Update

I have a flight booked for Africa!
I will officially leave May 8th and arrive back in the United States July 26th! This is crazy! I also have a layover in London and Ethiopia. That's insane. I'm going to officially be a world traveler after this summer.

Right now I just want to express my appreciation for all of those who have donated or will donate. It means a lot to me that there are people out there willing to give what they have to help others. It means that there is still hope in this crazy world.

I should also be receiving my passport in a couple weeks, as long as nothing goes wrong. Let me just say that life is crazy and you should always prepare for the opposite of what you expect to happen.

Anyway, Thank you all so much for being willing to help the orphans in Lugazi, Uganda!

Be the change you want to see in the world. <- that means donate...haha

Info on my trip to Lugazi, Uganda

So if you didn't get a chance to read my previous post, you should check it out because it tells why I am going to Africa in the first place.

Anyway, this is the deal. I am going to Lugazi, Uganda this next summer!!! I'm going with Help International. Help is a non-profit that originates out of Provo and sends people like me to third world countries to help, serve, and make a difference around the world. I found out about them almost a year ago and I got accepted into the program this fall. If you want more info on them just click on this link

I'm am extremely excited to have this amazing opportunity!
I leave for Uganda May 10, 2012 and I come back to the United States on July 25, 2012.

So I'll be there for over two months serving in the orphanages, participating in public health projects, education projects and many others. I also really want to volunteer in the orphanages there and hold those adorable little children. I know they're going to steal my heart.

Here a few pictures of the cute little kids there

With Help International we actually get to propose our own ideas for potential projects in the area. I'm going with some of my roommates and we have all decided that we plan on trying to start a children's choir in the orphanages there. We are also thinking of doing some sort of self-esteem project for the young women there; teaching them about their self worth, etc. I will elaborate on these later when we have figured out exactly how we want to carry those projects out.

Here is one of the videos Help did a couple of years ago that shows the impact that they have had in Uganda.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-n7Rkg32tE

I cannot wait to make a difference in the lives of the Ugandan people and for them to make a difference in mine, but it won't be possible without your help. If you are interested in joining with me to help the people of Lugazi, Uganda, click to donate and include Claire Wilkins in the comments section.

All the money that you donate goes to helping the people of Lugazi, Uganda and sending me there to physically help them. I'm going to continue to blog over the summer, so you will continually know how your donations are positively affecting the people of Lugazi. Donate to the cause and know that you are making a difference for the the better in the world. Or at least in the little town of Lugazi.

Why I'm Going to Africa

I have dreamed of going to Africa since I was in middle school. We had watched some clip of starving kids in Africa and I remember looking up and seeing a picture of a little boy with his bones practically sticking out of his body. A kid like this one, except a lot less healthy looking.

When I saw that kid I had this overwhelming feeling that I needed to help him, that I had to help him , it was as if my heart was going to push its way out of my chest.

I have felt this drive to go to Africa and serve the people there ever since. I am now studying Environmental Science with the intent to use my knowldege to one day better the situation of the African people. I know that the probability of me changing the whole world is pretty much impossible. But I figure I'm going to try anyway, and if I can change even one person's life for the better, it will be worth it.

If you have a dream, go get it now. Life is about living. So live. Now by that I don't mean go party and do stupid things that could possibly end in death or some sort of liver disease. That's not living. Living is about serving. Service is what truly makes us feel like we are living up to our potential. We are always told that we need to have charity, which is the pure love of Christ. Well, that is Service. And service is Love. And love is Living.

And that is why I want to go to Africa. To serve the people there. To love the people there. And to live and help others live.

And guess what? I'm going. To Lugazi, Uganda-that's the Ugandan Flag up there-this next summer with Help International. There's only one catch, I have to raise over $5,000. But there's more on that in the next blog post. So check it out.

DONATE

To donate:

Donations can be made through PayPal online at:
http://help-international.org/donate-now, including “Claire Wilkins” in the comments section.

If you’d like more information please visit the HELP International website http://www.help-international.org/

Checks can also be made payable to Help International with “Claire Wilkins” in the memo line. They should be mailed to:

Help International for Claire Wilkins

455 N. University Ave

Provo, UT 84601

A special thanks to those who have donated:
Dean Clark
Michelle Price
Paul and Renate Kratz

Paulette Jeffs

Thurston Family
Tim Lee
DeLeon Family
Snow Family
Robert Stannard
Gardiner Family
Dr. Wizner
Hanrahan Family
Florectia Camacho
Tracey Sahleen
Katherin Ahlstrom
Megan Cluff
Krogh Family