Recently Board President Bruce’s grand niece, 8 year old Ellie, set up a benefit table on the sidewalk of her hometown on Bainbridge Island, WA. She set this table to sell baked goods she had helped prepare to benefit the Rubanda Solidarity School. Ellie had heard Bruce talk about the project before and had also attended a community gathering in September hosted by her father, Bruce’s nephew Pat, which Bruce has visited to raise funds and spread the word. She recently came to her parents with this idea entirely on her own. Not only did they have baked goods for sale, they also had a computer set up so that visitors could see the Yamba Abaana website and view additional pictures. She and Mia manned the table for 4 hours, sold all of their baked goods and raised $150!! She also received at least one pledge to sponsor a child for a year. After it was all over she asked Pat later at home, “What can I do next to help the children?” It is literally what Yamba Abaana is all about, and we just may have found our future President of the Board come 2028!
Ellie with her best friend, Mia, and with pictures that her Dad had made from Bruce’s photos from prior visits to the school.
Pat will be going with our entourage to Uganda and specifically, Rubanda, in February. He will then join that select, but evergrowing group of visitors to the school who will be transformed forever just as Bruce originally was. We can only imagine what Ellie will accomplish next with so much inspiration in their house when he returns.