

Spreading Hope by Growing Healthy Communities and Sustainable Ecosystems in Uganda
www.redemptionsongfoundation.org

Two Batwa siblings, Shivan and Beckham, wear their school sweaters and look healthy and happy.


Single Batwa mom Nossi is overjoyed at her new home that the community built her from funds raised from basket sales and donations. Here she is inside of her new mosquito net.

Two Batwa siblings, Shivan and Beckham, wear their school sweaters and look healthy and happy.
"For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in. I needed clothes and you clothed me."
-Matthew 25:35-36
Photo Copyright (c) 2014 Wendee Nicole
Passport to Education 🎒👩🏾🎓📚
"The best way to fight poverty is to empower people through quality education” — John Legend
Musician John Legend says education was his “connection to the world” and Oprah Winfrey said that it is “the key to unlocking the world… the passport to freedom.” We agree. These two incredible individuals overcame tough odds to become luminaries, inspiring countless others. In order to change the trajectory of the lives of the Batwa tribe so that they may also have their own inspirational leaders, education must be at the forefront.
A minority Indigenous tribe, the Batwa comprise less than 1% of Uganda’s population. Most live in extreme poverty and experience daily hunger. Many drop out of school in primary grades. Few go on to secondary schools. Only a handful have ever attended university, and only one in the entire country has received a 4-year college degree. They face enormous odds, tougher even than Legend or Winfrey did.
Education provides hope with wings to fly and feet to run. It gives them practical solutions, which ultimately must come from the Batwa themselves. As Bob Marley sings in the inspiration to our organization, “Emancipate yourself from mental slavery. Only you can free your mind.” It’s time to set things right.
Our annual Giving Tuesday fundraising campaign, “Passport to Education”, will raise funds to provide holistic education for all the Batwa children in Kalehe village and support for their families at home.
Help us reach the full funding needed to support all of our kids and our education programs for 2023, $10,000:
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General support for our After School Tutoring and Educational Soup Kitchen programs.
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Improvements to the RSF Community House, a safe space for the Kalehe village Batwa to play, and to get food, emotional support, health advice and advocacy, and mentoring.
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Smartphones and tablets for older kids to learn and gain access to external news.
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Internet costs for teen computer mentoring/education.
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Start-up funds for our Voices of the Batwa publication that will help the Batwa speak to the world and gain valuable experience for secondary school and college.
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Program costs for our amazing Ugandan staff, without whom we could not do what we do.
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Child sponsors donate $45 /mo; you get to write children and receive replies. Inquire!
Donate through our website, or mail a check to RSF, PO Box 876, Frisco, TX 75034. RSF is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.
You don’t need to wait until Nov 29, Giving Tuesday, to give. And stay tuned for GIVEAWAYS, Contests, Sales, and more this month! (Follow us on Instagram & Facebook).
To a future of new Batwa leaders!❤️
Wendee Nicole, RSF Founder & Director
Giving Tuesday 2022:
DONATE
Donate via Paypal through our Donate page, or mail a check or money order to the address listed in the footer below, and on our Contact us page.
Your US tax-deductible donations support innovative community projects in SW Uganda that empower communities, families, and individuals.
GET INVOLVED
Want to travel to Uganda and work among the Batwa? Let's talk about volunteering abroad. We will provide meals and training, you need to buy a plane ticket! Inquire today.
We also have many online volunteer opportunities. We have projects that can be done from anywhere in the world. We're looking for assistance with social media, blog and newsletter writing and design, data entry, grant writing, fundraising and nonprofit development! Email us!
OUR MISSION
We work with indigenous Batwa (more commonly known as "pygmies") just outside of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, which until 1991 was their forest homeland. Now they live in settlements at the edge of the park. For the past 3 years, we have worked mainly within Kalehe Village, creating a more sustainable community, with clean water, improved livelihoods through our artisan coop, and education for children.