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Oryem traveled to Tanzania to attend Rachael and Alfred's graduation. Unfortunately, Rachael's mother has been in the hospital and was unable to sign the forms required to graduate. Rachael sent me this note, along with her testimony of God's plan and timing: Understandably, after studying together for years, it was a disappointment for Alfred as well to not graduate with Rachael. I am grateful for the comradery they both share and pray that Rachael will be able to graduate in June. Thank you all for your donations and support! Destiny

Dear Kevin - I am thrilled to be able to inform you that you have been awarded a Deaf Dream scholarship! Congratulations! This scholarship will provide funding for your tuition, books, and examinations for your undergrad program. (Funding for degree-specific internships require approval from The Deaf Dream on a case-by-case basis.) We are excited that you are looking to study the architecture business as you are focused on employing and empowering others in your Rwandan Deaf community. You have past Deaf Dreamers as your examples. Being a Deaf Dreamer is not just about you getting a degree for yourself, but for others in your community. I am blessed each day for the scholarships I was given to gain an education. My hope and prayer is that you will treasure this scholarship and use it to bless the lives of those around you! Below I have included more information about the scholarship, including the requirements associated with this scholarship. Again, congratulations my friend, Destiny Yarbro Founder | President The Deaf Dream NPO www.thedeafdream.org Dear Destiny. Thank you for your response to my Application. My response. I will help Deaf Community in Skills training. In Building and Architect drawing. They earn money in drawing Building plans, Bill of Quantity planning. This earn money a lot. The deaf live on their own and support family members. My dream to become Architect is: Study Bricklaying and Concrete Practice/CAD-BIM. (BCP/CAD-BIM). Course is 2 years, six months. (5 Semesters). I will Learn Building Construction and Technical Drawing using CAD-BIM (Architectural Drawing). I begin drawing Building plans and make Bill of Quantity. I open company that special in CAD-BIM, I form my group of builders and get contracts for building houses. Tuition: I not yet picked admission from school, but Esther informed me am admitted. Esther also informed that tuition for BCP/CAD-BIM Course is 195,000, But fess for Tuition, Exams, Training materials is RWF 365,160 Tuition: RWF 195,000 Examination: RWF 13,160 Training materials: RWF157,000 Is the answers okay? Thank you. I'm Kevin. Kevin's reply a few days ago when he received the scholarship: Thank you to all who donate! Truly, we have been able to sponsor 18 Deaf Dreamers largely on $20-$100 donations. I am grateful everyday for each of you! Destiny

My last posts about Phina were of her graduation and her receiving of a sewing machine from other Deaf Dreamers in Uganda. Oryem sent me an update on Phina's sewing business! On the way back from Rwanda to attend Esther and Bonny's graduation, Oryem was chose to take an alternate route to see Phina: Dear Destiny, I hope you and your family are fine. Greetings to all the sponsors for facilitating my journey to Rwanda. It was full of great experience as mentioned in my previous email. I landed back in Entebbe well, but before I could board the Bus Back direct to Gulu, I thought of taking the Eastern Route so I could pass by and say hi to Phina. Phina was finally able to gather some little funds to start her Business. She started her business in September 2023, three months after we gave her the machine. Just a month after she started her business, the building where she was operating needed some renovation she was informed of the changes, but as she was transporting her machine, a speeding motorcycle hit them and the machine got broken. Phina said she also sustained some injuries but later on got healed. Thank God Phina had partnered with other colleagues to open the business. One deaf girl and one hearing girl Currently, they are using two sewing machines. By the time I reached their site this morning, they were preparing to take the machine for welding. Phina is already training one deaf girl in Tailoring. They're having two interns at their Business sites. And they are planning on opening a group Bank account where they will be saving their earnings. In the photos, you will see their products. Their plan is to work together as a team up to Feb next year. And then distribute their savings amongst themselves so that each one of them shall be able open her own business. These are the few information I can give you about Phina for now. Thank you. Oryem.

This post has been updated. See graduation photos below. Destiny, Am excited to inform you that I have been chosen and invited to attend a 5 day Leadership Course in Uganda's Capital, Kampala. The training began on Sept 11 and ending on Sept 17. This is a School program and I will be awarded a Certificate for it. After successful completion of the program, we shall be examined and the best participants selected for another regional course In Nairobi, Kenya. Thank you, Oryem Oryem sent me an update of photos from the conclusion of their training!

