How it all began…
My name is Emily Mingledorff and I run a baking blog called Pie Crust and Pixie Dust. In 2019, I received a message through social media from the Director of Ugandaview Orphanage in jinja, Uganda, Nambagi Moses. The message from “Moses” indicated that he saw the baked goods on the Pie Crust and Pixie Dust Instagram page, and wanted to see if we would teach their school how to bake cookies over FaceTime. Frankly, my initial reaction was that this message was simply a scam. In fact to challenge this “scammer,” I responded by requesting a FaceTime call to see these so-called students, and really zero in on the situation at hand. To my shock, on the other end of our FaceTime call were over 200 children singing and dancing, beyond excited to connect with someone from across the globe.
After several months of daily calls and FaceTime baking sessions, my husband Chris and I set off to Ugandaview Orphanage in Africa to bring baking supplies, educational materials, and to conduct baking classes. Our goal was to teach the students how to bake well enough to sell cookies and earn money for their education. And while our time on the ground in Uganda was extremely productive, it became increasingly clear that in order for these students to have a realistic chance at a prosperous future, there was an enormous amount of work to be done moving forward.
Shortly following our arrival back into the United States, my husband and I teamed up with my sister, Barbara Lee Black, and mother, Barbara Graham to start the Will to Good Foundation. This 501c(3) was established in order to help vulnerable school populations around the world become sustainable through skills training, farming, business education, and community partnership. These sustainable practices increase resources flow within schools, improve the health and safety of students, and drastically increase the probability young students will continue their education past their primary school years.
Since the start of the Will to Good Foundation, Uganaview Orphanage has established itself into a leading primary school and orphanage in Jinja. The school now has a farming operation complete with cows, chickens, goats, and crops. These agricultural resources have provided skill mastery, as well as income and nutrition, carrying the student population at Ugandaview through the Coronavirus pandemic and beyond. Additionally, the school recently opened the Mzungu Market and Bakery, a local bakery and food store which has served as a steady source of income. This income is fundamentally shifting the culture of the school from one of reliability, to one of sustainability. The same cultural shift we hope to achieve in other schools around the world with your partnership and generosity.
Thank you for your support,
Emily Mingledorff
