The shortest distance out of poverty is not a hand out for food, clothing or shelter. If we want to support an entire community to become self-reliant and commit to establishing their education system, then we educate.

We have so many educational issues in the US, why would we care that Ugandan children don’t have schools or that their children cannot go to the ones that do exist?

Here’s why we should care: The more education a nation receives, the more globally responsible the nation becomes.  When we help a child tap into her potential, we teach her to expect more from herself. We teach her to care for herself, her body, and most importantly for her children – so the next generation has better outcomes. For every additional year a girl goes to school, her income vastly increases, the health of her children greatly improves, and the educational level of HER children increases. All by educating one child (especially a girl). It’s a relatively small investment which a monumental return.

Imagine a world in which we no longer have to pour millions of dollars into malaria treatments or HIV treatments! It is possible.  It is possible through education.  If we want to reduce the amount of financial support the US provides other countries, we need to invest in education, our own and theirs.

In a recent New York Times article by Celia W. Dugger more focus is being put on low-fee schools in Africa to serve the underserved and they are seeing great results.  These Leap schools are described as “bare-bones private schools tucked away in abandoned factories, shopping centers, shacks and high-rises.”  What makes them a key element in the effort to combat poverty is “the schools instill more than a fierce work ethic. Each day, students have a life orientation class, or L.O. as they call it, where they talk about the personal problems that can derail an education — a stepfather who expects a girl to clean house rather than do her homework, a student trying to study in the shack where her family lives and runs a saloon, and another student who goes to school hungry because her mother’s salary as a maid runs out before the end of the month.”

As a result of efforts of Just Like My Child, we have also created schools in Uganda that teach more than a traditional education.  Our schools have taken the initiative to start a poultry project, plant fruit trees, and begin growing a garden that will be used as both an agricultural educational tool as well as a supplemental source of food for the students. We also are conducting The Girl Power Project – ongoing workshops that teach girls how to avoid the deadly poverty traps of disease and early pregnancy.

A quality education is making a real difference for the most neglected and financially challenged population of our time.  With their progress comes a new reality for their families and the country as a whole.

We are consistently raising money to secure motivated teachers who have the vision and mission to engage with rural communities and provide children with an education that has far-reaching results.  We also need to supply them with the tools to create strong leaders so these students can lead their country forward.

For the sake of themselves and their communities, doesn’t every child deserve a solid education? Just $100 can give a child a desk, school supplies and all the books they need for a full school year. Please contribute to our efforts change the world through education.