Dear Friends of U-GO,

At this time of year, many parents experience the joy of the Back to School season. The U-GO team is doubly blessed, as we’ve started the process of awarding the next batch of long-term scholarships to several thousand ambitious and promising young women.

Last week several of our regional board members joined Amy, Tom and I on a series of Zoom calls with finalists for our scholarships in the Philippines. We quickly shared the news that this is not a formal interview that should make you nervous. This is a group celebration. Congratulations! You’ve been chosen for a long-term U-GO scholarship.

Their reaction was priceless – looks of pure joy, wide smiles, quite a few tears, and many responses of I can’t wait to tell my mother.

We’d love to show you, our loyal supporter, what this joy looks like and provide you with the opportunity to experience the magic of these life-changing moments. We hope you can take a short break from your busy day to watch what it is like for a young woman in far-flung places like Dar es Salaam, Saigon and Java to be told that her dream of university education has come true.

Sit back, relax and keep a box of tissues nearby for your own Tears of Joy.

All the best,

John Wood

Founder and CEO

tears of joy 2o25

in the news…

“From finding purpose to scaling impact, a conversation with the always interesting and insightful John Wood. ” - Bold Journey

We were thrilled to have John and U-GO featured in a recent interview with Bold Journey. Learn more about John’s personal journey finding purpose with Room to Read and later U-GO, along with three top tips for young people just starting out on their life journeys.

Read the story