The Winter 2023 edition of our quarterly newsletter is here! For easier reading and to make sure you don't miss any content: View this email in your browser
WINTER 2023
WELCOME to the latest edition of the Give Us Wings quarterly newsletter.
In this issue:
Family to Family Program
St. John's Kayoro Health Center
Entrepreneurship and Livelihoods Development Program
2023 Volunteer Trip to Uganda
Give Us Wings online forum
Remembering Bill Norman
Upcoming Events
Ways to Give
Family to Family Program
Sponsorship Spotlight
Have you seen our Sponsorship Spotlights yet?!
Here's the most recent one, about a young man named Okoth Shadrack. New spotlights will be popping up, so be sure to follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin and coming soon...TikTok!
Okoth Shadrack is the youngest of six in his family. They live in Kayoro, Uganda where his mother is a member of the Dio Chuny group. Shadrack and his family were enrolled in the Give Us Wings Family to Family Sponsorship program in 2016 when Shadrack was 12 years old. At the time he was in Primary 5, at his local government school. He attended only sporadically because his parents couldn’t afford the school fees. Shadrack was then enrolled in a high quality boarding school with the other sponsored students.
He was carefully evaluated by the teaching staff and it became clear that he needed to be placed in Primary 2 because he lacked understanding of the basic principles in all subjects. This was a crucial decision and Shadrack has been promoted to the next level each year since then. Throughout his 6 years with Give Us Wings, Shadrack's favorite subject has been math. During his free time, he helps his mom around the house by doing dishes and gardening. When COVID-19 caused lockdowns in Uganda, Shadrack and his family had to find new ways to be productive. Shadrack’s mom, Nyaburu Irene, was able to pivot in her tailoring business and make masks for sale. Give Us Wings provided Shadrack and other children at home tutoring sessions. Shadrack says “at school, our teachers have sacrificed themselves to help us academically.” With the sacrifices the teachers have made, Shadrack promises to work hard and achieve his goal of becoming a doctor. Shadrack, now 17, and is in Primary 7. In fact, he just completed his Primary Leaving Exams (PLE) which he needs to pass in order to proceed to secondary school next year. He will learn the results next week and secondary school will start at the beginning of February! He and his family are proud of his accomplishments. Irene says, “my son is liked by every teacher and this has made me also to be known and liked by every teacher at school. Whenever I visit the school, my presence is noticed as they call me the mother of Shadrack.”
There are many Ugandan families who are ready for your partnership so that they can create a sustainable future. Learn more!
St. John's Kayoro Health Center
St. John's Kayoro Health Center continues its excellent work...most recently in the face of terrible waves of malaria. The spike in malaria cases has continued for months now, due to a variety of factors: weather, hygiene issues, and the unfortunate misuse of mosquito netting that the government provides to many families. Sadly, 70% of the malaria cases seen at our clinic are in children under the age of 10. But there is good news, too. The clinic has the resources to offer very effective treatments. Even in the most severe case, patients are feeling much better within hours of starting medication. Says Anthony, our Health Program Officer, "A child came in one morning feeling terribly sick with malaria. By the late afternoon, he was running all over the clinic grounds!" We continue to wish our Ugandan friends well in their quest to eradicate this disease.
Entrepreneurship & Livelihoods Development Program
Kitchen Gardens are going strong in Tororo! Thanks to training and small investments of seeds and other tools, Give Us Wings has helped dozens of families in the area to grow their own personal gardens. The gardens pay off in three ways:
Participants have additional food to help feed their families
As part of the training, participants learn the importance of a healthy diet and eating a variety of vegetables
Families are able to sell at market what they don't eat, adding to their household income
Pictured here is Robina. GUW worked with a community group that Robina belongs to and we gave them seeds for wheat and tomatoes, along with training in gardening. With the proceeds from her first harvest, Robina was able to purchase a piglet, which she cares for with great pride. She tells us: “I hope to sell more and buy another piglet which will multiply and help me to pay fees for my children in 2023. I will continue planting more vegetables to help my family for consumption and to sell some. Long live Give Us Wings!”
Volunteer Trip - June 2023
Travel to Uganda with Gve Us Wings!
After a long Covid hiatus, Give Us Wings is so excited to bring back the opportunity for volunteers to visit Uganda to learn about and participate in our programs. If you've dreamed of visiting Africa, longed to travel with a purpose, or just want to see what GUW is accomplishing, this trip is for you!
