Meeting Simon Okello is a breath of fresh air. He is loved by children at all of our Uganda CarePoints for his lightheartedness, compassion, advocacy, and many many jokes.
He has been working with Children’s HopeChest for over seven years and is Uganda’s Sponsorship and Communications Manager. In this position Simon gets to know the most vulnerable children in Uganda’s CarePoint communities and manages the processes of children joining and exiting the sponsorship program.
Simon also coordinates communication between sponsors and their sponsored children and is quick to defend the monumental impact of letter writing.
In this month’s “Build Relationships. Break Poverty.” episode, Simon shares numerous insights from nearly a decade of working hand-in-hand with some of the most vulnerable children in Uganda.
Have you ever been curious about what criteria is used to determine if a child is right for HopeChest’s sponsorship program? Or what your letters truly mean to your friend overseas? Or what factors determine if a child/young adult is ready to “graduate” from sponsorship?
In addition to learning from Simon’s answers to these questions, we know that you will also be blessed by Simon’s heart for fiercely advocating for children in Uganda.
“I have been blessed to profile these children when they are at a point of hopelessness and don’t have hope, and they are at a point now where they can confess that their future is bright. That is enough to tell you that their thinking is positive about the future. Before sponsorship, they looked at themselves like they’re failures, nobody loves them, they don’t have any future, but with the sponsorship program, it just helps them to redefine their destiny. And I see a generation of hope. The way they think, the way they confess, the way they act, the way they pray explains everything – that transformation has taken place in their life. ” Simon Okello
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ABOUT THE HOST
Sitting in the interviewer’s seat is Rick Wright, Vice President of Marketing and Business Development. Rick supports and partners with the President and CEO and HopeChest board members on all major fundraising initiatives. He is also responsible for donor acquisition and retention and oversees the strategic marketing direction of the organization. In a past life, Rick was a spokesman for major Christian radio interviews, performed live on-site radio voice for inner-city ministry initiatives, and did voice over for radio television spots.
ABOUT THE GUEST
Simon Okello is Uganda’s Sponsorship and Communications Manager. In this position Simon manages the processes of children joining and exiting the sponsorship program and coordinates communication and letter writing within sponsorship. Simon speaks five languages, has the best jokes, and is a fierce advocate for vulnerable children in Uganda. We are thankful for over seven years of his expertise, insight, and spirit-filled work.
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“Build Relationships. Break Poverty.” is a podcast that challenges the Western perception of international poverty by elevating the voices of local leaders and processing how we can help to alleviate poverty without harming those living in vulnerable communities.
You can download and subscribe to “Build Relationships. Break Poverty.” here:
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