s so easy

to want. And want. And want. I know I want change the way we think, but I’m certain it’s impossible. What I do know I can do is

help make others aware. So maybe consider donating or going to an event to help U4U?

Because of all of you back in the winter buying yogurt, we sponsored a year of school for Zura. On top of that we provided her with

shoes, a uniform, some mosquito netting, and a few other things to make her life a little more bearable. She is so very thankful.

We will continue to sponsor her and hopefully donate much more money and time towards the great things U4U is doing.

She says, “Hi Ali’s family, Thank you for all the gifts you have given to me. I will do really well at school to make sure I have a

brighter future.” How awesome that Connie gave her a pink shirt! I love it! THANKS CONNIE!!

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Here are ways you can personally help Unified for Unifat.

Donate to the cause. Once on their homepage you can chose where/what you want your money to go. This isn’t a big

organization. In fact, it’s really just a handful of local high school’s service clubs who came together to help save the invisible children

of Uganda. Your money will actually go directly to that specific cause. Actually, one of the original students that started this org

moved to Uganda after college! So Connie and him talk daily about all things happening with the American donated money!

August 18th from 12-5 The Sandbar: a fun sand volleyball tournament fundraiser.

September 14th (7-11pm) Purcell Marian Ladies Night Out, there will be a U4U booth set up with Ugandan merchandise for sale,

typical items include jewelry, purses, coin purses, laptop cases

November 10th Rusty Ball. Ever heard of the Rusty Griswalds? Apparently they put on a huge, always sold out, benefit every year at the

Duke center.  Contact Connie directly for a ticket. CRing@moeller.org  Her ticket sales will benefit U4U.

Jewelry Party. Connie always brings home tons of jewelry etc. from Uganda and then has people host parties at their house. She says it’s

great quality and really beautiful. If you are interested in having one email her. CRing@moeller.org