Although she didn’t attend Grove City College, Katie Davis is as much a Grover as any of us. She was her senior class president and homecoming queen; she had a fantastic group of friends and loving parents who supported her and wanted her to get a great education to prepare her for a successful career. Unlike most of us though, Katie did not attend college after she graduated high school. Instead, she moved to Uganda to teach kindergarten.
Many of her friends and family thought she was crazy, but Katie knew she was following God’s call. That doesn’t mean that there weren’t difficult days. Katie experienced numerous struggles and trials that first year, including a language barrier between her and her students. Although this was one of Katie’s biggest challenges initially, she found that even though people may not be able to understand each other through language, they understand a smile or a hug- they understand love. In her words, “love knows no language.”
But how is Katie an entrepreneur? Teaching kindergarten in Africa hardly seems entrepreneurial.
After learning that many children in Uganda are unable to attend school because of the fees that the schools require, Katie started a sponsorship program to connect orphaned and vulnerable children with sponsors. For $300 a year-less than $1 a day- a sponsor not only sends a child to school, but also provides school supplies, 3 hot meals every day, spiritual discipleship, and medical care for the child. Through this program alone, Katie has made a difference in the lives of over 700 children.
When the initial sponsorship program took off, Katie realized that she could help the Ugandan people in numerous other ways. In 2008 Katie founded Amazima Ministries International to “meet the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of the people of Uganda who need it most.” Through this non-profit, Katie has started a feeding outreach to one of the slums in her area, a classical Christian secondary boarding school, a self-sustaining vocational program for women, a medical outreach, and a farming outreach all in addition to the initial education sponsorship program. 
Katie recorded her story in her book called Kisses From Katie. I first read this book four years ago at the suggestion of a missionary to Zambia, and Katie’s story and accomplishments continue to inspire me.
Oh, and did I mention that Katie also adopted 13 Ugandan children? But this blog post is already long enough, so just go check out the Amazima website to read more about Katie and everything that Amazima is accomplishing in Uganda!
That is a fascinating example of a driven young women putting her convictions to practice. I’m amazed that she has been able to to help so many kids through such a small, new business. It is also very humbling that she lives out her principles in her own family, evidenced by her adoption of 13 children. Thank you for sharing.
I’ve heard of “Kisses for Katie” in passing, but never knew her story. Her story is tremendous. It’s people like Katie that prove you don’t need to go to school to make an incredible difference in others’ lives. It’s humbling to see how much she’s done at such a young age– not much older than most of us! Also, I noticed you said she helped start a farming outreach. How neat! I know you’ve talked before about your backround in farming and your rich family history in this area. Is this something you would be interested in exploring?
I read “Kisses from Katie” this summer and it completely changed my thoughts on a lot of things. Katie’s story is amazing and an example of someone who was willing to give everything up to follow God’s call. It takes a lot to do that and not only did she move to Uganda but she created a business and adopted 13 children and it all began when she was 19 years old. This story is one of courage and trust and I admire Katie Davis for all she does.
I’ve heard how far the US dollar can go in places like Uganda and other impoverished countries, but it’s still shocking to me that so little money can completely change someone’s life. Helping people escape poverty is not an innovative idea, but the way she approached it is. I like how, rather than asking for one time donations and the donor never seeing the benefit of their donation, Katie has taken a much more personal approach. Having a sponsorship program allows the donor to see how their money is impacting the life of a child, which is much more likely to produce more donations in the future.