Empowering the village of Bukidiya through charitable, literary and educational initiatives.
It all started with a friendship.
In 2024, a chance Uber ride in Kansas City became the catalyst for what would become a meaningful friendship and international partnership. Leslie Hogan met Kennedy Wangolobe, who was working as an Uber driver while living in Kansas City. During their conversation, Kennedy shared his background as a native of the Bukidiya village in Uganda, and spoke about his community's challenges and aspirations and his faith in God.
Moved by Kennedy's dedication to his home village and his strong faith, Leslie invited him to a family dinner—a simple gesture that marked the beginning of a lasting friendship. These frequent dinners became a forum for learning about Bukidiya's specific needs: limited access to proper clothing and supplies, inadequate educational resources, and healthcare challenges that affected daily life in the village.
These dinner conversations have evolved into a focused mission to bridge resources and relationships between Kansas City and Bukidiya. Our organization now serves as a direct link between these two communities, facilitating targeted support and sustainable development initiatives.
Today, we work closely with Bukidiya's community leaders to:
Provide essential resources like housing, food and employment
Implement locally-guided development projects within the village
Educational initiatives
Foster cultural exchange between our communities
Through this unique partnership, we're demonstrating how personal connections can transform into effective, grassroots international development. Our story continues to evolve, but our foundation remains the same: a genuine friendship that grew into a bridge between continents.
Mary’s Hope
Mary's Hope is named in honor of three-year-old Mary Neumbe, a Bukidiyan villager whose extraordinary courage and bright spirit inspired our founding mission. Mary lived with xeroderma pigmentosum (XP), a rare genetic condition that caused painful sores and extreme sensitivity to sunlight, ultimately leading to blindness in one eye and partial vision loss in the other. When her condition progressed to cancer, Mary's Hope provided a safe haven for Mary and her devoted mother Beatrice during her treatment in Uganda, surrounding them with love, care, and dignity. Though Mary peacefully passed away due to complications from chemotherapy, her legacy of resilience in the face of unimaginable challenges continues to guide our mission. Her memory lives on through every family we help, every safe home we provide, and every child whose burden we help lighten, reminding us that even in life's darkest moments, hope can flourish when communities come together to support one another.