Letter from the Founder:

Dear Friends:

Many people have asked me how I became involved with Uganda and the Bishop Asili Health Centre in Luwero, Uganda. Like many stirrings of the soul, I can see that getting to this point has been part of a longer journey I have been traveling for a long time. But I had a specific moment of awakening after my son Zak was born.

Becoming a mother didn’t just open my heart to my own child, but as so often happens, it opened my heart to the needs and concerns of mothers and children all around the world. I came to understand and respect mortality – that we all have a limited time to make our impact on the planet. I developed a keen sense that the world is so small, it is really just one community, and I realized that taking care of oneself means heeding one’s calling – without hesitation or deliberation. With each of these transformations of thought, I grew closer to my vision.

But why Africa? I know that there are so many children here in the United States who need love and care. I know that there are children living in poverty and despair with no hope to carry them through the day.

But I’m driven by these facts, which I cannot ignore:

* To date, 17 million Africans have died of AIDS. How can anyone even comprehend a number like this?
* 25 million Africans (many of whom are children) are infected with the HIV virus. More than the Holocaust and the tsunamis.
* Every 30 seconds a child in Africa dies of malaria – that’s 3000 childen EVERY DAY.
* 12 million children are already orphaned by AIDS. Imagine the children you know, suddenly losing their parents. Now imagine these children with no resources whatsoever.

The children I’ve met in Africa are just like my child. They’re funny, they’re smart, and they’re so full of love. Like Brad Pitt said, “You want to gather up handfuls of them and bring them home.”

This is why I’ve named the organization the Just Like My Child Foundation, Inc.

The secret to helping Uganda lies not in waiting for the government to step in and help, but to channel aid, resources, and equipment DIRECTLY to the people who are already making a difference on the ground.

Our mission is to alleviate the suffering of women, children, and families in rural Uganda using an approach we call deep development which means empowering communities, village by village, to create their own long-term solutions to healthcare, education, and microenterprise

Our commitment to donors is to provide audio, video, and written documentation so that they can experience a first-hand account of how their donated funds are being allocated. The bottom line is that we want you to make a DIRECT connection with the people you are helping.

I know that I speak for so many people when I say that all children are “Just Like My Child.” Let’s close the great divide.

Thank you,
Vivian Glyck

To learn more about us, visit our website.