Most of us sell on eBay for a profit. Some do it as a full time living while others as a side income.
Nancy sells on eBay to save children’s lives.
Building an eBay business is hard, you need to overcome many obstacles, sometimes fight windmills, deal with upset customers and the list goes on.
Working on this post helped me put all of these struggles into perspective – for some people even having an internet access is a luxury beyond reach.
Nancy is a CrazyLister user, she contacted our support, asking for help with her account.
Below is the story behind Nancy’s small eBay business –
Selling on eBay to save lives – as told by Nancy
If someone had told me while I was in hospice in 2000 that my future included orphans and widows in Kasese, Uganda of Africa, I would have laughed. But it did. While my cancer is currently stable, I am fighting for life on another level.
I will leave the explanation of how my relationship with Baluku Robert started for another time. Let me begin with his own story as written about 3 years ago. He struggles with English, but has made tremendous progress.
A note from Balulu Robert of Voice of the Orphans, also known as Nancy’s Hope:
Greetings from your brother in Kasese Uganda.
In March 2013, I was walking to church I saw children collecting rotten food and scraps to eat or sell. They were fighting. I called them together and asked what their problems were. They said that they were orphans, very hungry orphans, who had nowhere to sleep and no one who cared. Two were young teens, but most small children, almost babies.
I drew them close and prayed with them. I asked God for a miracle. Then I told the children to come again the next day.
When they came I explained that I am an orphan like them. My father was killed during the recent war. My mother left with four children, me being the oldest who was struggling to finish high school which required money and uniforms.
I told them my life changed in every way after meeting Mrs. Nancy through the internet via the Media Global Missions. She saved all our lives because my own family was starving to death. When I finished telling the story of my life, the children got hope that maybe one day God will also change their lives for the better.
The next day I had a dream of starting a school for the orphans with a secure place to sleep and eat. The children were very happy. What started as a handful of orphans has now grown to 35 boys and 21 girls.
As word is spreading, more and more little children are coming and I don’t know where to turn. (note: it has grown now to nearly 100 and more coming almost daily.)
Mrs. Nancy keeps helping but so far the school is little more than a dream because we must feed the children. They are being watched for by widows in the church who are very poor themselves. So far we have been able to feed them a little and provide mattresses outside the huts for them to sleep. Friends, we are so grateful for any help. We see the same sky as you and share the same awesome God.
Hunger hurts.
hungry children in Africa
Note: in early days, Baluku walked miles to the one public accessible internet connection in Kasese, stood in long lines for a turn, paid high fees to send an email. It was such a blessing to supply him with a camera, computer, and printer. This has solved the difficult problem of communication.
Nancy’s Story:
When I was 14 years of age, I felt a strong calling to missions. At the time I thought my field might be China. After later serving as a summer missionary in western states to native Americans in 1964, God gave me clarity about missions. THE FIELD IS THE WORLD.
Over fifty years ago, I married Hiram Kelly, a godly man, who captured my heart. He has supported me in every way. Until retiring a second time, my profession was to be either an administrator, principal, and /or teacher in six schools in several southern states.
What lay ahead for me was a continuing life and death battle with cancer. You can read about that journey beginning at http://www.angelfire.com/bc/nancykelly and continued until 2012 at https://www.thelivinglady.blogspot.co.il/
. That story is now a book, “Journal of a Living Lady.”
This was Baluku’s family made just before I met him:
Baluku’s family
The more I got to know Robert and his family, I admired his longing for a high school education and desire to be a teacher or maybe doctor. It wasn’t to be as it was miles to the school and his family needed him. Money was also a factor as high school isn’t free there and required tuition and uniforms. This isn’t a high priority when your family is starving.
Eventually, with the help of a couple of friends, we were able to allow the mother to purchase a tiny plot of land next to the modest place they called home. He and his mother, Jenny, worked the little land and planted a few crops, enough to keep them from starving to death during growing season. I reminded him that he should be sure to share any gleanings left in the garden with the others who were so poor near-by. That he did. But the children kept coming, hungry children, homeless children. There was nowhere for them to live or no way to keep feeding them. A few widows, themselves desperately poor, began to take care of children. Robert was left with the burden of helping the widows pay rent for bare shelter as well as mattresses left outside.
There are no jobs in Kasese. For short while, he pulled a buggy for tourists, but that job didn’t last. All the while he kept expanding his vision. He longed for a school for the children and a place to stay. I tried to encourage him, reminding him to be realistic. He had no job. He had to drop out of school himself, yet his vision remained steady. He asked for advice of how to start and I told him he needed a committee. He did as I asked. The committee were as enthusiastic but poor as he was. With my struggle to find anyone who cared enough to help, the friends and I were able to give enough money to purchase a small plot of land for the future orphanage/school. His faith was much stronger than mine. He wanted to begin the project, but had no building. He also had no source of water for the school. The government would not give the school a license because there was no latrine. Obstacle after obstacle occurred. Finally, he and the committee were able to get up a couple of walls, obtain well water, but had no funds for a roof. The annual rains came and the plastered bricks came down.
In the meanwhile, more and more children kept coming. The landlord badgered Robert for the widows rent. The widows kept begging for food for the children.
One day a small boy I eventually named Little Luke was brought to Baluku with the story that his father was dead and that his mother just died after a rabid dog bite there.
LITTLE LUKE
LITTLE LUKE
No immediate family could take care of him, so Robert took him in and asked the widows again to foster yet another child. Nobody expected Little Luke to live. His bloated stomach came from malnutrition. There was no money was shots, vitamins, or even extra food. As of this date, he is not only living, but walking and beginning to talk. Robert worries about where the next meals would come from Only an occasional Western Union from me keep them with rice. There is no promise of more to come, but I cannot bear the thought of children starving to death because nobody cares. I care, I really do, but I need help.
I’ve sold numerous things on sites like eBay trying to raise money but it is never enough.
I set up a GO FUND ME account in hopes of enticing others to care and give. Thus far only one person has sent $100. Inflation is rampant in third world countries too and this amount didn’t go far. The page is still active and can be reached by going to https://www.gofundme.com/s3df8xqk
Try CrazyLister for free! Easily create professional, mobile-optimized eBay listings
There have many up and downs on this trek to fulfill the commandments regarding orphans and widows. Updates can be seen at the web page: www.voiceoftheorphans.com
The needs are great. These are few priorities:
- On-going funds to provide food for hungry stomachs
- Funds to supply bricks and a roof for a permanent building
- Pro-bono attorney to help obtain a 501-C designation
For further information, please write me at Dr. Nancy W. Kelly, Voice of the Orphans, 6156 Southern Rd., Young Harris, GA 30582 or call 706-379-1488.
My email is [email protected].
Baluku Robert can be emailed at [email protected] or written to at Baluku Robert, P.O. Box 581, Code Number 51202, Kasese UGANDA.
While clothing and supplies are appreciated, please remember most times there are customs charges which can be costly.
—
Here at CrazyLister we provided Nancy with a free lifetime account, to help her funding efforts, even if only a little.
I want to thank Nancy for sharing her story and helping us all put the daily struggles in the right perspective.
If you feel like helping her cause – please do contact Nancy. Even a small help can make a difference.
