Ouachita Stories

Previously published in the 2020 Ouachitonian yearbook

In Uganda, deaf children are commonly abandoned and left without assistance with medical needs or education. Within three months of visiting Uganda for the first time, Dani Imrie, a sophomore elementary education major from Jonesboro, Ark., saw a need and helped create a nonprofit overseas.

After hearing the story of a sick little girl in Uganda needing a heart transplant, Imrie felt the Lord calling her to serve.

“When we got there, I absolutely knew there was more work to do and we were being called to do it,” said Imrie.

When she returned to America, her family and two others created an official GEO nonprofit organization within three months of her first trip.

“It usually takes a year and a half and sometimes longer to fully establish a nonprofit, so the fact we did it in three months was amazing,” said Imrie.

The nonprofit sponsors deaf students from primary school to secondary school and assisted with medical and educational needs.

“Right now, we sponsor 13 children, which means we have 13 families partnering alongside us, paying for those children to go to school. We are actually building a school right now that our students can use instead of renting a facility,” said Imrie.

“We are still fairly small but are working every day to expand and reach more children,” added Imrie. 

Imrie has a heart for education and hopes to use her abilities to teach in Uganda as much as she can.

“The year after college, I would love to go over there and teach for a year or two. I want to assist in enhancing the baby classes before the students go to primary school,” said Imrie.

Uganda was a step out of Imrie’s comfort zone, but it opened her eyes to see what the Lord has called her to do.

Photo by Justin Trostle

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