In 2026, our team traveled into the heart of the slums in Uganda, where we met a remarkable woman dedicated to caring for children with severe disabilities. During a tour of the area, I was introduced to four of these children, but one young man named Promise left an indelible mark on my soul.

Though he appeared no older than ten, Promise is actually twenty-two years old. His mother shared the heartbreaking reality of his condition, explaining that he has not appeared to have slept since the day he was born.

The physical conditions were staggering. His mother, desperate to survive, must leave him on a decaying piece of foam in a cramped, dark home while she seeks odd jobs to keep them fed. Promise bore the physical marks of this environment, including sores from a lifetime spent on that makeshift bed.

Perhaps most distressing was the local stigma, as his own neighbors sought to evict the family simply because of his physical disfigurement. Yet, as we stepped into that small space, the darkness was pierced by a radiant, joyful smile from Promise. In that moment, all I wanted to do was stay with him and be the father he deserves.

This encounter was a profound wake-up call that stripped away the trivial complaints of modern life. It replaced them with a deep, convicting sense of gratitude for the things we so often take for granted in America. Seeing the joy in Promise’s eyes despite his suffering was a lesson in resilience I will carry forever. At SOA Global, we hold onto his smile as a mandate to never forget the forgotten ones and to always strive to bring dignity to those the world has cast aside.