We are so excited to be starting 2019 off with the addition of a brand new Forward Edge ministry location.
Our newest Child Sponsorship program, Light A Candle, serves 400 children in some of the most difficult areas of Kampala, Uganda. Kampala comprises 3.5 million people within the city limits, including 57 slum areas where the poorest of the poor reside. Of those living within these slums, 50% are children under the age of 15.
Slum life is one of abject poverty, poor sanitation and exposure to high crime. Most families have little to no income and have to try and sell any trash they can find on the street for something to eat. Prostitution and drug use are common and law enforcement is very poor. Most children have only one parent, or none at all, due to the HIV/AIDS epidemic; they are not in school and are left alone a lot which puts them at very high risk of abuse, assault, and sexual exploitation.
Just like most African countries, Uganda has experienced a lot of political instability which has affected its social and economic growth. As a result, the rate of orphaned children and poverty continues to increase annually.
By providing meals, education, and mentoring, we are giving these precious children opportunities that brighten their futures, protect them from disease, crime, drugs, sexual abuse, and help them reach their full, God-given potential.
You can offer these children hope through becoming a child sponsor. Please visit our Uganda Child Sponsorship page to meet our new kids! If you have any questions or would like more information about Uganda or any of our other ministry locations please contact us at children@forwardedge.org. We look forward to hearing from you!
You can also serve these children, their families, and community personally by taking a team of 10 or more on a short-term mission trip to uganda!
Many of us have seen profile photos of children in sponsorship programs; they are often solemn, sad and sometimes down-right angry looking. I know I have thought at times, “Wow, that poor child must be so unhappy!” But then I come across a video from the same organization in which
Berenice was used to seeing the same narrative play out around her growing up: a life marked by poverty, wealth inequality, and barriers to education. Most families in her area in Oaxaca, Mexico have traditionally come from smaller villages in search of a better life and are facing severe unemployment
1.86 billion people log into their Facebook account at least once a month–that’s almost 1/4 of the total global population! This number doesn’t even include other outlets like Instagram, Twitter, and Snapchat. People in developing countries are no exception to this global trend, and chances are, the child you sponsor has
The past two years have been particularly hard for children in Uganda. Schools remained shut through most of the pandemic. Light a Candle, our program there, worked tirelessly to help these children succeed in their education despite the seemingly impossible situation. Despite school closures, children have remained committed to pursuing
19 yrs. old
Entered the program: September 2023
Elvin lives with his mother, who works as a nurse, and two brothers. His father, a fireman, is married to another woman, and he doesn't see Elvin or his brothers often. He has half-siblings that he also doesn't interact with. It is a complicated and sad situation for Elvin and his brothers. Both parents support the family but they have had to move often which has been difficult for them.
Plus bonus group fundraising ideas!
