All too often we watch TV programmes regarding the world’s most destitute people, sometimes leading us to donate money, and if we are honest sometimes we just watch from our arm chairs and do nothing.
When we do donate we often wonder what difference it will really make, and how much of it will ever reach it’s intended destination. A further thought is often ‘here we go again – will they never learn to be independent/self-sufficient?’ - Ask yourself which of these thoughts and actions can be applied to you.
The Choc-affair Chicks – Gilly, Linda, Mariah, Olivia and Ella recently went to do mission work in a small town in Uganda, and we believe that we have seen somewhere where we can make a real difference to individual lives and this is why we need your help – however you feel you can give it
Read on to find out ways that you can make a difference, but before you do please read the starfish story - We cannot all save the world and fix humanities problems – everywhere we look they seem to be overwhelming. What we can do, as the following story shows us, is each make a difference to one or two other lives.
A boy was standing on the beach that was covered with thousands of dying starfish. He started to pick them up one by one and throw them back and throw them back in the sea.
‘What are you doing’ his mother asked, ‘we can’t make any difference here’
‘Well I made a difference to that one, and that one….’ replied the boy.This story is about starfish, ours is about children. The hope of these countries is in their children – this is where the necessary change must be made.
There is so much we can tell you about the town of Kumi – we could focus on its traumatic and dark history, or tell you about its wonderful people. For those of you who would like more background information please email us – linda@choc-affair.com Really the overwhelming questions are ‘what is the value of a life?’ and ‘what are we willing to pay to save one?’ Here in the UK we are so blessed and often we don’t understand just how much until we see other people’s reality. We want to share some of our blessings and hope that some of you would like to join us on our journey.
We are planning to return to Kumi , hopefully on an annual basis, to build on the foundations we have had the privilege to lay this year. We have seen that we can make a difference to some lives, and have learnt to focus on what we can do rather than allow ourselves to be overwhelmed by what we can’t. Working and experiencing the poverty of Uganda not something that everyone would like to do, and that is ok as we are happy to be there on the ground. It may be that you are a great at fundraising, planning events, you have money to gift, you can adopt a charity for your business, or maybe you would like to come next year – whichever it is we would love your support.
More information
- See our Virgin money giving site for info on particular projects
- Follow the Choc-affair Chicks on facebook
Ways to help:
- Donate regularly – direct debit monthly whatever you can via Mission Direct
- Hold a one off fundraising event for us
- If you are a business adopt us for your pet charity (tax deductible)
- One off donations via virgin money giving
- Send us your old mobile phones to this address
- Come with us to Kumi next year!
- Purchase COHAD gift cards this Christmas for friends and relatives
