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!
As a child sponsor for over 3 decades, and now as the Child Sponsorship Administrator for Forward Edge, I am often asked (and challenged myself) about how to best communicate with a sponsored child. In almost all cases, the children we sponsor live in other countries. We do live in
Ymer grew up feeling invisible, his dreams of education dimmed by discrimination and discouragement. But a spark of hope emerged when he joined tutoring classes, where a simple moment of recognition changed everything. With newfound confidence, letters of encouragement, and the support of a sponsor, Ymer discovered his worth and the power of believing in himself.
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
Ileana has been in our Nicaragua children’s program for the last eight years. Our team has poured into her heart, spirit, and education, and she has blossomed into a beautiful young woman of God. Her life hasn’t been easy, but as you’ll read in her letter, she has learned to
10 yrs. old
Entered the program: October 2025
Samanta lives with her parents in a small apartment that they are renting. Samanta’s cousins gave them some second-hand furniture to use for their home. Samanta’s mother stays home to care for the family and her father works in a brick factory; his wage is very small and just enough to pay the rent.
Plus bonus group fundraising ideas!
