12 days of Christmas: a chance To Give Back
Hello Everyone!
I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving! I was listening to one of my favorite podcasts recently, "Inspired" by Simon Guillebaud, when the guy being interviewed said something that moved me. . . He asked himself this question: “How can we be on the mission as a family?” (Sidenote: If you’re sitting there like, “What the heck is ‘on the mission as a family?’, that’s just fancy Christian talk for reaching others for Christ as a family.) We do our best, as do all families, but I was thinking…is there any way we could stretch ourselves just a little bit further? That’s when I thought…you (talking to myself) could totally use some of the sales from your art to raise awareness for the needs in Burundi! Most people haven’t heard of Burundi, but I’ll fill you in. It’s a little country in Eastern Africa right underneath Rwanda (and yes, with the same genocide history). I worked there for almost a year in my twenties teaching English, training teachers, and teaching 2nd grade. It was one of the most difficult yet treasured times in my life. I consider this experience a huge privilege as it has forever changed my life, my perspective, the way I raise my children, and my values as a person. It is an experience for which I am and will be forever grateful.
Here I am way back in the day, a dreamer in my twenties, just trying to make a change in the world.
This Christmas, I would consider it an honor to be able to give back just a little bit that was given to me. One of my favorite organizations that is on the ground in Burundi is called Great Lakes Outreach (GLO). It has many different parts that all focus on the development of the people by training and funding sustainable projects to transform lives. They give relief to the hungry by providing food and training farmers in sustainable farming methods. They help build homes for orphans and widows. They give scholarships to allow children to go to school. They train business leaders to build up the economy. These examples are just a sliver of how GLO empowers Burundians. For every painting in my “12 Days Of Christmas” series sold, 25% off the proceeds will be donated to GLO and also matched by an anonymous donor when given before 2024. I will release one painting a day for 12 days on my website and via social media. I’m so excited to not only bring a little beauty and color to your home but also to the lives of the lovely and generous people of Burundi, Africa.