This post was updated on Jan 2, 2024 with photos of the donations below. I received this email from Deaf In Action, the organization Jerry set up after graduating from university in Uganda. Dear Great Friends, Receive our sincere greetings. With great pleasure. We would like to inform you that our tools from Tools With A Mission have arrived in Uganda, from UK. (See details in the attached Gift Certificate) These tools, as earlier on Stated, shall be used to provide skills training to the Deaf and other young people. Our plan is to set up the training center and begin with the training Next Year. We are picking these tools this month. We can't wait to see you visit us this month as we bring these machines from Mindset Uganda (a partner to Tools With A Mission). Kind regards. Jerry and Oryem I received an update from Oryem! Deaf In Action just received an assortment of Skills Training Tools from Tools With A Mission through Mindset Development Organization. We picked up these tools on 02 Oct 2023, in the morning from TWAM warehouse in Entebbe, Uganda. These tools shall help us in skilling the young people in Tailoring and Fashion Design, Knitting and Business Skills. These trainees shall be examined by the Directorate of Industrial Training, and be awarded with Certificates upon completion of their 9 months training. We thank everyone who contributed towards these achievement. Kind regards. Oryem

I received an email from Oryem this month about his internship in Uganda! Dear Destiny, Good morning to you? Yesterday, I forgot to inform you about my internship. It ended well, on Aug. 1 Friday 2023, and am ready for Next Semester. Being in a Health Facility. I learnt a lot. Not just, Information Systems but Medical Skills too. I learnt about HIV Testing and Counseling, Managing Measles/Rubella outbreak, and so much more. The attached are photos when we were being trained on HIV TESTING and that of the end of Internship. Thank you for your support. Regards, Oryem. I replied to his email with the following: I cannot wait to share these photos with our donors. Truly, I am thrilled that you have been able to take part in this internship. You use all you learn for good; to bless and lift up others so we are cheering for you!

I received an email from Oryem last month with an update on his studies! Thank you Destiny, for all you have done for Phina, and all of us in Uganda and South Sudan. I personally appreciate all your efforts and can't forget the great offer by The Deaf Dream and the Sponsors. Just to let you know, we are also grateful for Kelai's Graduation this year. It is through your support that all these things are happening. I'm beginning my end of Semester exams in Mid June, I have also been accepted for my Internship in a Hospital (at Layibi Techo Health Center III) which will run for two months. Please send my greetings to your family and tell them that The Deaf Dreamers do appreciate all their supports towards The Deaf Dream/Dreamers. Thank you, Wishing a great day. Oryem.

Scovia and her family have been living in a refugee camp ever since their forced removal from South Sudan. Oryem sent me this email sharing of their miracle! Dear Destiny, How are you doing today? Like I told you last time, Scovia’s mother invited me to their currently new temporary home in Uganda. The reason for her invitation was to let me know the location of their new home, and to know other family members, together with the friend who offered them a land for temporary settlement. Scovia’s mum has been hawking [wares] in Nimule (Uganda-Southern Sudan border) District to help acquire some money to cater for other fees for Scovia. This has not been easy since she had to rent a house to stay in, while in Uganda. Her colleague and friend offered them a small piece of land (Approximately 30X40mtrs), so they can construct their “Ot Lum” local name for Grass thatched House. As you will see in the attached photos, there are some bundled dry “spear grasses” (Lum Obiya) that has been cut from the Bush using a Sickle, to thatch a hut. (You will also see a round mud and wattle wall). That is exactly where Monica and Mum will be staying while they are still in Uganda. About 70% of people in Gulu still live in grass thatched houses, including me. In the short video clip, you will see the close up of the mud and wattle wall and the surrounding of their new home. You will also see Scovia seated with her brother, standing her mother and Step Dad. The old man in Blue Trousers and the Old woman with yellowish Beads Necklace are the friends who offered them the land. May God bless them. The children you see in the video are for the family who offered them the land. It was an exciting moment with everybody. I had to take time and take photos with everyone as all of them wanted a photo shot with me. They appreciated The Deaf Dream so much for their decision towards sponsoring Scovia. Everyone wanted to see your photos. I had download one of your photos to show them. In one of the Photos, you will see the old man trying to pick my phone from Scovia to see your photo. They blessed you through the Photo. They also asked God to bless you for your great work. They even paid for my return transport. I pray that one day you have the chance to come to Uganda and you experience such moments in person. Thank you and good evening!

