Next week, thousands of USANA Associates will reach out in their communities and beyond to participate in the third annual World Service Week, the USANA True Health Foundation’s weeklong celebration of service. Whether you’re helping a neighbor, a stranger, or a charitable organization in need of an extra hand, any act of service is a win. To commemorate the occasion, let’s look back at our trip to Uganda, where we helped establish multiple service projects together with the USANA family.
Back in 2017, we joined friends from Children’s Hunger Fund to experience, firsthand, the start of two self-sustaining support projects. One for the Children’s Hunger Fund in Ggaba, Uganda. Another at Bethany Village Farm, about 80 miles west of Kampala, the capital city of Uganda.
A Hopeful Start for Ggaba’s Children
Ggaba is surrounded by slums. Many children are critically malnourished and in need of medical treatment. Thanks to the Early Childhood Development Program, 40 children between 1 and 2 years old are brought in every year and provided with three balanced meals, games and toys to play with, medical treatment, and a safe haven. Mothers are invited to weekly meetings to learn emotionally, financially, and spiritually.
The doors to this much-needed program closed in 2017 due to a shortage of funding. But thanks to the generosity of our USANA family, operations were able to resume through 2018 and continue today. The Early Childhood Development Program is the gift that keeps giving, providing both children and mothers support for a brighter tomorrow.
“I really don’t know where these children would be if this program had remained closed. We thank God for our friends, donors, and supporters whose contributions enabled us to resume in 2018.”
Annet Odong, manager, Early Childhood Development Program
It Takes a Village to Raise a Farm
Across the lake is Bethany Village, home to the Bethany Village Farm and a number of orphanages. Since 2017, we’ve worked with Henry Sendagire, the manager of Bethany Village Farm, to improve and expand operations of their piggery. Yes, “piggery” is a word:
pig·ger·y
/ˈpiɡ(ə)rē/
noun
1.
a farm where pigs are bred or kept.
The more you know. Henry expressed his great appreciation for the empowering donations. With it, they have been able to provide training and pigs for individual farmers to raise, acquire better breeds, and perform much-needed repairs to building infrastructure. And for the first time, Henry has seen a sharp increase in external sales. Funds are being poured back into the community: expanding operations, affording necessities, and paying fees for the orphans to go to school.
So far, 21 households supported under the Mercy Network have received training, a pig stye, a female pig, and a boar. Many of the pigs now have piglets, and every farmer donates a piglet to a new beneficiary to expand this valuable program. Over 500 kilograms of nutritious pork has already been donated to families in the area.
This is an exciting step towards a sustainable future for everyone in Bethany Village.
Be the Light You Wish to See
World Service Week is June 15–22 this year. By donating even an hour of your time, you’ll make a world of difference when combined with the efforts of the whole #USANAfamily. Use the power of social media to encourage others to join you, and represent with your USANA True Health Foundation shirt as you serve. Include the hashtags #USANAgives and #WorldServiceWeek to raise awareness of this international cause.
Check back on the blog for updates to this and future projects. We’re excited to see the progress in Uganda and to continue exploring new opportunities to serve.
Food for Thought
Have you ever been overcome with emotion as you donated your time in the service of others? Share your powerful moments in the comments below. We would love to hear from you.
Remember, 100 percent of all donations made to the USANA True Health Foundation always go to change the lives of those most in need around the world.