Love banana bread? Feeling the holiday spirit and wanting to give-back? Are you a reader from Vancouver, B.C.? If you answered yes to those questions, you’re in luck because our annual “LOaVEs for the Holidays” Fundraiser is back!

Hey Vancouverites!

Over the years, Leung and I have been baking banana bread to help Barb build her orphanage in Jinja, Uganda. This is our 7th year helping with this project, and we are so excited to finally be take our baking to several holiday markets happening in Vancouver in December!

This project is super close to our hearts because we know Barb in-person throughout all these years, and have really seen the orphanage grow and expand. Every year, they are building more facilities and housing more orphans, and hearing Barb talk about her stays in Uganda brings me to tears and reminds me how overwhelmingly blessed we are to be living in the country we do, and grow up in the environment we are in, and that we should never take anything for granted. Sometimes, I talk with her on the phone and she would tell me stories that are so far-fetched from our reality that I cannot even understand how a world like that exists beyond the borders of what we know. Nothing- and I mean nothing- that we are struggling with can even compare to the atrocities, pain, and suffering of the things happening that don’t even make it to the news because they are so tragic, and so horrifying that it would shake all of our hearts so fiercely, and the world would seem completely, unjustifiably hopeless.

Sometimes everything can seem to look hopeless and that there is nothing we can do about these issues that are so much bigger than we can ever imagine, but something is always better than nothing. We have so much, and yet every day we complain about the littlest inconveniences and forget to see everything that we do have present in our lives, whether it be a roof on our head, friends and family to take care of, or our own health. It’s easy to get wrapped up in our own bubbles in a go-go-go paced society where everyone is battling our own struggles and difficulties, but when we really look around and see and listen to other people’s stories and their struggles, that’s when we can truly realize how incredibly lucky we are and how minuscule our daily problems are.

Baking banana bread… it isn’t much, but it’s the people like you who are willing to help us make this project happen and you are the people who really bring this project to life, and I’d say it’s 100% worth every late-night planning and baking session, clothing smelling like banana bread for days on end, and transforming my basement into a mini banana farm.

What is the cause?

Jaaja Barb’s Home of Angels is a non-profit organization partnering with the Kuwasha International Development Society in Canada and is a registered Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) in Jinja, Uganda, East Africa.  Certificate of registration is No. 13158, issued by the National Board of Non-Governmental Organizations, Kampala, Uganda.

Established 9 years ago by Barb Giraud residing in Canada and Edwin Lufafa, in Jinja, Uganda.  Barb and Edwin have built this home solely to house orphans who are in desperate need.  These vulnerable children are alone, some living with HIV/AIDS and in acute poverty.  It is their intention to house, educate and protect them.

If you’d like to read more about the Home of Angels, please read more here.

Where will the funds go?

All net donations to purchase a loaf of banana bread will be directly given to Barb to support her cause. Since this is not a government-funded charity nor are there staff members, 100% of the money given to Barb is directly put toward her the Home of Angels.

How does this work?

1.) Find us at any of the markets listed above! We will be there sharing Barb’s story and selling our loaves!

2.) Don’t want to be disappointed in case we sell out? Pre-order your loaves for pick-up by filling a google form here.

3.) Not in Vancouver to grab a loaf but still would love to donate? Wow, you are amazing! E-transfer to our email at radiantrachels[at]gmail.com

4.) Spread the word!

Well, that’s it for our exciting announcement today folks! If you have any ideas, comments, or questions for us, please don’t hesitate to contact us via e-mail or in the comments below! We will get back to you as quick as we can 🙂

Lots of love,

Rachel Chew & Rachel Leung