Hope is alive in Africa!

Being a dreamer myself, I have come to love the experience of dreaming along with other people and seeing their dreams start to blossom into reality. Last Friday, I had this opportunity to again see a dream take shape; the launch of the “I’ll be there” Foundation.

Moses Kabagambe

Moses Kabagambe is a young man, with a mission; a mission to see a generation save another. His humble background, raised by a single mother from an early age, has not deterred him from dreaming that he can change the world. And he’s started doing so, one step at a time. Only in his second year at university, his dream has seen him together with a tight team of about 28 others traverse the country mentoring, training, counselling and restoring hope for thousands of high school students. And as if that’s not enough, he’s gone on to dream bigger. The man has set out to rescue disadvantaged children from the streets and raise a home for them worth US$300,000. All this is entailed in a campaign code named “Project 500 Days”!

An artist's model of the Children's Home that was unveiled at the launch

Hearing him and his colleagues telling riveting stories of sacrifice and adventure, sometimes emptying their lean bank accounts to rescue children who were complete strangers yet in great need, I felt challenged and asked myself more than once what I had done for humanity. Indeed, one of them emphasized  if you can’t do something for yourself, at least do something for someone else. 

Moses speaking to school children at an earlier outreach

One thing though stood out for me; if there are young people who without being prompted can set out not only to change their lives but those of the next generation, then there’s hope alive in Africa. And I’m sure there’s many more like them out there.

Just a few lines that stuck to my memory throughout the event from various speakers;

• When God gave me a chance to become better and different, I promised that I wouldn’t leave my village the same way I found it.
• Let’s stand up and be counted, that our generation saved another generation.
• Your university education is simply a password to bigger, better and more things in life.
• When we decide to love children, we shouldn’t simply love some. We should love them all. 
• Charity is injurious unless it makes the recipient independent of it. 
• Persistence wears out resistance.

To connect with the I'll Be There Foundation, please click the links below:
 I'll Be There Foundation on Facebook
 Launch of Project 500 Days
 More photos of the Launch of "Project 500 Days"