Hi everyone!

I truly hope you are doing well! As some of you may know, I had the opportunity to go to Uganda last summer with Hope Speaks to provide speech therapy to children and adults in Uganda. While I was there, I was able to witness first-hand the need for quality medical care and health education for individuals with a disability. In Uganda, 1 in 7 children are born with disabilities such as cerebral palsy, autism, down syndrome, seizures as a result of malaria, etc. In addition, Ugandan children and adults with disabilities often are deemed “cursed” and are cast aside, abandoned, and avoided. Families who have children with disabilities can be ostracized or be unable to work due to the amount of care required for their child –causing crippling poverty. Medical care in Uganda is lacking and unjust. Hope Speaks has a mission of “coming alongside families and children with disabilities to provide speech, language, feeding and physical therapy to inspire hope and raise voices in Uganda.”  By supporting these families and restoring dignity, the door is opened for sharing the gospel with all who walk through the Hope Speaks program. While I was there, we were able to provide therapy both inside city via the outreach clinic and home visits inside the Katanga slums as well as in more rural communities and at the GEM Foundation orphanage. I encourage you to explore more at www.joinhopespeaks.org.

Within a few days of being in Uganda, I knew I would be back. I was given the opportunity to go back in early 2024 for 6 weeks to once again partner with Hope Speaks on the ground.  I believe everyone deserves the right to respect, dignity, and having a voice.   The words found in Micah 6:8 kept reverberating through my mind: " And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." I am so excited to be able to go back! I'm asking you today for your prayers - and if you feel led- your financial support. Keep reading to hear more about this organization!

More information on Hope Speaks...
Hope Speaks is a nonprofit based in Kampala, Uganda. Their mission is to inspire hope and raise voices of people with disabilities through speech therapy, advocacy, education, and social services. Hope Speaks' main focus is on making speech, language, and feeding therapy accessible for hundreds of children. In therapy, they help children learn to communicate their wants, needs, and ideas, build social skills, and swallow safely, as well as empower and educate families and communities about disabilities and available resources to help people of all abilities reach their fullest potential.  

Many of Hope Speaks' volunteers are Speech-Language Pathology grad students, as well as SLP professionals. Through volunteer partnerships, Hope Speaks strives to build the capacity of Ugandan therapists through training and mentoring. 

Hope Speaks has gone beyond that and also includes hosting other groups who help with projects, food for families, respite care, children's day camps, and serving in the slums.

Every donation is important and will enable me to be present and help children with disabilities to find their voices. Would you kindly consider making a donation? Also, I would appreciate your willingness to share this with others who may want to participate.

Thank you so much for being a part of my life and helping me accomplish something that's important to all of us!