I apologize for not writing a blog since being back in the US. I was waiting to be able to share some great news!

1. We have a name! Ignite Change  The short explanation for the name is that our mission is to go into communities to empower families – lighting a fire that they have inside of them. They may need some training or education, but we believe they have the drive inside them to be sustainable. Which leads me to point 2…

2. We are BUILDING A SCHOOL! When I went to Uganda in November, I knew the nonprofit would be helping families of orphan and vulnerable children become sustainable through business trainings. As we began identifying families to help in the community, we took a step back and said, how do you identify a vulnerable child? It is normally a child that is not in school and/or malnourished. Why is the child not in school? It could be distance, it could be the cost, or even not valuing education. So what would be the best action to get kids in school? Helping the families generate income is a start and educating them about the importance of education. Then the next question became, will they get a quality education? And the answer is probably not. I could not turn away from this need, so after feeling confirmation through prayer, we decided to pursue building a primary school!

I am completely overwhelmed and overjoyed of how God has worked this into our plans. My mom is a teacher and education “runs in my blood” as I like to say. This past August, my mom opened her own preschool. Living at home during the planning time of early 2016 and staying a few months past opening, I was able to help with the entire process. I had no idea that God was preparing me to open a primary school in Uganda!!

We have already purchased enough land to build the school on! The school will serve children from “baby class” (three-year-old’s) through Primary 7 (seventh grade). The first year will have classes from Preschool through Primary 4. Then we will add on as the students age. Our goal is to begin building by August (or earlier if we raise the necessary funds) and be open for the 2018 school year which starts in February in Uganda.

3. I also want to share our mission statement with you! Following Christ’s example of loving and serving others, Ignite Change empowers families to achieve a bright and sustainable future.

Thank you for all the prayers and support that have lead us up to this point! I am so excited for all that God has in store for many years to come!

-Emily