Denise entertains the crowd

Denise and friend at Maria's Care

That's a hard question!

Going to uganda was a real pleasure, but also quite humbling. I got a huge amount out of it and going out with my son Ross was fantastic, it was great to spend time together doing somthing so worth while, it has given us lots to talk about, his friends also were very impressed with what we had being doing, and wanted to know all the detail.
The people there were so kind we have made some real friends and would go back again definitely, and are keeping in touch via face book in the mean time.

Tuesday Oct 13th In the afternoon we spent time with the deaf children, looked at their work and gave some donations out – Packets of Magnet Crafts and an illustrated Bible. The children had a lot of fun when I used my magic Bible in each class room.
Wednesday Oct 14th Chris and Sue arrived in Kamuli. I took the group to visit the Granny Projects in a local village. Joyce gave us a chicken as a “Thank You” gift. We also visited some of our children who are sponsored at “Township” a local in School in Kamuli.

Large class at Township School

There were over 90 children in most of the classes. We then visited another school where we have 9 pupils, including Patrick and David who are twins. After talking to teachers from local schools all over the area we drove to the twin’s home and were very sad to hear about their situation. Although they live in a brick home with another brother, they only have an old Great Grandmother living with them who they care for.

Twins Patrick and David with their Great Gran

A young Uganda lady called Jane arrived from North Uganda with her husband and two children about 18 months ago. Sadly, Jane’s husband died and she and her children were left in the most appalling conditions.  She couldn’t manage and desperately needed help.

This is where Jane used to live with her children

Rhona wanted her October ‘09 visitors to have the experience of building a mud hut so the local authorities were contacted to see if there was anyone in need. The LC, local council official, thought of Jane and said that we, CRU were going to pay for a mud hut to be made then they, the council, would GIVE her a piece of land to build it on. We were thrilled! Rhona asked that local people should start to construct the mud hut so when the visitors arrived in Uganda they could help to finish the mud hut and see it finished.

Jane and her children outside their half built new house

We also wanted to buy goods for her home and make sure she had a good start. Maria’s Care manager, Jackie Oba,  suggested the visitors gave Jane a sack of charcoal so she could start a little business by selling small amounts of the charcoal. Jackie said she would show Jane how to save money to buy more charcoal and have a small profit to feed her family and send them to school. Rhona said, “We had been given a chicken by one of the Grandmothers but decided one chicken wouldn’t go around the nine of us, so we gave Jane the chicken and two goats to really get her started.”

jane and volunteers with all the donated goods outside her new home

The goods for Jane’s home and the goats were all paid for by the team who built her hut and donations they had brought with them. The group had a wonderful time mingling the mud with their bare feet. They sang and laughed, the local Ugandan’s looked on with wide eyes as the group thoroughly enjoyed themselves.

“It was a delight to visit Uganda as a member of a group this time and particularly as we were once again able to spend more time in Kamuli and especially Maria’s Care.
I have been to Uganda several times now, but I can honestly say that this visit was one of the most enjoyable. It was certainly an “all age” group and a very happy one, too.
When we are trying to bring happiness to the poor, it’s obviously important to show an example of how God can help Christians to work together in harmony and to see the smiles from those who live a much harder life than we do.
Thank you, Rho, for planning and organising an excellent programme, which helped to bring us awareness of so many of the varied individual, and collective, problems that the poor, young and old alike, have to suffer.
I look forward to many more visits to Uganda, as long as God, (and CRU!) allows.” Jim

Jim on his latest trip to Uganda