Hello Friends!

My name is Steph and I am overjoyed at the opportunity to serve with Hope Speaks in Uganda! Upon lots of prayer and reflection, I felt led to pursue serving with this organization. Hope Speaks allows children in Uganda the opportunity to receive speech-language pathology (SLP) services who otherwise would not have the opportunity to do so. Now, I am excited to share that I have been accepted to serve with Hope Speaks, starting in January 2023 as a graduate student clinician providing SLP services to children with disabilities. While serving with Hope Speaks, I will be completing a full-time 14-15 week externship working with these children.

Since first hearing of Hope Speaks about 5 years ago, I have wanted to serve with this wonderful organization and cannot wait to serve the clients I will be working with there. My journey into speech-pathology started at the age of 4 years old when I was diagnosed with a speech impediment. From my experience of receiving SLP services for 7 years as a child, I know the impact that SLP services can have on a child and their family. I am more confident than ever in my calling to be an SLP and to help others to have the opportunity to find their voice. I am so excited and joyous at this opportunity to help others in the same way I was helped by my SLPs to find my voice when I was a child.

I am grateful for the opportunity in front of me to serve God by using my talents and skills that he has gifted me with. As I move forward in preparation for this opportunity to serve in Uganda, I greatly appreciate your support of partnering with me both financially and through prayer. I’d love to share more of my journey with you and what the process of serving with Hope Speaks is like. Please reach out to me if you have any questions or want to chat about it. I can be reached at nels0123@pacificu.edu 

Below, you will find some more specific information about 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. In Uganda, 1 in 7 children are living with a disability. 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. This experience is something I feel humbled to have the opportunity to do and I am looking forward to all the things I will experience and learn while serving in this capacity. I kindly ask that you consider making a donation as you feel led. Additionally, I would appreciate your willingness to share this with others who may want to participate.

Thank you so much for your time, being a part of my life, and helping me accomplish something that is so near and dear to my heart!

May God bless you!

Blessings,

Steph Nelson