Our Story

Present Love Initiative began with one moment of presence and one act of kindness between two strangers.

In April 2025, two men boarded a late-night flight from Dallas to Sioux Falls.

One was returning home from Puerto Rico.

The other was traveling north for a funeral.

They did not know that within months, they would be responsible for the lives and education of more than sixty children across Uganda.

It began with a seat number.

A tall man paused in the aisle, scanning the floor for his row.

Another passenger gently pointed him upward — “The seat numbers are above.” A brief exchange followed.

“What seat are you in?”

“19D.”

“That’s right next to me.”

They sat down.

After a few quiet moments, the taller man spoke.

“Have you heard of the Lost Boys? I am one.”

The Lost Boys of Sudan — thousands of children displaced by civil war, walking hundreds of miles in search of safety. The man’s name was Abraham. Years earlier, their story had been featured on 60 Minutes.

Now he was traveling to honor a man who had shaped those fragile years — not just a teacher, but the former Director of Education in the Kakuma Refugee Camp. In the midst of displacement and uncertainty, he had built structure where there was none, ensuring education continued for boys who had lost nearly everything.

Abraham was returning to pay his respects to a leader who had helped preserve not only learning, but hope.

The other passenger was Bryan.

They spoke quietly through the flight. When they landed in Sioux Falls late that night, Abraham had no ride to his hotel. Bryan offered one.

A simple act of hospitality.

Before they parted, Bryan told Abraham, “If you need anything while you’re here, call me.”

He did.

With help from Abraham’s brother Agot and a trusted family friend, Garang, who traveled from Juba, transportation was arranged. The injured mother and daughter were moved from the refugee settlement to Kampala for imaging, antibiotics, and urgent treatment.

There were fears of skull fractures. Internal bleeding. Infection.

Against the odds, they stabilized.

But something had become clear.

There was no future for this family back at the camp.

A Seat on a Plane

Communication between the United States and Uganda needed to improve.

Through mutual connections, Bryan and Abraham partnered with Mammon to Mama, led by David Arp, whose work in Kampala supports vulnerable and orphaned children.

Phones were sourced. Transportation was coordinated.

Supplies began moving.

Abraham’s teenage nephew, Michael — a 6’10” basketball player student in Kampala — became a critical bridge between cities, carrying resources and information back and forth.

Hope was becoming structure.

One of the young men, Deng Wei, had earned a 50% scholarship to study computer science at Sharda University in New Delhi the year before, but given his circumstances, attending was unfathomable.

This year, a window to enroll remained. Now, not capitalizing on the opportunity was unfathomable.

A passport was secured, visas approved, tuition wired to India, and a plane ticket purchased — each step moving Deng toward a different future.

He represents what long-term opportunity can look like — not just survival, but advancement.

From Two Men to a Mission

What began with a seat number became a responsibility.

Bryan and Abraham did not set out to build an organization.

They responded to a moment.

Medical care became housing.

Housing became education.

Education became long-term sponsorship.

The Race to Kampala

Building Structure From Chaos

A University Student

DECEMBER 2025

April 4, 2025

APRIL 8, 2025

JULY 17, 2025

MAY 2025

A house was secured in Lira — large enough to shelter the children and family stewards. It was modest. Broken plumbing. No hot water. Bare floors. Minimal furnishings.

But it was safe.

Education was the next step.

Through connections in South Dakota, Bryan met Andrew, co-founder of AsOne Ministries — a school network in Uganda built over the past ten years. There was space.

Fifteen children were enrolled that first term:

Eleven in primary school
Four in secondary school

They received uniforms, books, dorm placement, hygiene supplies, meals, and a trip to the dentist.

On June 5, 2025, they walked into orientation.

Just two months earlier, some of them had been hiding inside a refugee camp after a violent assault.

Now they were students again.

More Children Waiting

APRIL 5, 2025

The Pocket Money That Wasn’t a Request

The next day, Abraham needed help securing transportation.

Bryan picked him up and drove him to the airport to arrange a rental car. Noticing that Abraham had little more than the suit he was going to wear for the funeral, Bryan quietly handed him $500 in cash “just in case.”

It seemed like the end of the story.

It was only the beginning.

On Sunday morning, Abraham joined Bryan and his family for church. After the service, he pulled Bryan aside.

“With the $500 you gave me,” Abraham said, “I’m sending it to my sister-in-law in Africa.”

There was a pause.

“She was attacked in the refugee camp. Beaten. With a board that had a nail in it. Her daughter too.”

Photos followed. Severe head wounds. Swelling. Blood.

This was not distant tragedy. This was family.

Abraham’s brother had been murdered in 2016. His widow — now raising children alone inside a refugee camp — had just been brutally assaulted along with her daughter, Achol.

Medical resources were scarce. Funding for food and education inside the camps had recently been reduced or withdrawn. Access to advanced care required an eight-hour journey to Kampala.

The $500 was not a request for more.

It was a lifeline.

Bryan responded simply:

“That won’t be enough. Let’s get them what they need.”

Lira: Building a Safe Beginning

JUNE 2025

Word traveled back to the refugee settlements, including Adjumani Refugee Settlement.

There were more children.

Some had single parents. Some had none. Some could not safely travel to Lira.

And the circle extended further.

SEPTEMBER 6, 2025

The Team on the Ground

In September, Bryan and Abraham traveled to Uganda together.

They saw the living conditions firsthand.

Broken toilets. No beds. No table. No hot water. Minimal food storage.

They spent days purchasing what most families consider ordinary:

Shoes. Toothbrushes. School Supplies. Household Items. Clothing. Pillows. Bedding.

Children returned to school for their third semester equipped with dignity.

In Uganda, daily operations are led by:

Agoot Wei and his wife Angeth
Garang, a trusted family friend
Michael, assisting with logistics

They manage housing, prepare meals, coordinate with schools, and provide steady adult leadership.

From the United States, Abraham and Bryan handle everything else — tuition payments, rent, food, medical needs, school coordination, communication across time zones, and ongoing problem-solving.

What began as $500 has grown into full support for 63 children.