A Name Behind The Face
Written by Brittany Stokes, Co-Founder of Project Orphans
“We learned that orphans are easier to ignore before you know their names. They are easier to ignore before you see their faces. It is easier to pretend they’re not real before you hold them in your arms. But once you do, everything changes…” – David Platt, “Radical”
This quote is beyond true. Overwhelming statistics can be thrown our way and we still somehow overlook the problem or don’t do anything about the need. I am going to be real honest… even being a founder of Project Orphans and having this overwhelming passion to build homes of hope for orphans - I had a wall built to protect me from actually connecting with the kids we might be reaching.
Why? Maybe because it made me more responsible for their future or their stories were so horrific I didn’t want to know the truth.
Recently, I went to Uganda and that wall of protection came crashing down. I wasn’t just meeting kids who are now being raised in a home that offers love, education and care. I was meeting girls like Sharon who at the age of 10 had never spent a day in school. She was to live with a “family” as a maid at a very young age and was ordered to take care of the younger children, cook and clean the home. Her hands were so rough and aged from all the work she had to endure. She finally ran away from the abusive situation and lived at the police station for 3 weeks until she became a part of our ministry partners home.
Now Sharon is a bundle of life. She is very conscientious and protective of the other children’s feelings. I love watching her read her Bible and write notes and words she hears from her Daddy Jesus!
I met Henry, Shafiga, George, Mercy, Vicki and the list goes on. They all had stories filled with details that can make anyone cringe. But they don’t live in those stories anymore. They have life and they want to use everyday they can to make a difference in their school, community, country and this world.
These kids come from complete poverty but if a homeless man on the street asked for their shirt on their back they wouldn’t think twice about giving it away. Many people who come from circumstances of poverty and lack hold onto their possessions because they are afraid of not having anything again. Well it’s crazy cool to see 8 to 14-year-olds not afraid about how much they lose but more concerned about how much they can give!
These are the type of kids were building homes for. They aren’t just beings living in a home going through the motions of life. These kids are world changers who take full-advantage of the life they have been given.
Project Orphans is getting ready to host our First Annual Orphan Gala! It’s pretty incredible to see all that God has done in such a short amount of time. Many of the things Project Orphans has done would not have been possible without the support of businesses and families that have partnered with our vision/ mission. But the gala is not just a “pretty” event to recognize the accomplishments our organization has achieved. We are hosting this gala to introduce the names of children whose lives have been changed and now recognizing that there are more faces who have names that are waiting for our help!
In 2014, our goal is to build another home on our ministry partner’s property in Uganda before looking at other locations for our next Project Orphans home. We aren’t taking a break and putting our feet on the desk to relax. Now is the time to work harder and build more homes for these kids who undoubtedly will change others world.
It’s not too late to purchase a ticket to this years Homes of Hope Gala! Head on over to our website today or click the link below to grab a ticket and be a part of this life-changing evening.