Then and Now: See How Gloria Has Changed

Holt president Phil Littleton shares an inspiring story about a sponsored child in Uganda.

Our Uganda team just shared the greatest update with me…

It’s about a girl named Gloria who lives in rural Uganda with her mom and three sisters. Our team met Gloria in 2014 when she was 6 years old. Her father had left their family, and her mom was struggling to support Gloria and her sisters on very little income.

Gloria’s mom could barely afford food, much less school supplies and fees for her daughters. Life was so hard for them that Gloria had dropped out of school, which she had only just begun.  Gloria was just a first-grader!

When our team in Uganda learned about this family, they immediately enrolled Gloria in Holt’s child sponsorship program. The monthly gifts from Gloria’s sponsor helped cover the cost of books, uniforms and fees required for school — making it possible for Gloria to enroll in the second grade.

Two years later, we featured Gloria on the cover of our Christmas Gifts of Hope catalog! In the picture, Gloria is holding a baby goat — a Gift of Hope that Gloria’s family had received from a generous donor, supplying nourishing milk for the four growing girls and extra income when they sold the surplus milk. With that goat, as well as garden seedlings and financial training from Holt’s team, Gloria’s mom was able to save money and reinvest in a pig — building a small, profitable farm.

I remember reading this story about Gloria and her family six years ago, and feeling so grateful for the sponsors and donors who came alongside them in a time of despair. I also felt inspired by how Gloria and her family were empowered to change their own lives through the gifts they received. With the heartfelt support of sponsors and donors, they lifted themselves out of dire poverty.

Today, Gloria and her family are doing very well. Gloria is now 14 years old and looks so grown up! Her mom’s farming business is thriving, and her sisters are all in school. Gloria is nearing graduation and hopes to become a social worker so that she can help other children and families like her sponsor helped her.

Whether your sponsored child is too young for school or about to graduate, living in an orphanage or in the loving care of their family, you are setting them on a path toward a bright, successful future and empowering them to change their life for the better.

Thank you for being the catalyst for such transformational change in a child’s life. I am so grateful for you.