I feel I need to start todays update with a big thank you to everyone for your ongoing support with comments and likes on my posts. Its really amazing that I can keep you all up to date so easily!!! Back to the main news since last time... Betty and Evans have been referred to a specialist in Kampala. Luckily we were planning to go this Friday to the craft market anyway so they will travel with us. It is about 3.5 hours drive each way so it will be a long day! I cant remember exactly what Ive said in prior messages, but over the past 2 weeks a storeroom and kitchen, and latrine and shower block have been built from scratch. The shower was christened by some of the mamas yesterday after completing their gardening chores. The facilities here are beyond anything the locals would ever have dreamed of 1 year ago! On Saturday Apollo and his band of merry men (Lawrence, Medi, John and Edward) took us all out to Lake Victoria to a settlement of refugees from Tanzania. They had escaped troubles by coming across the lake on little fishing boats still tied up by the waters edge. I thought Id seen bad living conditions but nothing prepared me for this... ironically they had called their little village Bali - a contradiction in terms!!! Their shelters were made from driftwood and other bits that would have been washed up. Apollo explained that ringworm and scabes was rife and how to protect ourselves. The church was an open structure built from thin branches. But, like everywhere else we have been, the locals greeted us with huge smiles, take your hand as they kneel and welcome you! As we walked along the beach the children ran after us skipping, dancing, singing and playing. You just cant help but smile, but it breaks my heart to think what may become of them; no opportunity to go to school plus the fact that they live on government land and could be evicted without a moments notice. The visit to Bali was emotionally draining but my spirits were lifted when we returned to Hope House to find many of the local Kititi children playing netball and football. We hope to create a playground with slide and swings - just imagine what it would be like then! Even now they stay as late as they can and we have to tell them to go home - just imagine what it might be like with the playground! I saw Raymond on Saturday, a child that had come down with malaria and mumps at the same time. He seems to be over the illnesses for the time being thank goodness! The project now has its own resident dog (tame, not wild I might add!). Lucy named him Happy, but he is anything but that at the moment. On Saturday night he escaped unknown to us. So yesterday we bought a tether, if I had more than an hours sleep in one go last night without being woken by his howling, that is all I had. The poor thing is missing his mum, but hopefully his character will soon reflect his name! We had another traditional Ugandan meal for lunch yesterday and had some friends around to join us. In the evening the Pastor and some of the ladies of a local church that Kate and Apollo knew, tuned up for a chat. They sang us a few songs and prayed... it was a special time! The photos keep coming. The children start back at school today, so last week we had a steady stream of mamas bringing their children in their new uniforms to show us. I took loads of photos - they looked so smart! I need to go now to do some food shopping. I expect Ill be able to catch up with you all on Friday when Im in Kampala. Take care and loads of love Emma xxx
Posted on: Mon, 03 Feb 2014 09:21:53 +0000
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