As a nurse, public health activist, and practitioner, I have witnessed some of the worst forms of human degradation. From Bangkok's red light districts to Lake Volta's islands, women and children showed me their broken hearts and scars.  After sharing these stories with people, I often am asked, “How can you not lose hope when you see such immense suffering?”  The answer is simple.  The answer is because of you.

I met Emmanuel, pictured above, while traveling to Ghana with Touch A life in 2009. When the women and children, just like Emmanuel, on Lake Volta would run to me and embrace me and I would look into their eyes and kiss their faces, I never forgot for a moment where they had come from.  Their hope, their joy, their laughter, their dreams, their very life was a miracle in itself.  They were products of someone’s great mercy and compassion.  Some human, somewhere, made it possible for them to be free…to sleep in a bed with a full belly and wake for school each day. Some human made it possible for them to feel safe, loved, and wanted.  And that is why I do not lose hope when I see injustice.  Someone, somewhere is making justice possible every day.  And I am very grateful for that someone.  I am very grateful for you.

We are thrilled to announce a new arm of Touch A Life's work in Ghana, West Africa: Agents of Change. We have always believed in the transformational power of story, and the young adults in our program are ready to use their stories to create change in their local communities in Ghana. Now that they have graduated from college, they will use their skills, testimonies, and hearts for service to bring support to communities that need it most. By partnering with local organizations to provide training and supplies for critically-needed areas, like water purification, reproductive health, and vocational opportunities, our Agents of Change will create positive impacts for years to come.

• $50 provides menstrual cups for three women at Agent of Change's health clinics
• $100 provides reusable pads for 250 young girls and women at the health clinics
• $500 provides transportation for our Agents to the community outreach events
• $1,000 mobilizes two Agents of Change in Touch A Life's program
• $2,000 mobilizes four Agents of Change in Touch A Life's program
• $3,000 purchases the borehole needed to dig water wells for communities in need