Mzungus for Ritah

This is Ritah.  She is in the Leadership Development Program in Uganda.  A fellow Compassion advocate, Dawn, was in Uganda over the summer and met her.  At the time, Ritah didn't have a sponsor, but quickly stole the hearts of all those who were on the team visiting from the states.  From what I have heard about her, she is fun and kind-hearted.  When Dawn came back she wanted to find Ritah a sponsor, but since sponsoring an LDP student is $300 a month, she found it difficult to find one person who could commit for the duration of her college education.  So Dawn decided to ask people she knew to consider joining a group of others to work together to fund her education. 
Ever since I visited Peru and had dinner with LDP students, I had a desire to sponsor an LDP student one day.  I never thought it would happen so soon!  So Ritah is now a part of our Compassion family.  I cannot wait to interact with her.  Our relationship will be my first African international relationship and my first with a young lady who is closer to adulthood than childhood.  I am so excited to begin to correspond with her.  I have mailed out my first letter to the leader of our "Mzungus for Ritah" group.  This is the name we have decided to call our little posse.  Mzungu is the Ugandan word for foreigner or loosely "white person" and those who visited said that the little kids would run up to them or call to them in the street using the term. 
Leadership development is so important in these countries.  It is essential that young people have access to education and opportunities to make real change in their communities.  LDP students are the ones who can effect change and are already positive role models in their communities.
Today is election day in Uganda and there have been threats of uprising and discord.  So far, it has been peaceful, but I ask anyone willing to pray for Ritah's country.  There has been unrest in the past.