Fred, a sponsored elder in Uganda, uses his new water pump to spray his cow. He used his sponsorship benefits to purchase the pump, which helps him care for his livestock.
Many things set Unbound apart.
We’re the only major U.S.-based organization that offers sponsorship for elders. The communities we work with have created a small group model that provides support and accountability for the parents of sponsored children. We consistently achieve top ratings from charity evaluators, with more than 92 percent of our expenses going to program support. All of these things are supported by one of the most unique aspects of our program — highly personalized benefits.
Through supports groups and livelihood programs, Unbound supports the hard-working parents of sponsored children around the world to help them develop their natural talents, so they can create sustainable sources of income to support their families and work their way out of poverty.
Nancy gets ready to enjoy a bowl of mukimo, a traditional Kenyan dish of mashed vegetables, which she makes for her family. Nancy’s 17-year-old son, David, is sponsored through Unbound.
Mark, the father of a child sponsored through Unbound, works in his woodshop in Uganda.
On a sunny day in Uganda, Mark is hard at work in his backyard woodshop.
A self-employed carpenter for 31 years, Mark has had to jump a lot of hurdles to get his business — and his family — to the steady place they are now. His daughter, Veronika, is sponsored through Unbound and he attributes much of the family’s economic stability to her sponsorship. Read more
John, 60, is the father of a young woman sponsored through Unbound in Uganda.
By Regina Mburu, communications liaison for Unbound in Africa
In a small village in rural Uganda, we visit John at his small shop. He cheerfully, pulls up chairs for me and the Ugandan staff member accompanying me on my visit. John’s daughter Christine is sponsored through Unbound.
I glance around the shop and see that the shelves are filled with neatly arranged goods.
A customer walks in and John excuses himself. John serves the customer in a polite manner. I can tell that he enjoys his work as a shopkeeper by the way he carries himself.
By Regina Mburu, communications liaison for Unbound in Africa
Regina Mburu, the communications liaison for Unbound in Africa, recently visited sponsored friends and families served through our Kampala, Uganda office. One of the young men she interviewed is 24-year-old Simon, a sponsored youth currently pursuing his higher education goals.
Regina Mburu, Unbound’s communications liaison in Africa, captured this photo of Pope Francis as his motorcade headed to the Kangemi community.
A view of muddy paths in Kangemi shows the poor infrastructure, which is one of the challenges residents face.
By Loretta Shea Kline, managing editor
Freedom from poverty. Fighting corruption. Unity between people of different cultures and religions. Having a reason to hope.
Unbound staffers addressed these and other topics on Pope Francis’ recent trip to Africa.
“The pope is characterized by acts of love and compassion toward the poor — often reaching out to them and signifying a new light and hope in life for them,” said Teddy Naluwu, coordinator of Unbound’s program in Kampala, Uganda. “This is the same purpose for which Unbound exists.
Yuda, now 27, holds two economics textbooks he authored.
Manish and his mother, Shakuntla.
Unbound’s Outreach Volunteer team, from left: Claudia Vázquez-Puebla, Lydia Leffelman, Clair Paul, Laurel Harrold and Maureen Ortiz.
As we celebrate Thanksgiving in the United States, we thought it would be good to have an encore presentation of some of the stories we featured on the Unbound blog in 2015.
Each of these stories reflects gratitude, expressed in many ways and for a variety of gifts. They represent just a few of the hundreds of stories we have presented over the years about people for whom thankfulness is not just an occasional sentiment but a virtue that marks every day of their lives.
Morena stands in the doorway of her home with her family.
Laura’s old latrine did not have a door and was falling down.
The new latrine Laura and her family built.
From left: Rosa, Hector and their puppy.
According to the United Nations, 2.5 billion people lack access to proper sanitation, including toilets or latrines, with dramatic consequences on human health, dignity and security, the environment, and social and economic development.