Bena applied to us in June of 2022 with a follow-up video in October and a yet another follow-up email in May of this year. I had to let her know that due to limited funding we are only able to sustain two scholarships per country at a time and so she would have to wait until the graduation of one of the other Ugandan students for her turn. So with the graduation of Phina, we were finally able to award Bena with our 17th Deaf Dream scholarship!! Yesterday, I wrote to let Bena know: Dear Bena - I am thrilled to be able to inform you that you have been awarded a Deaf Dream scholarship! Congratulations! This scholarship will provide funding for your tuition, books, and examinations for your undergrad program. (Funding for degree-specific internships require approval from The Deaf Dream on a case-by-case basis.) We are excited that you are looking to study tailoring and fashion design business as you are focused on employing and empowering others in your Deaf community. You have past Deaf Dreamers as your examples. Being a Deaf Dreamer is not just about you getting a degree solely for yourself, but for others in your community. I am blessed each day for the scholarships I was given to gain an education. My hope and prayer is that you will treasure this scholarship and use it to bless the lives of those around you! Below I have included more information about the scholarship, including the requirements associated with this scholarship. Again, congratulations my friend, Destiny Yarbro Founder | President The Deaf Dream NPO www.thedeafdream.org Within a matter of hours, I received Bena's reply: Dear Destiny, This is my best news I will go and pick my acceptance letter from school today. I'm so excited. May God bless you all from Deaf Dream Organization. Thank you. Bena. Congratulations Bena! We are so excited for your journey and to support your dream of a college education!

After years of schooling and years of delays due to Covid, Phina was finally able to have a GRADUATION! Dear, dear sponsors - I have been working on creating a video of her journey to graduation. You can view it here: Each of you participated in her dream and helped her obtain an education that will help her support herself and, one day, others in her Deaf community. Phina's story is one of what I imagine Zion will be like. So many people came together to help her graduate: Jerry (another Deaf Dreamer) and his organization, Deaf In Action, that fundraised for food and the best graduation gift!! (see video above) Ogony Catholic Church in Gulu who gathered sugar, soap, sanitary pads, and other necessities Minakulu Technical Institute for providing free accommodations and electing Phina for a special internship during the Covid shut-down Ms. Akello Lillian, Deputy Director of Studies, who safely picked up and submitted our tuition donations to the school Kelai Moses and other Deaf Dreamers who stepped up to support and protect Phina and raised money for her graduation gift. Most especially, Oryem who alerted me to Phina's severe food needs, got permission from the government during Covid to deliver food to her, served as a trustworthy representative for The Deaf Dream during extremely dangerous times for Phina, travelled to her graduation, delivered the graduation gift, sent me videos, etc. etc. etc. (Too many services to list in a small email; he truly is a miracle worker.) I received an email from Oryem on 18 May 2023. Yet again, Oryem volunteered to travel to the graduation in my place and celebrate Phina's special day with her. I am so grateful for ALL he does! Dear Destiny. It all went well at Phina's Graduation today! I travelled and attended her graduation. She was so so excited!!! She wished you were there to celebrate with her in person. She has been waiting for this particular moment for a long time. However, we couldn't hand over the sewing machine to her because we lack the materials to accompany the Machine for starting up her business. However, I promised to her that we (Team from Deaf In Action) shall visit her from home soon. By the way, she still doesn't know that we have her sewing machine!!! You can also watch the graduation videos of our other Deaf Dreamers here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6c-Gz7XraJ8&list=PLT8EEcRhL9e3do_nCZRp9pWUJc5DJ-EsF&index=2 Thank you, each of you, who donated $10 here and $20 there. When an entire semester of school is only a few hundred dollars, your donations make a huge difference!! With a heart brimming with joy and gratitude today, - Destiny