Dear friends, Sorry for delay in writing and sending Part 2 – Innocent’s health and his pig and poultry projects.
Innocent continues to help me with my projects both from here and when I am in Uganda when I spend a big proportion of my stay at his home. I couldn’t do what I do without Innocent! Unfortunately, a few weeks ago he had two more epileptic seizures one after the other leaving him with his face and head injured. I’m relieved to report there was no lasting damage, but his body gets a real hammering with every seizure. I wish we could help him more but we can’t, other than help with his drugs, pay him a small wage for the work he does for us and assist him in paying his children’s school fees. He hopes in the near future he can restart his piggery and poultry projects. As you may remember, the pigs had all been slaughtered due to a swine fever outbreak in Uganda. Then, when he had redeveloped his business and was just making a profit, Covid hit, then the war! There was no movement allowed by most people and of course the cost of living rocketed! Therefore there was no demand for pigs, or chickens and eggs, as no one could afford to buy them! I’m truly hoping for a better future for him, his family and his little businesses. As you may remember we sponsored Innocent through uni but no one will employ him because of his epilepsy so we helped him set up his little businesses. Now things have improved in the country he would like to restart his piggery and chicken project, the pigsty’s are all in place. Innocent will need some financial help to replace the pigs and chickens, and with animal feed until he starts selling his produce once again. If you are interested in helping Innocent please let me know and I can give you an idea of how much it would cost to buy a pig for instance, some chickens or some feed. There’s always a possibility that ‘your pig’ will be named after you as a show of appreciation by Innocent!🤣 Many of you might have seen the following photo’s previously but we have several new members who I’m sure would like to see them x
Baby Norman learning about pig keeping very young!One of the many ways Innocent helps me, bringing two boxes of drinking water for me. I go through a lot! You Innocent and his ‘wife’ Betty dressed up to attend a special occasionFeeding two young pigsOne way to get baby Norman asleep!We went through a lot of matoki when I was in Uganda!Innocent with Norman who is named after my husband Norman. He has a daughter called Geraldine too, we’re very honoured! Norman is now at school.A box of freshly hatched chicks. Could you buy some more for the family?These were Innocents eggs on the way to market. It was a good business before the affect of Covid and the war!I love this photo! Man to pig conversation!Many piglets could be born again if we help.
Jambo! Thanks once again for your continuing interest and to your support for one or more of my ongoing ‘projects’ in Uganda, donating to the education of the children we sponsor, helping to keep Good Luck Junior School going or two helping others in need. Here is my latest news in three parts – 1-Good Luck Junior School. 2-Innocent and his animal projects. 3-Our sponsored student Paul.
Part 1 – Good Luck Junior School progress. Yes, actual progress which I’m pleased to report. Gradually fee paying has improved though we have some way to go. Head teacher Ibrahim is trying desperately not to send children home if they arrive at school without their fees, as he knows the problems these families have just to survive and he believes like us that an education is vital to helping lift them out of the poverty they’re likely to suffer in the future without it. Other Ugandan schools I’ve worked in refuse entry if a child owes fees. Ibrahim knows the families in his community and that the parents would pay if they could. There are now more than 150 children attending the school regularly.
In March the District Education Officers visited the school and Innocent says although they were complimentary towards the progress made they are insisting that the school has an office before they will verify its licence!
Fortunately because we have been helping with paying the teachers and the cook, Ibra has managed to start the building work. He has also decided that one of the two small rooms will become a library, which is a great idea though the school has very few books and most of those look to be pupils/teachers workbooks used for guidance. I’m hoping we can help complete the building, for instance purchase the iron roof sheets which will cost 780,000 Ugandan Shillings, approx £170 and eventually provide more books.
Foundation of office/library It certainly needs a roof!Recently the schools in Uganda had their break for a month marking the end of the first term. The children should have received their report cards but they are only given them if they have paid their full fees. Sounds a bit mean I know but this is usual for schools in Uganda. The reason is that the school has to purchase the official report cards to be able to issue the children’s reports so that is another expense the school cannot afford unless they receive the fees to cover the cost! At the end of term the school held its Parents Meeting where the head discusses the schools’ business. Innocent reports as follows – ‘There was a good attendance including a member of the PTA who thanked the staff for their good work and the parents for turning up. (Often they are too busy in the fields or collecting water or firewood!) ‘He also called upon the parents to take their responsibilities for the better performance of their children. ‘It has been passed in this meeting that come next term every child must report on the first day with 15kg of maize and 5kgs of beans to help with meals for the full term, this was after the teachers noticing that it’s being hard for the children to learn on an empty stomach, parents have been slow on this but it’s been passed that on the first of the term they should have it at the gate. ‘Ibra also asked the parents to at least report with 50% of the school fees on their first day of the term and asked the parents to also clear their school requirements for the year, one ream of paper, two toilet paper, work file, pens, 2 brooms etc. ‘He told the parents that only eight children out of 151 had cleared to zero balance, and for those whose children are in the nursery section to prepare their children as some come to school very shabby!’ I thought you might like this detail to help you get at idea of how different things are in Uganda! Can you imagine your children having to take 🧻 to school with them!
Member of PTA – Note all the ‘visual aids’ made by the teachers, no whiteboards there!
When the meeting finishes the parents are given a meal of rice and beans. Innocent said some came straight from the fields and were hungry! The video shows the development there has been at the school since we started helping them. Two classroom blocks, latrines and now an office and library. THANK YOU 😊
So few books!
Innocent has sent me the lists of each of the class fee payments. If you’re interested and would like me to forward them to you please let me know. Here is a letter from the head teacher.
