Hello, kind soul,
We hope you are well.
Yes, there is much going on in the world. But think about it: Most of it is good in the day-to-day where people are kind to strangers, and the stars shine through the night. Lately I have been pondering the relative values of spending most of my time caring for a 3 1/2-year-old foster child here in North Carolina while having my heart tugged to our rural residential school in South Sudan. Both, it seems to me, are perfectly appropriate work.
South Sudan is spiraling even deeper into violence and dysfunction, yet our kids seem safe for now. Food access is sparse, though, and we just increased our enrollment, so food costs are up. Regarding the ongoing horrors in-country, here is an audio clip of a UN representative: https://news.un.org/en/story/2026/04/1167327.
Yet!
We end on a good note: We are finally starting our compound build because of a generous grant by Dr. Gloria Ann Evans! This week, dump trucks of building dirt arrived to start the first dormitory, allowing us to expand our enrollment of these very vulnerable children.
That new step for UOCO gives hope to us all. We chose to build the dorms first, then we’ll work on the school building itself. Precarious times mean we are taking it one stage at a time, and a safe place to lay one’s head is a good place to start.
Any support for these kids is extremely necessary. If any of you are inclined to create a fundraiser for UOCO, please let me know! If you are able to help us do a Matching Grant, that’d be cool, too!
Leo Tolstoy, from “Bethink Yourselves,” 1904
There are multiple ways to send funds. Please see www.uoco.org, OR checks can go to:
UOCO
PO Box 61765
Durham, NC, 27715
Mary, Alex and Maria Elena, for UOCO Boards, staff and kids!
warorphancaremary@gmail.com
We are a 501(c)(3), tax exempt educational charity, and 100% of donations go directly to South Sudan.