LWB Community Blog

In many countries around the world, superstitions abound surrounding children born with medical needs. In Africa for example, it’s frequently thought that children born with birth defects are a result of witchcraft. In China, thousands of babies are abandoned each year by families who believe it’s the only way to remove the “curse” that someone has placed on them. In Cambodia, a country where many believe strongly in reincarnation, people often believe children are born with birth defects as punishment for something the baby did in his or her previous life. The sad reality is that as long as people don’t have access to accurate medical knowledge about special needs, superstition and fear will prevail.

The second term of school at Believe In Me Kabale has ended, and children are now on a one-month vacation. We thought this would be the perfect time to present some scenes from school and highlights from the last term. We are very proud of these kids and their progress!

For most of us, being barefoot brings to mind thoughts of relaxing by the pool or the beach, watching TV on the couch, or going to bed. It’s a choice. Since beginning our work in Africa, many of us have been struck by the reality that being barefoot for Uganda children is ordinary and every day. These children do not wear shoes because, quite simply, they do not have shoes to wear.

Being barefoot throughout the day may be common in Uganda, but it is hazardous to their health.

As I imagine is the case with many of you who support Love Without Boundaries, I first became aware of LWB when we adopted my youngest daughter from China. They helped to fund her heart surgery while she was a baby in China, and once we brought her home, they provided us with priceless pictures of her.

LWB’s “Abigail” in 2010

I wanted to give back to this organization who had given so much to us, and so I have been a volunteer with LWB’s Education program for the past couple years, helping administer the Believe in Me schools. Read more.

Have you had a drink of water yet today? Or how about a long shower? Did you even give it a second thought as you turned on the tap and watched the H2O pour out? I will admit with great remorse that before my trip to Africa, I absolutely took water for granted. If you take nothing else away from this short blog series, I hope you will give a prayer of thanks tonight for the abundance of available water with which most of us are blessed.

From the first moment I drove into Uganda, there was one constant sight no matter where you looked – yellow plastic jugs called jerry cans. You don’t go anywhere without one, as they hold the one thing our bodies need the most:  WATER. Read more.

Yesterday I wrote Part One of a blog series on my recent trip to Uganda, and today I would like to share a bit about how I found myself standing on a remote hilltop in Karukoba village in the first place.

It all came down to honeybees.

African beehives

As the LWB Board began discussing where we would take our programs to help more children, we began to clearly see that while we understand the complexities of working in China backwards and forwards, we had a lot to learn about orphan and vulnerable child programs in other countries. And every individual country of course has its own needs, challenges and laws in place, so I had a whole lot of research to do. Read more.