[mission]
Empowering Africans through the encouragement of economic sustainability and creative endeavors. Motivating people in the West to “be the change they want to see in the world.”
[vision]
To see Africa rebuilt and renewed from the inside out and to see people in the West living with Hope.
[our past]
The story of Light Gives Heat (LGH) actually begins as an adoption story. As a 27-year-old and a 26-year-old, sometimes we (Dave & Morgan) can’t believe this is our life. Who knew that our family's quest to find our daughter would be so life changing? In December of 2005 our family began the process of adopting from Uganda, Africa. During our time of waiting our hearts and minds began to be drawn to the beautiful and mysterious continent from which we would soon have a child. We channeled our efforts into promotion and fundraising for Invisible Children and they are one of the inspirations in beginning LGH (thanks IC). On a single day when we hit a roadblock with the adoption we made what most on-lookers saw as a brash decision – we would start a non-profit benefiting Africans and leave our job, our friends/family, and the home we owned to move with our 2-year-old son to Uganda for 6 months. LGH was birthed and in June 2007 we left for Africa – living out our family motto of not living in fear or regret.
We knew when we got to Uganda we wanted to be enablers and listeners and to not be presumptuous of Africa’s “needs” or “problems.” So we began with a blank slate and open ears. Some people called us crazy and foolish and others encouraged us, but we just felt something stirring and prompting and knew that if we didn’t listen we would regret it later. We decided as a family that we would rather take a risk and err on the side of failure and bad judgment then to live with “what-ifs.” A month into our stay we also began the Suubi (hope) project (www.suubiafrica.org) – our response to the situation of displaced Acholi women from war-torn Northern Uganda. While in Uganda we also went to court and were granted custody of our daughter – Jadyn Suubi, who recently turned 2 and is home with us in Colorado. Just our crazy adventure we wanted to share with you to encourage others to live life boldly, respond to needs, live with hope, and think outside of themselves. For us it is all about the beautiful people we met and lived alongside and the ways that we were loved and shown a hope that doesn’t make sense – a hope that has changed everything!
[our present]
At the core, we at Light Gives Heat (LGH) are a group twenty-something’s desiring to live differently and get creative with the ways we can help embrace and empower Africans to help themselves through sustainable economic development. Right now our main focus is the Suubi (hope) project in the villages of Walukuba/Danita.
[the scoop on suubi]
The 125+ women of Suubi (representing 900 immediate family members) are amazing, generous, beautiful, and courageous. They all have a story that will bring tears and inspire the listener to live with more hope - they are the true heroes. Light Gives Heat is merely a vessel - an agent allowing them to help themselves by the buying and reselling of their beautifully handcrafted paper beaded jewelry here in America. With interns and volunteers on the ground in Uganda we are currently buying over 850 necklaces each week at triple their usual profit – providing a fair and consistent income where there was once none. We also help facilitate weekly Literacy and English classes for the women and encourage our volunteers to love on the women and spend time with them doing the daily chores of cooking, washing clothes, or even rolling beads. Whatever form love needs to take, we want to be in the mix of it.
And just as important are Westerners – not just a means to an end, but an end in themselves. We are in need of an opportunity to look outside of ourselves, to see that our neighbors are also the people halfway across the world. At the end of the day it is not an ‘us over them’ situation, at LGH we truly view our relationship with the Suubi women as level and reciprocal. We can offer them our resources and time, but they offer us love, perspective, and hope! Really, it is all about hope - we are in need of realizing that hope is a daily choice and our encounters with the women of Suubi have changed us forever. We have been shown a hope that doesn’t make sense, a hope that has changed everything!
[our future]
There are big dreams and ideas brewing for future projects and innovative ways to help with sustainable incomes. We have met, seen, and read about so many beautiful people– people that have challenged us. And we truly believe this is just the beginning! Keep checking back.
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