We are very excited to present this new website to you and the world! I hope you’ll have a look around and check out the biographies of the 12 girls who are already sponsored. Hearing these girls’ stories and seeing their beautiful young faces will give you a deep look into the heart of why Taproot exists and why our mission is so important. So, please have a look around, join our mailing list, and contact us with any questions or feedback.
Here at our very humble beginnings, we have a total of 12 girls sponsored (and shortly will have 7 more), who are continuing their secondary education (beyond 7th grade) as a direct result of the kindness and generosity of our sponsors. My next trip to Uganda is tentatively set for the summer of 2016 where I will meet with our local team of coordinators and hopefully return home with new photos, videos and a deeper knowledge of the lives of our eager young girls who are tenaciously continuing their education as an alternative to teenage marriage, pregnancy, and a life of inevitable poverty.
With tens of thousands of young girls in such desperate need in Uganda and many more in rural Africa, it can feel daunting at times to consider what difference changing the lives of just a few dozen teenage girls can really make in the grand scheme of things. As I was pondering this today, it seemed providential to have stumbled upon a quote from Margaret Mead where she wrote:
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”
I am so inspired by that philosophy!
In many ways, the beginning of Taproot Charities has reminded me of waiting in line for a roller coaster. There has been much anticipation with slow and steady progress up until that point of no return. Plenty of time to express excitement and then to doubt our ability to really go through with this. Already, we have a dozen successful sponsorships underway, and even if all this work we’ve done thus far had only changed one girl’s life, all of the effort would have been worth it! We are focusing on changing one life at a time and are excited to have you join us in this journey of empowering girls half a world away to continue their education and become game changers in their own lives and communities.
With Love-
Sara Messer, Founder