Meet Mama Rose, a woman who has dedicated nearly the past two decades of her life to working as a housemother for an orphanage in Uganda, and raised up over forty orphaned children, providing them with a safe home, an abundance of love, and a solid family unit. I (Ashley Turner) have known Rose for 11 years and have grown to love her big, adopted family as my own. She has taught me what it means to be a woman of strength and to live a life of open arms to those in need all around us.  Rose often spoke of her dreams of having her own home and land to farm. A place she could tend to, provide a safe place for vulnerable children, and harvest cash crops to provide an income. The past several years she has made an average daily income between $2-$4 per day, which is not sustainable, especially while caring for so many children.

She's longed for freedom from the confinement and corruption of the local government and dreamed of all of the children finishing school.

In 2014, after a successful fundraiser in Los Angeles, we miraculously raised enough to purchase a home structure and two acres of land for Rose. Although the house was not livable at the time, Rose made it her goal,  little by little, to repair the house using her small salary and the additional income she made from farming on the land. Over time, she installed a new roof for the house, an outdoor bathroom, and made other much-needed renovations.  Although still not livable, she is on the brink of the final phase of this dream becoming a reality. 

Today, Rose faces a new immediate threat to this dream: her position at the orphanage is being phased out, along with her meager salary.  She is still caring for 7 orphaned children completely on her own, all of whom have been with her for many years and do not have other families or homes to go to. Rose and the children she is caring for must move off the orphanage property. Her house renovations must be completed in order for her and the children to move, have a safe roof over their heads, and begin their new path to independence. A safe home and a working farm means an income that can provide daily essentials and access to education for these kids who wouldn't have it otherwise. They all need to be moved into the farmhouse by the end of December 2018. If they can’t, she and the children will be forced to an unknown location until they can figure out another solution. (cont'd below)

(Left to right: Lahua, Wasswa, Nakato, Ivan, Bruno, Babirye, and Gift)

During this holiday where we give thanks for our family and friends, I invite you to be a part of our bigger dream for Rose and the bright children she is raising up beside her. This home will not only provide a solid roof over their heads, but it is their opportunity to soar and strive for a greater future through education, family support, and overall wellbeing. Your contribution will be such a gift to this family, and help make this dream a reality.

Below you'll find some insightful details as well as our costs/goal breakdown to help give some insight:

Statistics:
-The average daily income in rural Uganda is $1-$3 per day. Through farming, a family has the potential to make $25-$45 per day while gaining independence and providing education for all of their children.
-90% of women re-invest their earned income back into their families.
-On average, primary (elementary) school for each child costs between $35-$45 per month. When a child has access to education, their whole world can change. Knowledge is power.

Cost / Goal Breakdown:
-Finishing the outdoor bathroom (with two latrines, to maintain health standards for the kids): $1,000
-Doors & Windows: $1,400
-Floors: $2,200
-Basic Furnishings (simple beds, sheets, blankets, mosquito nets): $800
-Basic kitchen & cookware for the whole family: $150
-Transportation + moving costs for the whole family + cows + goats: $100
-100 chickens + feed to restock her coop (a jumpstart to her farming income amidst the job transition): $500
-Farming materials and/or unexpected costs: $850

"We are all walking on this journey together, so let's empower one another to rise above the obstacles we are born into and celebrate what's possible." - Ashley Turner

If inspired, please share this story with your friends, family and social network!!

With love and gratitude,

Ashley Turner, on behalf of Rose, Lahua, Wasswa, Nakato, Ivan, Bruno, Babirye, and Gift