Part 2 & 3 to follow which you’ll be happy to know are not quite so long!
Dear friends I’ve had an idea and I would like your opinion on it please. Today was my friend Helen’s birthday and last year I got Innocent to take a photo and video of the children at Good Luck Junior School wishing her a happy 50th which I’m sure she would have enjoyed receiving. The previous year Innocent had sent me the same wishing me a happy 70th which I loved! Also in the past I’ve had several people who don’t know what to give their friends or relatives on birthdays, anniversaries or at Christmas so have donated towards whatever we are working on at the time and asked if I can I send a greeting explaining their ‘alternative’ birthday gift. And of course we’ve had the mosquito nets and desks sponsored as an alternative gift too which raised precious funds. Please look at the video and photos and tell me if you think it could be a good idea. Innocent says he is very willing to do the job for us. Looking forward to hearing from you x
Dear friends I’ve had an idea and I would like your opinion on it please. Today was my friend Helen’s birthday and last year I got Innocent to take a photo and video of the children at Good Luck Junior School wishing her a happy 50th which I’m sure she would have enjoyed receiving. The previous year Innocent had sent me the same wishing me a happy 70th which I loved! Also in the past I’ve had several people who don’t know what to give their friends or relatives on birthdays, anniversaries or at Christmas so have donated towards whatever we are working on at the time and asked if I can I send a greeting explaining their ‘alternative’ birthday gift. And of course we’ve had the mosquito nets and desks sponsored as an alternative gift too which raised precious funds. Please look at the video and photos and tell me if you think it could be a good idea. Innocent says he is very willing to do the job for us. Looking forward to hearing from you x
A good news update! Enjoy!Good Luck Junior School and Paul!
1 – Firstly the very good news from Paul This is the message Paul sent me on 21st February. ‘Hello mum A good morning over there, it is really a good morning over here. Our results have been released today morning officially and I have passed them all without any retake in any course unit Here is the summary Internal medicine-69 Surgery-70 Pediatrics-63 Obstetrics and gynecology-63 Research-75 Then my GPA is 3.62
WOW was my first reaction, and then almost but not quite tears of joy! He has done so so well! I of course congratulated him then he replied with ‘Thank you so much too for making all this happen, I wouldn’t do this without your support sincerely. Am always and will always be thankful to you🙏🙏🙏 I really appreciate everything.’
Paul
Then this morning I received the following – ‘Hello mum A good morning over there, I do hope your morning is very fine. This message is to let you know how special you are to me, you took me in back then when I didn’t even have anything, I was quite hopeless by then, didn’t even know how to read or write. But as a mother, you didn’t consider anything about the latter but rather decided to sharpen my future by taking me to school since then up to now. You have done everything to make sure am in school and didn’t lack anything while there. I can’t say it all but this message is to let you know that I love you so much and I wish you a Happy woman’s day mum🤓. I don’t know how you are going to celebrate it but may it bring you happiness.’ This message is the only ‘reward’ I need to continue helping to educate some young people in Uganda. Whatever standard they achieve is well worth what we are able to offer them. Thank you 😊 to all of you who have contributed to Paul’s success and for the help you are giving the other students. Others might not achieve the results like Paul but any education helps to lift them out of the poverty they and their families suffer. Even gaining their Primary 7 Leavers Certificate at the age of 14 can lead them to a job.
2 – GLJS – Innocent reports that there are now 160 children at the school, that’s 60 more than this time last year! These make up Nursery to year 7, when the children have a chance, in November, to take their National Leavers Exams enabling them to go to secondary school. It’s so good that a simple village school like this is giving the children the opportunity of the full range of primary classes, and hopefully achieving their National Primary Leavers Certificate.
This has only happened because of your donations to pay the salaries of the teachers as the parents couldn’t pay the school fees. Many parents are still struggling to pay the full fees but the situation is so much better than it was in recent years. We still need to sub the fees of many but at least things are moving in the right direction. Thanks for all your donations and please continue to give this help if you possibly can. Thanks especially those who have set up regular standing orders as it helps us assess the future, could you consider this regular donation please? I have enough in the account to help with the fees for another five months, until June.
I know we can’t go on subbing the school forever but let’s see if by helping them on their way the school can become self sufficient. They know that they do have to take full responsibility eventually though!
Children arriving at schoolThe teachers. Ibra the head on the right.Innocent, standing on the right, had just paid them their February salaries and they sent their thanks to us all.The teachers sign to say they’ve received their salaries
Having more children attending has meant the need for extra classroom space and, forever resourceful Ibra, the head teacher, has partitioned each of the present three classrooms into two using plywood. Not ideal but needs must. He has also recruited two extra teachers to cover the two extra classes of older children.
The classrooms divided into two for extra classesInnocent explains how they have divided the classrooms adding new blackboards , though they need to buy black paint to finish them offBecause we are subbing the teachers wages, Ibra has also been in position to clear the license fees demanded by the government each year, and has had a school sign made too which is really smart!
The school cook has found it very uncomfortable cooking in the open with no shade from the scorching sun or shelter from the heavy rains. Don’t blame her! So during the extended school holiday due to Ebola, Ibra made a mud kitchen too! The children are given a cooked meal every day, maybe the only meal they will get!
Video showing the new kitchen which also shelters the wood fire from the wind!
ENORMOUS THANKS again to all of you who have helped Paul and are still helping him on his journey to find a job, to donating towards the other sponsored students and for your kind donations towards Good Luck Junior School. What a difference we have made! Please consider making a further one off donation or a regular donation towards helping the children in Uganda whose lives we are changing for the better! Thank you or as the children say Asante sana! X
Gerry's Uganda Projects 