The Journey Started in Portland Oregon

"No one speaks for me, I speak for myself"... was the statement that attracted me to apply for theVOF program of theWorld Pulse.

I needed to speak out, I needed to be heard, I needed to listen and hear kind and encouraging words from someone out there. This came at such a time when my family was going throughcatastrophe, year after year - HIV robbed us 8 siblings. Child birth robbed one. At this point in my life (2010/2011), I was searching for a solution to HIV in/formy community at the same time I was putting into consideration girls' education.

I applied to become a VOF fellow... I failed to go through among the best 30. They needed only 30 applicants. I was a first runner up. Sorry... a regret email came through....

Out of the blue, one of the 30 applicants pulled out....I become the 30th. That was a big surprise... so I took it up, trained along with the 29. My mentor in this program was Kat Haber. She was very supporting to me emotionally, socially, with encouraging words. In the same network, I met Ruth Beedle, another mentor in the network who has become more than a family to me, to-date.

Time came, an opportunity for speaking engagement across the United States for only 3 of the VOF fellows. The 2011 World Pulse LIVE speaking events where the selectedtalk about their experience participating in the online community and training program.I did not think I could get any close to this...Kat Haber would always tell me it was possible. How could I even believe this after being a runner-up of the selected 30?!

The selection was done....I was not among the three! Another regret email came through....I was a first runner-up. Do you ever believe that what God has ordained/prearranged no one can stop? Do you ever believe in the song "when Jesus says YES, no body can say NO"?

This is what happened...the third person pulled out... I became the third person! There came my second opportunity to sit in the plane and fly to the United States... Sarvina (Cambodia), Martha (Columbia) and I (Uganda) found ourselves inPortland, Oregon and were warmly welcomed by Jensine Larsen, the Founderof World Pulse, along with Ellen, Rachael, Jade, Scott, Kim, Vega, Breese,Ankur, Emily among others. In Portland I got to meet Anita, Julie, Maura, Barb, Susan and many more people supporting my vision to-date. We flew toDenver, Colorado; San Francisco, California; Washington, DC; and New York, New York, along with Jansine and WP team-1st to the 30th of October 2011.

Nan Crawford,Nan Crawford! The speaker coach, she is! Before we stepped any platform to speak in any of the audiences, Nan spent time to coach us; teach us speaking skills. You need Nan to speak your heart out!

Like I mentioned before, I had passion on HIV intervention but also in girls' education and empowerment. Nan asked me to choose one and focus on that. Jensine and her mama Carol Larsen took us aside for a moment to help us refine what we really needed to focus on.I ended upchoosingEducation. This is one major reason why we have Portland School in Amor Village.

I founded Pearl Community Empowerment Foundation - www.pce-foundation.org as a result, as soon asI returned to Uganda. Today, we are sponsoring and supporting 301 children and students(girls and boys) in nursery, primary, secondary and tertiary institutions.We have had some students already graduate in the fields of Adult and Community Education, Human Resource Management, Business Administration, Primary school teachers....very soon we will have a medical doctor, accountants, economists, secondary school teachers and development social workers graduate at a go. There's just so much to say about our programs. We encourage you to visit our website :)

There has been lots of achievements and lessons, with a lot of patience, persistence, perseverance and progress at the same time. We have received and continue to receive countless and priceless support from the World Pulse family, networks and platform. I have met some of the kindest people on earth, through World Pulse. Thank you everyone supporting our work! I came to know you all, because the vision got into action through World Pulse.

I am very thankful to you Jensine Larsen and the World Pulse at large. Had it not been this platform;I would have never moved this selfless life direction;perhaps I would have never supported these many people or so many more people all my life; I wouldn't have been connected with the wonderful, kind and very supportive people around the world today; I wouldn't have my voice louder out there like it is today; having lost 9 siblings, the three of us together with our mama would be less happier, comforted, cared for, loved than we feel today.

Additionally, I would like to thank the American family who supported my education and dream, alongside my family, especially my mother. I believe I would never come across World Pulse if I never knew how to use the internet, read and write. It was through their gift of education that I am giving back the gift of education to girls and young people who are as helpless as I was 17 years ago.

I am forever grateful for what I do with my life, it's far beyond giving educational support. I am because you are and because God is in this journey with us. Thank you again!