Travel dates are June 1-11, 2023 and the trip cost is $2200 plus airfare. For more info and to see a sample itinerary, click HERE. Or give us a call or email if you'd like to discuss anything. We'd love to have you join us for this life-changing experience!
GUW Online Forum
Save the Date!
Are you interested in learning more about how our sponsorship program works? Are you curious about how our staff works with families in Uganda? Join us for our first-ever online forum! This event will highlight our Family to Family program and will feature our County Program Director Moses and Education Program Officer Grace. Tune in to hear this LIVE conversation and have the chance to ask some of your own questions! Get the date on your calendar now, and watch for more details in the coming weeks.
Friday, Feb. 17
10:00am CST
via Zoom
Interested in participating or have a question? Email us and we'll be sure you get all the info!
Remembering Bill Norman
We are heartbroken to share the news of the passing of one of our devoted Board members, Bill Norman. Bill served on the Board from 2016 until his passing in November 2022. His thoughtful and insightful presence on the Board was an incredible asset and we miss him already. When Bill and his wife Emilie and kids travelled with GUW to Uganda in 2016, they immersed themselves in the community, learning as much as they could about each person they met. It was during that trip that he helped build the now-famous chicken coop for a woman for her fledgling business. Bill and Emilie would later be partnered with that family in the Family to Family Sponsorship Program. Everyone in Uganda, from the staff to the community members, witnessed firsthand Bill's incredible devotion and generosity to Give Us Wings and the people of Uganda. Back in the US, Bill brought great enthusiasm for each and every fundraiser (from galas to bike rides and everything in between) and he eagerly shared his love of Give Us Wings with his family. Those of us who knew him well will remember his warm heart and his genuine smile, his generosity, his wry sense of humor, his wonderful singing voice, and his love (obsession?) with Ruthie Pallow's cookies. We offer our sincere condolences to Emilie and the rest of Bill's family and dear friends.
Upcoming Events
Mark your calendars!
Give Us Wings online forum - Sponsorship Program February 17, 2023
10:00 AM CST
via Zoom
Dreaming Together : Give Us Wings 24th Annual Celebration! April 29, 2023
McNamara Alumni Center, Minneapolis
Ways to Give
In addition to making a donation using your credit card and/or mailing a check to Give Us Wings, 450 N. Syndicate St., Suite 290, Saint Paul, MN 55104, you can make donations to Give Us Wings in the following ways:
Become a Partner in Hope
Consider making a recurring gift! Recurring donations sustain our mission by providing us with a reliable flow of revenue throughout the year...and it's very convenient for you. Become a Partner in Hope today!
Gift of Stock
A gift of stock is an easy way for you to make a big impact. Stock gifts provide you with a charitable income tax deduction, no capital gains tax, and an opportunity to support our mission. Your broker can transfer shares to our Ameritrade account using the information listed below. Please notify us and send a copy of the transaction to donations@giveuswings.org.
TD Ameritrade
Account #: 787-392312
DTC #: 0188
Tax ID #: 41-1947823
Donors Over the Age of 70 ½
If you are 70 ½ years of age or older you can make gifts to Give Us Wings through your IRA as part of your Required Minimum Distribution (RMD).
“A qualified charitable distribution (QCD) is generally a nontaxable distribution made directly by the trustee of your IRA (other than a SEP or SIMPLE IRA) to an organization eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions. You must be at least age 70½ when the distribution was made.” See IRS Publication 590-B, Distributions from Individual Retirement Arrangements (IRAs) for additional information.
Donor Advised Fund
A Donor Advised Fund is a flexible and tax efficient way to give and to maximize your impact over time. If you have a Donor Advised Fund you can direct a gift to Give Us Wings, Tax ID #41-1947823, through your fund.
Planned Gift
Make a lasting legacy! A planned gift guarantees transformational change for our community partners for many years into the future. You can make a planned gift to Give Us Wings through your will today. To learn more, please contact donations@giveuswings.org.
Give Us Wings is a 501(c)3 nonprofit. Tax ID # 41-1947823. Your gift is tax deductible to the extent allowed by law. Please consult a tax adviser to determine if your contribution through your IRA is deductible.
Vision: We envision people in our partner communities in rural Uganda living healthy lives with dignity and hope as they pursue their life goals.
Mission: Encourage, support and partner with people living in extreme poverty in Uganda as they transform their lives and become self-sufficient through greater access to quality health care, education and economic opportunities.
THANK YOU.
Give Us Wings
US Office: 450 N Syndicate St. Suite 290, St. Paul, MN 55104
651-789-5607
Peter Carlson, Executive Director
Betsy Davies, Program Coordinator
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