After a good night’s sleep we awoke to more rain, but fortunately it was over by the time we had finished breakfast and we were able to get on with our activities for the day. The rain, though very heavy, seems to come in short bursts and thankfully has not interfered with our activities. Once the rain stops the sun soon returns and sunscreen is needed once more! It’s quite an experience!
Whilst sharing about my fundraiser for teacher’s salaries with my colleagues at college I also asked if anyone could donate school resources such as pens, pencils and maths sets. I was really blown away by the response, particularly from one class of students with special educational needs who bought school supplies out of the profits they had made from their college enterprise activities.
Before I left for Uganda I visited their class and showed them some pictures of the school and the children and they were really moved by what they saw.
Today I was able to distribute those resources to the children and send love from the U.K. from students, who whilst not experiencing poverty like the children in Ruhija, have experienced significant difficulties in their education.
The profoundness of children who are struggling helping other children who are struggling did not pass me by! It is the same story as Brian and Mali, brought up in an orphanage and then reaching out to care for children who are suffering like they did. It is true compassion.
During our visit to the school we held a meeting with the director of the school, the teaching staff and members of the parent - teacher association. We heard the issues that the parents are facing and we also heard from the teachers. The school has come a long way since BLI began supporting them in 2019.
The director was candid about the struggles he has faced telling us that there have been difficult times where if it had not been for the support and guidance of BLI the school would have failed.
We discussed sustainability issues encouraging the chair of the PTA to relay to the parents the importance of paying a small contribution towards their children’s education and suggesting ways the school could work to provide an income for itself to sustain it into the future.
The difficulty with a charity supporting in situations like this is that the parents begin to expect that everything will be provided for their children. This is why, in this particular situation, BLI is not seeking to provide sponsors for children at this point, but rather support the school by paying the salaries for the staff. This prevents the difficulties of inequality that arise if one child is sponsored and another is not.
We tasked the PTA with identifying the most vulnerable families in their community who may not be able to pay the small contribution requested and who may need additional help and we will see how best we can support them.
After lunch I was given the opportunity to support a local family in constructing their house. This was truly an awesome experience. The main structure of the house had been built and they were at the stage where the outside walls required rendering.
These kinds of simple dwellings are rendered with mud and I learned how to mix and apply it to the walls. It needed a lot of energy. It wasn’t a case of trowelling it on, rather, it requires a firm throw of the mud to make it cling to the structure. It was a lot of fun but quite exhausting in the sun! I was extremely proud of my efforts and the result! I only hope it stands the test of time!
Following this it was time to leave the community and head up the hill to meet our transport back to Kabale. It took longer to leave than it did to arrive, being an uphill journey after a hard day’s work, but I left with a sense of achievement and hopefully a place in the heart of this small community.
I do not know when I will return but I will continue to work to support the school and community from the U.K. Suffering and inequality is widespread in Uganda and whilst I know I cannot make a huge impact on poverty in general, I have seen first hand what a huge difference a little help can make to individuals. As the saying goes: helping one person may not change the world but it will change the world for that one person.
I will be returning home on Saturday (arriving Sunday) and I will be continuing to seek support for the 11 children in Kabale and the school and community in Ruhija. I ask you to consider if there is any way you can help make a difference in their lives. Please get in touch if you have any ideas.
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