Well we have just returned from the trip of a lifetime! We delivered 70 dolls while in Uganda, 54 are now residing at Little Angels. We were able to use doll funds to donate some soccer/footballs balls and money for school supplies. Thank you to everyone who bought and decorated dolls!
From the Little Angels website:
Duncan, the founder of Little Angels grew up in a poor family and became a sponsored child at the age of fourteen. Duncan Successfuly completed high school and had ambition of completing further studies to become a doctor. However after high school his sponsor was unable to continue to support him financially ,so his dream of being a doctor could not be achieved as could not afford the tuition costs.
Instead of being disappointed on missing out on his dream,Duncan wanted to show his appreciation to his sponsor by giving back to his local community, Duncan decided to started a project for the children who were from financially disadvantaged background and provide them with an opportunity.
There are currently 200 registered needy children under the care of Little Angels Needy Children & Orphan Project. These children are between the ages of 3 and 8 years old. It is noted that in Uganda the loss of one parent is tantamount to orphanage. The loss of one or both parents typically causes severe limitations on the ability to generate income. In turn this has a significant, negative impact on the well-being and social mobility of the child.
A child that has lost one parent is referred to as a “single orphan’ and a child that has lost both parents is referred to as a ‘double orphan’. Where possible orphans are brought under the care of a relative and this arrangement is facilitated and managed by Little Angels Needy Children & Orphan Project. There are currently 45 single orphans and 61 double orphans under their care.
Please consider supporting this project or sponsoring a child. More info can be found at www.littleangelsuganda.org
More photos are posted at http://www.flickr.com/photos/one_doll/
Since Lonely Planet has better writers, I hope they don’t mind me borrowing their intro to Romania: “Traveling in Romania, the EU’s newest member, is like being somewhere between an eternal Halloween and the Led Zeppelin IV cover that features a twig-carrying farmer. Even in cities where Audis zoom across highways under video-camera speed traps, Romanian life is defined by its sweet country heart. Most anywhere, you’ll spot horse-drawn buggies crossing the (often cratered) paved roads – up green mountains, past cone-shaped haystacks and herds of sheep – which bounce along as if the roads themselves are aliens to the land. And then there’s that Dracula thing. Many visitors, lured by bloodcurdling tales, make full trips out of Transylvania’s castles and lovely medieval Saxon towns like Sighişoara, where the ‘real Dracula’ (Vlad Ţepeş) first grew his teeth. But travelers limiting themselves to chasing vampires will miss so much.”
