New Conversations in Jinja.

For the last two months, my time here at Abide has been all about creating, writing, and implementing a new program that focuses on advocacy and education. I’ve spent weeks writing and explaining just what we do here in Jinja and how this work with families is truly making a difference in the number of kids in institutional care. We have seen families growing and thriving as mommas create their own versions of sustainable revenues for their families. It’s been incredible getting to see mom’s continue to care for their kids as they build and run their new businesses. I’m thankful for the opportunity to be able to see this work first hand, and then be able to write it up in ways that encourage others to get involved.

The program that I have been working on is called Abide Advocates, and basically, our Abide Advocates are to walk alongside us at Abide Family Center as we spread the message that Children Belong in Families to more and more people. Our Advocates are resourced with new information regarding family preservation and in return they share that info within their own circles of influence.

Webster’s tell us, an advocate is ‘a person who publicly supports or recommends a particular cause or policy, and this is what we want are Advocates to become. I want them to be so well versed in alternative care that they become our voice in new places across the map. I want them to feel comfortable enough to be willing to tell friends and family why they too believe in family preservation and alternative care solutions.

As an Abide Advocate, they are put through a 4-month Advocate program. This means each week they receive an email from us that includes things like family updates, messages from our leaders, program information, discussions on spectrum of care, Abide tours, and even more details on the ends and outs of Abide Family Center. It is then their task, and our hope, that they share this information with the people they know.

I say it all the time, and I truly mean it. People want to be passionate about something. They want to have a stake in something greater than themselves. People want to make a difference. We just need to give better direction and discernment on how to do ‘aide’ well. Giving out cash, or toys, or sweeties on the side of the road in Uganda or Cambodia or Thailand, is not the way to solve problems. To cause long lasting, world shaking change, means we are going to have to truly begin to scrutinize the way we ‘do aide,’ here and back home in the states. I’m not saying I have the answers, if anything my time here I leaving me with even more questions. My hope though is that our first round of Advocates (who are already engaging in awesome conversations which is awwwwwesome) will feel empowered; that they will know how they speak, what they speak, and why they speak, is spreading information and sparking new conversation. That is where we have to start. We have to open up lines of communication to learn the needs, the hurts, and the culture in the places we wish to reach. 

I know my reach is short, I can’t tell nearly enough people about the things I am seeing, but, if I try to resource people with relevant and interesting information, that reach gets farther. Thanks again for helping me get to this spot.