Beginning to beginning

Howdy. Sorry I've been slow to write. Our days are super long. We don't get back our hotel rooms until about 10 pm. I've been so jet lagged that I could barely talk comprehensively at dinner last night, much less make a post after downloading images and archiving them.

Our Ugandan hosts love to talk about politics. It's embarrassing when from lack of sleep I'm talking about (and like) Bush - and I'm nodding... but not because I agree with everything being said.

I took a sleeping pill last night and finally slept well. I was a back to 100 percent today and full of energy.

We've been visiting some programs where Compassion International gives health classes, food, and medicine to the poorest of the poor mothers who are expecting or have children under three. Compassion starts connecting children with sponsors for schooling when the kids reach the age of 3 or 4.

In Uganda, 1 in 6 children die before the age of 5. In Uganda, 1 in 6 children die before the age of 5. Yes, that's the double take that happened in my mind. Did I hear that right? Holy cow. That's a statistic that you don't here on CNN.

The goals and success of these projects are to supply heath to the child before it is born by classes on vital nutrition education, mosquito nets, food, home nurse visits, medical attention, and encouragement. The prenatal care evolves into post partum care thru the age of 3.

When we visit the projects, beautiful singing and dancing greet us. There are always formal introductions... something very important to the Ugandan culture. We then break up into teams of about 6 and visit the different classes. Finally, the mothers tell us their stories. If you want to cry, come to Africa and listen to these stories. Unless you've experienced this in some capacity... you would not believe what I'm hearing. Snap. Poverty sucks. Where's the hope? Keep reading.

Compassion supports kids all the way through the university level. The other night we had dinner with about 10 graduates that had made it through. They were the most amazing beautiful young men and women! They were so eloquent. So full of joy and gratefulness for all the help they had received. Again, they told their stories... and I had to take pictures. How am I supposed to work when I can barely see because my eyes are full of tears? Again, I say SNAP! From the poorest of the poor, bare foot and naked in the slums- to the top of their class and looking "smart" in nice suits. They are the future of Uganda and Africa; and they are equiped to start a new life after university as educated and empowered individuals. Beginning to beginning.