The $5.00 Challenge

Tomorrow, Saturday May 4^th, is {Inter}NationalCupcake Kids Day,  All throughout the US and various parts of the world, including this small rural town in NB Canada, children, teenagers and adults will be hosting cupcake sales.  This seemingly simple thing is a major fundraiser for an organization called Sixty Feet, which serves imprisoned children in Uganda, yes imprisoned children.

It’s true.  I’ve been there.  I sat on the cold concrete floor of the dilapidated buildings within the compound of two of these remand centers, just one month ago.  I’ve had an imprisoned child, no more than 5 or 6, take me by the hand and lead me to sit down with her and while she colored and drew on the paper I brought.   I’ve seen young faces astonished at the simplest act, like the blowing of bubbles.  Again. Again. Again.  I’ve smelled the nostril burning stench that hovers in the lockdown area of one of these centers, where newcomers languish in solitary confinement for two weeks. 

 

It’s true.  I’ve been there.  I’ve seen.  And it’s changed me.

I’ve seen the difference sacrifice makes.  I’ve seen sick children made well because someone donated money which enables a nurse to visit the remand centers to provide necessary medical care to sick and wounded children.

I’ve had a children come up to me after he returned to the center from school, and read to me from the children’s Bible I was holding.  He can read because someone donated the funds which enable him to go to school everyday.

I’ve stood in the midst of 170 children who ate pineapple with great juicy smiles, swallowed down with milk and a cookie, because Sixty Feet staff were able to bring supplemental food to this center that day - all because someone bought a simple cupcake, somewhere in North America.

All because of a simple cupcake.  And so today I send out this challenge to you all who are reading.  It’s a simple challenge really.  I’ll call it the $5.00 challenge. 

Think about what $5.00 will buy you today.

-          3 small coffees at your favorite drive thru, or 1 fancy latte

-          A loaf of bread with pennies for change

-          3 litres of gas

-          Less than 3 500ml bottles of water

-          A t-shirt on last season’s sale rack.  Maybe.

$5.00 doesn’t buy you much.  $5.00 will not be missed out of your pocket.  But, seriously, $5.00 will do a lot in Uganda.  Way more than you can imagine.  It will:

-          Send a child to school for an entire week

-          Provide milk to a dozen or so children for a week

-          Provide nutritious food to 2 children

-          Give a Bible to a child in his own language

-          Help provide medical supplies to the children

$5.00 won’t do much for you, but it will change a life in Jesus name in Uganda.

Are you up for the challenge?  I challenge you TODAY to donate just $5.00 here, at my own virtual cupcake stand, which goes along with the real ones I will be hosting tomorrow.  It will only take a few minutes of your time, your funds go directly to Sixty Feet Inc., and 100% of your donations go directly to the children of Uganda in the remand centres.

I’ve seen it with my own eyes. 

$5.00 can make a difference.  Will you?