Hi Friends!
Last night Jarred and I had the wonderful pleasure of meeting a very special Ugandan named Joel. He is the director of two schools for the deaf in Uganda and has a beautiful heart for helping those who cannot speak up for themselves. Joel has been in the US speaking to various groups and participating in a Deaf Expo out in California. It was such a blessing to hear from him about all the work he's doing. It was also heartbreaking to hear some of his stories...
His heart for the deaf was originally born out of tragedy. Joel had a deaf brother who was burned to death by members of their community who didn't understand him. Since that time he's dedicated his life to serving those who are misunderstood and taken advantage of. He tells the story of a little boy he met in his travels around Uganda. When Joel asked the parents of the child what his name was, they stared at each other with blank expressions. They'd never bothered to name the boy. But later, when Joel asked the name of their family dog, the parents replied its name in unison. Deaf children are thought of so poorly in Uganda that many are not even given names. If that doesn't break your heart, I don't know what does. The boy has since been named by Joel and is now learning sign language at school where he is loved and supported. There are hundreds more children with stories just like his.
Joel also told me about a wonderful girl from Nebraska who followed God's call to leave her comfort zone here in the US and travel around the world to volunteer at his school. Before her visit, the community in Uganda around the school had never understood why Joel would care for the little "cursed" children. Many Ugandans think deafness is contagious and would rather stay far away from the kids. However, mzungus, aka foreigners, are widely respected in the community. When the girl from Nebraska came to play and interact with the children, the community watched with wide eyes. They started making connections that if this girl whom they respected wasn't afraid to interact with the deaf kids, maybe they shouldn't be either. Even Joel's own mother who had never visited his school said, "did that girl come all the way from America just to see your school? If she did, maybe I should too!" His mother now does all that she can to help the students and has even proudly handed out certificates those who've graduated. An entire community has begun to change its opinion of deafness just because one girl from America volunteered her time to hug and love on a few children who needed love the most.
If you'd like to learn more about helping the Boanerages Deaf Initiative, please let me know. There are many needs, but Joel trusts that the Lord will raise up the support the school needs. Currently his school in Kampala has 40 children and just 1 teacher. Although Joel has worked hard to train more teachers, he is not able to pay them, so they leave. Just over $3 a day or $100 a month would pay for a teacher to be able to live comfortably and have the freedom not to worry about food or shelter. For $1 a day you could feed a hungry child. And by a visit, you could help change an entire community. Prayerfully consider if there is something you'd like to do to help.
"Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy." -Proverbs 31:8-9
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