Christmas represents the most profound act of generosity and self-sacrifice! When God the Father sent His Son to be born as a baby to a poor family so He could grow up to die as a substitute for our sin, He gave us a perfect example of love.

Many of us would do anything for our loved ones! We would give them our last meal or forgo our own needs to meet theirs. That’s what love is–self-sacrifice!

Unfortunately, kids and teens in Uganda are facing danger and Hopelessness and they need your help!

For vulnerable kids in Uganda, COVID restrictions have forced schools to close, leaving them exposed and without the love, structure, education, and healthy meals they need.

Uganda’s government has reported a spike in both teenage pregnancies and forced marriages as some parents give away their daughters in exchange for money to survive.

With schools closed, kids spend all their time at home and need their parents, many of whom have lost their jobs, to give them three meals each day. As a result, relationships between children and their parents have deteriorated.

Just listen as Sarah Situuke, a grandmother caring for her three grandkids, explains: “I have never been with children at home this long and the demand keeps going up. When they are at school, they only eat one meal at home and only wear their uniforms. So, I spend little on food and soap. But now I have to feed them three meals a day and buy soap for every change of clothes they make. Yet, I am not earning as much as I used to before COVID. Sometimes I feel angry when they keep on asking for things and I can’t provide.”

Kate, a seventh grader who lost her connection with her friends and the purpose she felt at school, shared: “I felt depressed all the time! Sometimes I felt like running away from home, but the fear of contracting COVID always kept me in one place. I couldn’t even go across the street to play with my friends, yet I wasn’t doing anything at home.

To help these families in Uganda, Bright Hope began a rabbit rearing program that has already given kids a constructive way to spend their time, and has helped heal parent-child relationships.

Before a child can get a pair of rabbits, he or she must build a rabbit house with the help of their parents. Since rabbits multiply fast, they provide a sustainable source of income! Many hotel workers will walk down the street searching for rabbits to purchase and prepare as meals for their guests.

Ruth, a grandma caring for her grandson Dalton, said: “These rabbits are helping keep my grandson home instead of getting into trouble. He is always finding food for them, cleaning them, or giving them water.”

Kate’s caregiver, Victoria, expressed the day-and-night transformation in Kate’s life: “I was so worried about Kate! She had started distancing from me, locking herself up all the time, and thinking too much. When the rabbits were introduced, it’s like they brought her back to me. All of our conversations these days are around her rabbits!”

So far, we have distributed at least 142 pairs of rabbits to extremely poor children in Uganda. But with your help, we can do more!

This Christmas season, as you purchase presents, gather decorations, and reflect on God’s amazing self-sacrifice, would you join us and share His love with extremely poor kids in Uganda? They need your help to get through the chaos this pandemic has caused in their lives!

Your gift of $50, $100, or $150 will provide a pair of rabbits and a sustainable business to many vulnerable kids, as well as Hope for Tomorrow for their families!