Meet my beautiful friend

Running & Painting: 67 Days of Hope

On a recent trip to Uganda, I had the incredible privilege of meeting a young woman. During our visit, we spent time with a remarkable organization called RUHU – Raising Up Hope for Uganda.

My beautiful friend’s story is one of resilience, hope, and the power of community. At just 3 years old, she was found abandoned on the side of the street. RUHU took her in, gave her a home, a family, and the chance to dream of a future.

Now 19 years old, she has graduated high school — an amazing achievement in itself — and she dreams of becoming a teacher. She wants to give back, to inspire and educate children just like her. But right now, there's a big hurdle: there is no funding for her to attend university.

As I sat sketching her radiant smile, I thought, “What can I do, from my little corner of the world, to help make this happen?” That moment sparked an idea.

So, I’ve decided to run every day for 67 days while I work on a painting of Rebecca—a tribute to her strength, spirit, and future.