Pastor Frank, Hope, and Paddy were with me everyday as I went on my extraordinary adventures. We were filled with Joy and Humbled while we were working for God.
My visit at the school was a true joy. The third school block is almost finished. The students continue to be proud of their school and like their teachers. There are 8 students in 7th grade this is doubled from last year.
While visiting we enjoyed a net ball game the teachers verses the students, The teachers won but the cheer leaders were definitely in favor of the students. There was a fute ball game, the school choir sang. I visited all of the classes met with the teachers. I enjoyed the 3 days I spent with them.
But I do have a major concern with the school. The children from ages ranging from 4-7 grade preschool through 2nd are released from school at 1:00. These children walk home alone many walk for 2 – 3 hours. To put in perspective there day. they have walked to school 2- 3 hours then they studied at school have a small snack at 10:00 and then walk another 2-3 hours home. This past week a young girl from the top class (kindergarten) was hit and killed by a car while walking to school.
When I asked why do the children walk so far to school why don’t they go to a school closer to home. The answer was they can not afford to go to the other schools. The Christian Academy is the only school that allows children to attend when they can’t afford to pay.
The school is supported by the children that are sponsored, I currently have 25 students that are sponsored. To meet the schools needs monthly approximately 84 children need to be sponsored. If you are interested let me know. I promise you it will be the BEST $25.00 you spend in a month. Less than $1.00 per day how many times do you spend a $1.00 without even thinking about it. $1.00 is 3 meals for a hungry child in Uganda.
During my time in Uganda I visited 12 of the sponsored children’s homes. While I don’t have the time to tell the story of every home visit I have selected a few to represent the intense joy and pain I experienced during my visits.
One of the first homes, we visited Lydia’s was quite a distance off of the road, so we walked through the bush. When we came into the clearing and the Grandmother JaJa saw us coming she dropped to her knees and looked to the heavens and praised God. She then hugged me and prayed for me. I did not understand the words she was saying but I felt like I was being hugged by God. Lydia’s JaJa then told us that during the rainy season this year their house collapsed (the pile of rubble in front of us.) she praised God that no one was killed and the community had built her a new home. The mattress we were delivering to her was an answer to her prayers. She invited us into her home which was an empty except for a baby sleeping on the dirt floor and the materials she was using to make mats for them to sleep on. Lydia’s, JaJa is a substance farmer they live on what she grows. I was truly humbled by this visit.
A visit to Hasan’s home, Hasan is a total orphan no family at all. He lives off of the road so we walked through the bush at the end was a tiny house. When I entered the house Hasans JaJa was sitting preparing for tea. Her first response was to look up and praise God, then she held my hand and prayed for me, another powerful prayer.
Surrounding the JaJa were 3 small children 2 sleeping on the floor. Ja Ja told us they had malaria and she was praying the treatment they had was enough
to heal them. None of the children she cared for were hers, they were all abandoned by their families. She told us when they become older she has to protect the children from being taken to work as slaves in neighboring gardens. I counted 7 children and the house was too small to hold the mattress we were delivering. It was not much bigger than a closet.
Now the home visit that caused me to take immediate action. Farouq a young handicapped child. It was not until my home visit that I learned about Faroug’s needs. He has trouble breathing, hunched back has a hernia on his chest, suffers from malnutrition and malaria. The mother said the hunch back was not treatable but the hernia was. She did not have the money to get treatment for him. Farouq was take to the hospital in Kampala on Wednesday. The hospital in Kampala said they were not set up to treat him so they sent him to the hospital in Entebbe. The hospital in Entebbe said to bring him back on Tuesday with the money for the tests. Please pray for healing for this child. Donations for his care would also be greatly appreciated.
On to my next project
I spent 2 days with the women’s sewing business. The pillow case dress project was received with great excitement. The women learned how to cut the pillow case dresses and started sewing. I have pictures of the children modeling them also young girls using them as blouses. They were all VERY excited. During my visit Pastor Frank and I also identified a place for them to rent so they could start their business. Rentals are done very differently in Uganda. My September Crafts from around the world shows raised enough money for 3 months rent. They should be moving into their space this week.
Hope and Edrian’s baby was born while I was there. The celebration was small because Edrian had just come home from the hospital from having a c-section. When I presented them with the shower gifts and money they were truly over whelmed with wide open eyes and huge smiles they kept repeating the
Lord has blessed our baby.
The last full day of my visit was spent with my Ugandan family, our own Steven Kakiyia’s family. They are a humble family that care for so many people that I don’t think they know how many brothers and sisters they have. We began the day at the Uganda’s Independent day celebration. 10 children bouncing on bouncy rides and trampolines enjoying a day of fun.
We then went to home and spent time visiting with their Mom. The day with a family picture for me to bring to their beloved brother Steven.
This was my third trip to Uganda, it is very painful, I know and love the 400 children and many families in Uganda. I am in pain and tormented that their need is so great and my resouces are so small.
There are 2 billion people in the world living in the circumstances I witness in Uganda. God knows everyone of these people by name I can't even fathom his pain.
Checks can be made out to Trinity Covenant Church
mailed to
Trinity Covenant Church
7 Clematis Road
Lexington MA 02421
Attention Sandy Gannon
A donation of any amount would be greatly appreciated, as mentioned above $1.00 is 3 meals.
Love and Peace,
Mom Sandy
