From Love to Hope: on their wedding day, Juliette and Mert decided to give love differently.
Instead of classic wedding favours, the two turned their wedding into a gift for children in Uganda — with a donation to the Jona Foundation.
Our wedding was one long celebration of joy. And at some point I thought: if a day feels this rich, it is only right to share it with those who have less.
One day became an afternoon in Mityana
Part of the support turned into joy quite directly: cakes, laughter and a little party for the children. Eyes lit up, hands clapped — and the joy leapt from their wedding day straight into the children’s lives.
A wedding day can join hearts — and it can give hope, far beyond the day itself.
The rest stays where it is needed every day
What did not go into the party flows into the freshly opened kindergarten in Mityana — into the things that rarely make it into photos and are still needed every day: food, materials, the local team.
What it becomes in everyday life
The kindergarten in Mityana is funded mainly through sponsorships. An occasion donation like this works as a buffer: it catches the months when less comes in than planned.
What €30 a month covers
- A kindergarten place — the fees for one child
- Materials and toys for pre-school, language and social learning
- Two meals täglich
- Care by qualified local educators
At the start of the project we looked for 120 sponsors — one for each child. Every contribution, monthly or once for a wedding, pays into the same bill.
Why a kindergarten moves so much here
Mityana lies in a region heavily affected by HIV. Where parents are missing or ill, the oldest children often take over the care of their younger siblings — and stay away from school to do it. A kindergarten breaks exactly this chain: the little ones are cared for, the older ones can learn.
Then there is the location. The kindergarten stands on the grounds of the primary school of our partner organisation PMCO, which has been running since January 2023. So the children do not move to a strange environment — they simply go one building over.
How an occasion donation works
It takes less than most people think — and we handle the organisational part.
- Get in touch brieflyOne email is enough: occasion, rough number of guests, date.
- One sentence on the invitationWe send you suggested wording and, if you like, your own donation link.
- Guests donate instead of giftingOnline or the classic way, into a box at the entrance — both work.
- Feedback afterwardsYou hear what came of the sum. We issue donation receipts for every guest who needs one.
Wording for the invitation
“We have everything we need — except your company. If you would still like to give us something: we are collecting for the Jona Foundation kindergarten in Mityana, Uganda. Every contribution goes there in full.”
Curious now?
Sharing love means multiplying joy. Thank you, dear Juliette and dear Mert, for letting your love flow into the children’s hearts too.
If you would like to give joy in everyday life — through a donation or a creative idea of your own — do get in touch: info@jonafoundation.org. How others do it is over at the ambassadors.
