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Sam Crump at Sunrise House |
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Anthem
attorney attempts African mission
Crump leads Rotary to build, expand Ugandan orphanage
by
Barry Cohen
ANTHEM - It's often said that if you want something done,
give it to someone who's already busy. Living proof of that
is Anthem attorney and Rotarian Sam Crump.
Crump is as a partner in law firm Boates & Crump; raises
four children with his wife, Colleen; sings in the St. Rose
Church choir; serves as president of the Anthem Rotary Club;
and belongs to the American Legion. Along the way, he's found
time to act as a delegate to the 2000 Republican National
Convention and as area chairman for President Bush's first
presidential election. Now he's seeking the Legislative District
6 seat that will be vacated by Rep. Ted Carpenter when his
term expires in January 2007.
Crump's latest passion is the orphanage he helped build and
support in western Uganda. The orphanage is the only one of
its kind in that part of the African country.
In 2004, approximately 50 Ugandan students became the first
residents of the Sunrise House Orphanage in Ft. Portal. This
was just four years after the chairman of the organization
directing the project, retired Anglican Bishop Eustace Kamanyire,
proposed the idea during Crump's first visit to the town.
Bishop Kamanyire has been a leader in charitable causes in
Uganda for more than 40 years.
"The children of Uganda are desperate for education,
and the problems of lack of funds and lodging are compounded
for the country's large orphan population," explained
Crump, whose father, an Episcopalian minister, first befriended
Bishop Kamanyire in 1965. "Of the 12 million children
living in Uganda, nearly one in six has lost his parents due
to AIDS or in fighting with bordering countries." |
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At
the time of his initial visit to Uganda, Crump resided in Sonoma
County, Calif, where he was a member of the Sebastopol Sunrise Rotary
Club. Upon his return, Crump suggested club members embrace the
international project. The members agreed wholeheartedly and partnered
with the Rotary Club of Kabarole in Ft. Portal to work jointly on
the Ugandan orphanage.
As fund raising efforts gained steam, Crump moved his family to
Anthem in 2002 for a job opportunity. He joined the Anthem Rotary
Club and convinced the group about the worthiness of the orphanage
project. Working together, the three Rotary Clubs and Rotary International-with
the help of a large donation by a California couple-raised enough
money to purchase a 1,500 square foot house on two acres and start
construction.
With hundreds of children ages 12 18 on the Sunrise waiting list,
Crump is working to expand the orphanage. He and Bishop Kmanyire
hope to construct another building twice the size of the existing
facility, enabling Sunrise to house another 100 children. Bishop
Kamanyire has also started developing a 17 acre tract of land nearby
that could be leased to professional farmers, yielding food for
the student residents and crops and livestock that could be sold
to help cover the orphanage's annual overhead.
"We estimate that it costs about $900 per student resident
per year for food, clothing, school supplies and other necessities,"
stated Crump. "We continue to raise money through the Rotary
and through private donations, but we have to find ways to help
the orphanage become self supporting."
One program with outstanding potential is a coffee project known
as Mirembe Kawomera, which means "delicious peace" in
the Ugandan language, Luganda. Spectacular growth in coffee specialty
niche markets in North America and Europe have created an excellent
opportunity to capitalize on the demand for Robusta coffee beans,
of which Uganda is the largest producer in Africa.
Through a unique partnership with the Thanksgiving Coffee Co. Ft.
Bragg, Calif., the Rotary Club of Anthem is selling coffee from
the Mirembe project and donating a percentage of the proceeds to
the Sunrise House Orphanage. The Rotary recently sponsored a visit
by the cooperative's director, who spoke at the Fellowship Church
in Anthem. Sister Rotary clubs in Fairbanks, Ontario and California
are also planning to sell the coffee.
"If we could build demand to about 1,000 bags of coffee a month,
we could support a large part of the orphanage expenses," said
Crump, who's planning a Web site that would allow people to order
on line. In the meantime, those interested in ordering coffee to
support the orphanage can visit the Web site at www.sunrisehouseuganda.org,
or call Crump at (623) 551 5457.
Crump is enthusiastic about the coffee project for another reason.
"If the United States wants to spread democracy, one of the
best ways is to help these less developed countries improve their
economies," he emphasized. "The people in the United States
need to be more aware of, and more engaged in, the lands beyond
our borders." |
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