Words Can Move Mountains: Abide Family Center by Myrisa

Words Can Move Mountains: Abide Family Center by Myrisa - March 2017 Scholarship Essay

John Ford, an American film director, once said, "One can speak well if his or her tongue can deliver the message of his or her heart." Speaking is the most influential action that a person can make. If spoken well, words can entice sympathy and rage, encourage bands of people, and change a person’s outlooks. The more sincerity in the words spoken, the more impact that they are able to have on a listener. If I had the opportunity to give a speech to a school-wide audience, I would hope that the speech left them craving both craving adventure and desire to help those around them. To do this, I would inform my audience about Abide Family Center.

In Jinja, Uganda, there is a small "non-orphanage" called Abide Family Center that is doing amazing work. Abide Family Center believes that children belong in families which is very important at this time. This idea is important, because many times in Uganda a mother's has no other option but to give her children to an orphanage due to the fact that she can no longer support them or herself. To help solve this epidemic, Abide Family Center also houses the mother and provides health care, parenting classes, and a Child Development Center, along with taking in the children. In addition to these programs, Abide Family Center offers small business classes so the mother can build a business for herself, in order for her to be able to support her family again.

Every summer, Abide Family Center hosts multiple volunteer-interns for six weeks. It is a very competitive program, but Abide Family Center needs willing volunteers to come to Jinja, Uganda and support their cause; the application staff seeks people that are encouraged by the thought of working hard alongside Abide Family Center members. They also want people who are full of compassion, excited to learn, and are not afraid of new environments. I am proud to say that I recently sent in my application for this summer’s internship program.
Abide Family Center has helped more than 230 families since opening its doors three years ago, and I can hope that one day I am able to positively impact as many lives as the founders of Abide Family Center have. If I was presented the gift of a school-wide audience’s attention, I would inform them about Abide Family Center and their amazing and influential work. Words are powerful, and I would use mine effectively.