With the start of the baseball season, we wanted to salute L.E.A.D student Felix Sam Balugahare (Abooki) who plays 2^nd base for the Ugandan team that made it to the Little League World Series in 2011. Abooki grew up in the slum area of Kampala with his mother and grandmother. When they could no longer afford to pay his school fees, L.E.A.D took him into the program. He is now a freshman at Seeta High, one of Uganda’s elite schools. His ambition is to play on the national baseball team and to be an engineer.

L.E.A.D student Isaac Nokrach, 17, visits with his family in the Pader IDP camp in northern Uganda where he grew up. When he was a little boy, his father was attacked and killed by the LRA rebels leaving him to take care of his younger siblings with his mother. Nokrach is a former child soldier who was abducted when he was 9 years old and spent 7 months in the bush. Today he is an 11^th grader at St. Joseph’s Nagalama. He dreams of helping disadvantaged kids have a better life, and to be an engineer. Nokrach has visited the U.S. to help with fundraising.

Katerire Mwajuma, 11, is a 4^th grader at St. John Bosco Katende. Her father was hit by a car and killed when she was nine. Her mother struggles to feed her seven children by recycling rice husks at a rice machine. Before joining L.E.A.D, Katerire attended a local government school where the quality of teaching was very poor because of low pay for the teachers. Now she is excelling at a top school in Kampala and dreams of becoming a lawyer and fighting injustice. (Photo: Stephen Shames)

L.E.A.D student Brian Mpande, 12, gets a warm welcome from his mom during a school break. Brian’s family couldn’t afford to pay his school fees as his father, a teacher in a rural school, only earns $24 a month. He is now a 5^th grader at Budo Junior, an elite school. He wants to be a doctor and help children from poor families go to top schools like Budo and achieve their dreams. We are so proud of you Brian.

Happy Mother’s Day! Monica Nankoma is the Director of L.E.A.D Uganda. She is mother to three biological children, as well as mother to the 112 children of L.E.A.D Uganda who call her “Mummy Monica.” She is pictured here with L.E.A.D student Gloria Acayo, 13, who is a 6^th grader at Budo Junior, an elite school in Kampala. Monica, thank you for everything that you do to help the children of L.E.A.D become poised, confident leaders. You are the best. We love you. Bless you. (Photo by Stephen Shames.)

Teen Power! Yesterday, Mempham Kares, a group of students from Mempham High School in Long Island, hosted a fundraiser to help raise awareness and money for L.E.A.D Uganda. During this moving two-hour program they sang songs and told stories of inspiration and hope about vulnerable children in Africa. Thank you for your great work to help our children.

L.E.A.D students Fred Minto and Kamede Grace proudly pose in their new school uniforms. They are double AIDS orphans. When their mother passed away last year they were left destitute. L.E.A.D was visiting the village at the time of their mom’s funeral, and agreed to take them into the program immediately. Grace, 13, is a 6^th grader and wants to be a nurse. Fred, 10, is a 4^th grader, and wants to be a doctor. They both attend St. John Bosco Katende, an elite school. (Photo by Stephen Shames)

Student mentoring is a key component of the L.E.A.D program. Stephen Wasswa, 19, who starts university this fall with a government sponsorship, mentors Sharon Wenene, 8, who is a third grader at St. John Bosco Katende. Stephen was abandoned by his father, and is a former child laborer. He wants to be a lawyer. Sharon had to drop out of school after her dad died because there wasn’t enough money for school supplies. She wants to be a teacher.

Here is L.E.A.D student Bedogwar Ozala in class at St. John Bosco Katende Primary. Bedogwar was just elected Head Prefect at his elite school. He comes from Gulu in northern Uganda. He is a child who was affected by Kony and the war. He is now an A student and a leader. We are so proud of you!

Mepham Kares is hosting a “Night of Action” fund raiser for L.E.A.D Uganda next Friday,
May 11th from 4 to 6 PM, at Mepham High School, 2401 Camp Avenue, Bellmore, NY.

More info: info@mephamkares.com

Watch their YouTube Video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jCkPecNV33I&feature=youtu.be

Thank you for your support. You guys rock!