Humanitarian Efforts

I was honored to lead a team of visionaries on a mission to Uganda, a country afflicted by disease, poverty, famine, and war. My mission was in support of Clovis Ategeka and his nonprofit organization, VisionForce Uganda (VFU). Knowing that the power to transcend and prosper lies in knowledge and education, Clovis envisions a Uganda where Ugandans play a role in their own self-empowerment.

My team had the opportunity to assist in fulfilling Clovis's vision by creating, furnishing, and equipping his Internet café, "Vision Café". Vision Café offers services at subsidized prices, and acts as a source of supporting funds for VFU. VFU teaches vision, leadership, and entrepreneurial skills to the youth, giving them the tools and inspiration to create immediate and ongoing change in their lives, and the confidence to create their own jobs after graduation. VFU operates under one principle — with vision, we shall succeed!

The Vision Café Mission Statement (click to expand) »

Our mission is to connect Ugandans to the global social community and to support their efforts of self-empowerment. With knowledge, education, and information comes wealth, prosperity, freedom, choice, mobility, inspiration, independence, empowerment, abundance, and more resourcefulness.

As Ugandans gain access to more visionary tools, it's just a matter of time before that spills out onto the rest of the world, allowing them to be even bigger examples and role models for themselves, their families, their co-workers, their community, country, and the rest of the world. This is about the bigger global picture. Their strength and prosperity benefits us all.

With empowered focus we will begin to see a decrease in HIV/AIDS, disease, poverty, famine, war, crime, addictions, fear, and terrorism...and we will begin to see elevated levels of unity, acceptance, appreciation for diversity, leadership, peace, service, celebration, love, compassion, fulfillment, trust, faith, permission, self-esteem, gratitude, and prosperity.

It is all about connection. We are all interconnected. Pooling our resources innately creates more opportunities and possibilities for everyone. We welcome your support with our mission. Thank you for your kindness and generosity.

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Learn more about VisionForce Uganda: www.visionforceuganda.org

Watch Michael's Work in Action

Our journey to Uganda saw us working toward the grand opening of the Vision Café, holding workshops for the local VFU students, and visiting the village of Bushenyi (the hometown of one of our team members, Moses Bekunda). Watch our documentary film, VisionForce: Uganda, to learn more about our team's contribution and the reality of life in Uganda.

• The raising of $32,771.42 – $3,171.42 over goal!
• The donation of ten computers, one Visionary Mind Program, one 3-in-1 fax machine, one photocopy machine, two printers, and indoor and outdoor furniture
• The complete renovation of the interior and exterior of the Vision Café
• The purchasing and posting of advertising signage for the Vision Café
• The purchasing of VisionForce Uganda's website, and the employment of VFU students to build the site
• The outfitting of the office with the tools and supplies necessary for startup
• The pre-payment of four months' rent for the Vision Café
• The shooting of 28 hours of raw footage, including personal interviews with VFU students, for an upcoming documentary about Uganda
• The delivery of "Shoes of Hope" to orphanage and street children in Jinja
• The execution of a multimedia press event for the grand opening of the Vision Café
• The leading of six entrepreneurial leadership workshops for the Kampala community
• The leading of a meeting with Community Development Association of Uganda (a human rights organization), and the donating of funds to the organization
• Meeting with Kamwokya Community Health and Environmental Protection Agency to provide moral support and to brainstorm ideas in the area of operation
• The allocating of raised funds in support of as many VFU related businesses and individuals as possible

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Letters of Appreciation to Contributors

Michael Blomsterberg's Letter of Appreciation to Contributors

Clovis Ategeka's Letter of Appreciation to Contributors

Saidi Semakula's Letter of Appreciation to Contributors

Mission to Uganda: Ongoing Efforts

• Michael is engaged in ongoing communication via phone as well as Internet in support of VisionForce Uganda students' visions and projects.
• The VFU students are now adapting and implementing the tools and techniques they learned in Michael's workshops (accountability, communication, networking, collaboration, pooling resources), which is providing a synergy that serves as the foundation for the students to propel themselves into their dreams.
• Michael continues to inspire the VFU students by sending them empowering books and tools.
• Many of the VFU students are now more present and living their lives' purposes. Their bigger picture and why to live has awakened and become clearer.
• Michael continues to provide resourceful online opportunities to VFU students, including technological support sites, international program sites, microfinance organization sites, charity badge sites, and executive education sites to further their knowledge.
• The Uganda documentary is currently in postproduction. The intention of the film is to raise the level of awareness of Michael's vision in the world, to provide greater opportunities and resources for future missions, and to provide ongoing support of future VFU endeavors.

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Working with Other Organizations

As you can see, we accomplished a great deal on our mission, and I am grateful for each and every one of you who contributed to this amazing venture. I can't wait until I return again to expand on what we've already begun to build in Kampala, Uganda. Even though we've since returned to our familiar and comfortable lives, we can continue our efforts to bring hope and self-empowerment to those in need through these other outstanding organizations:

VisionForce Uganda (click to expand) »

VisionForce Uganda (VFU) is a learning center in Kampala, Uganda that teaches vision, leadership, and entrepreneurial skills to the youth. VFU supplies the tools and inspiration for local youth to create an immediate and ongoing change in their own lives. Visit www.visionforceuganda.org for more information.

The Shoes of Hope Initiative (click to expand) »

Art Miles Mural Project's Shoes of Hope is an interactive initiative that spreads inspiration around the world. Donated shoes painted by community Peace Paint Ambassadors are shipped internationally to children in need. In combining the practicality of shoes with emotional, passionate messages; lives are changed, and hope is spread. Visit www.artmiles.org for more information on Shoes of Hope.

MercyLine (click to expand) »

MercyLine is an independent, indigenous, non-political, non-governmental organization with a primary mission to provide education to poor, disadvantaged, and neglected orphans whose parents have died of HIV/AIDS, and to help their families overcome poverty and hopelessness in Uganda through helping them initiate sustainable, income-generating projects. Visit www.mercyline.org for more information.