Internet is off and on - mainly off - So I have tried to keep up on Word Pad and will copy and paste. Didn't get anything written yesterday which was perhaps the gratest day going into the village and meeting with some of the guardians and children and seeing their living conditions. What you see on TV doesn't even compare with how these children live - such poverty More to be seen when I get home to show pictures and do presentations.
Anyways I will be pasting the notes but WHEN YOU SEE THE PART ABOUT THE 8 CHILDREN REGISTERING FOR SCHOOL - WE WENT TO THE SCHOOL YEATERDAY AND THEY DON'T ADMIT CHILDREN IN THE MIDDLE ODF A SCHOOL YEAR - THIS IS 3RD TERM. I STILL THINK IT IS IMPORTANT FOR THEM TO BE REGISTERED AND GO TO SCHOOL. THE HEAD MASTER AND DIRECTOR ARE TO TALK TO EACH OTHER ABOUT IT. WE CAN ONLY PRAY THAT THESE CHILDREN WILL BE ACCEPTED.
Saturday, September 4, 2010
Eddie the driver picked me up - Ivan, George and Eric already in the car. We drove to a town about 1 hour away. We got a call from the owner of the school pleading with us to give him the money. To bad so sad, as I say. He had an opportunity and was money gouging. A driver with a truck was waiting for us. We then went and picked up the sheet metal and nails for the roof the cost 372 500 USH, then to pick up the maize flour 200 kg for 420 000 USH, 150 kg of beans at 217 500, 100 kg sugar at 105 000, cooking oil and spices 44 600 USH, papyrus for the walls of the classrooms 49 000 USH. The truck was pretty full. I bought the grandmothers a mattress each too. On our way to the village. Our car stopped and picked up bread for the grandmothers (2) as well as tomatoes.
When we arrived in the village about 2:30 pm, we were received with happiness. Everyone was out. The truck was already being unloaded and the Jaja was finding space to put everything. Poles were also delivered in the morning for the wall braces. What an exciting time. Well they started the construction around 3:15 - no levels - one measuring tape, string and digging tools (machette and one looked like a large serving spoon at the end of a stick. The first pole put in!!! no cement just placed in the hole and the dirt filled in around. Now when I say pole it's realy a tree stripped of it's branches. They have a string at the top of the building they're attaching the pole to and the other end attached on a temporary pole about 24 feet away. When we left 8 - poles were in place. Don't know howmuch is done but I do know they needed to get more poles and papyrus since they extended the the building by a few feet - who knew :-)
September 5, 2010 - Sunday
Ivan walked over to my hotel so we could walk to church together. We stopped at his aunt's on the way. We picked up sugar and bread to bring to her. She raised Ivan when he was young. There were 8 or 9 children there in the small sitting room many of whom the aunt is raising. Couldn't resist gave one of the older boys some money to go and buy them treats. He came back with a warm round 'bread' that I can only describe as a crepe - thicker and not as large. He then went out and got each one a small container of icecream. One of the 4 year olds had never had icecream before. They were all satisfied.
While there one of Ivan's half brothers came in to introduce himself. He had won the regional championship for pool the day before. A wonderful young fellow that I need to find a sponsor for or he will have to leave school. I saw him on the news at night - cool!
Also another young fellow who is on the national soccer team. What a wonderful fellow too. Scholarships are next to impossible to get here and I am looking for perhaps some soccer fan will sponsor him to pay for his university. Maybe???
Off we went through the 'back streets' meeting many of Ivan's friends along the way. It is a presbyterian church. Service was in both English and Lugandan. 11:00 am to about 1pm. After church we talked to another young fellow - William who will become the treasurer. He has his certificate and is a trusted member of the church. Now all we need is money - lol.
Ivan walked me back to my hotel and George came and tried to help me with my computer - which he did. After a few hours he left and I triesd to get some notes written but I am so exhausted by late afternoon/evening that I accomplished little however my brain came up with another plan for the project which I'll write under Monday. Thank goodness we didn't go anywhere and a toilet was close.
Monday, September 6, 2010
Went to bed fairly early last night and up by 7:30 this morning. Tried to get on the internet for a while. It's soooooo slow many things I can't get to. Have a meeting with our Save African Child Uganda committee at 10 am.
Breakfast - scrambled eggs, toast, juice, pineapple and tea. (Even though I ws still making many trips to the toilet.) Hotel manager had a room set up for our meeting - very nice.
I am sooooo excited with what we accomplished.
8 children will be registered in a school for P.1 - P.6. They will only be registered for this last term but I'm sure with God's help money will come so they can continue their education. Just a quick run down of the cost for attending.
Per term (there are 3 terms)
Fees - 25 000 USH ($12.50 US)
Lunch 10 000 USH ($5 US)
4 rolls toilet paper 1600 USH ($0.80 US)
4 brooms 2000 USH ($1 US)
Books 10 000 USH ($5 US)
We have to pay for the uniform initially and anytime they outgrow it - @ 5000 - 8000 USH (2.50 - $4 US) as well as their registration of 1000 USH ($1 US)
So to register these 8 children it will cost $221.90 US for this term. Next year (Feb) it will cost approx. $200 US for the term for all 8!!!!
The classrooms we're building is for the Nursery School - ages 4 & 5 year olds(Beginner) in one classroom and 6 &7 year olds (Middle) in the other. We have 19 children for the Beginners Class and 15 for the Middle Class.
Therefore we will be educating 34 at our SACU Nursery School 34 children plus the 8 other children equaling 42 students.
I was only able to raise enough money to educate 20 students but I have faith that I will get more funds by fundraising. My friends and family may even want to sponsor a child ;-)
The second thing I'm excited about from our meeting is that we have ordered uniforms for the SACU Nursery School Children - cost is about $5 US for the girls and $8 US for the boys (2 piece). They should be made by the weekend so the children can start school on Monday, September 13!!!!
Tomorrow - September 7, 2010
Tried to connect to the internet for the last hour - no luck so who knows when you'll read this
Being picked up by Eddie at 7 am to head out to the village to meet with the school - Good Shepherd. Ivan thinks they will register the children. I will have the money just in case. They have a project there so hopefully we can work together.
In the 5 days I've been here (not counting the Wednesday night)
Purchased materials to build 2 classrooms and they are being built now
purchased enough food to feed the all the children of the village breakfast and lunch for approx. 6 weeks
ordered school uniforms for the 34 children enrolled (yes, we have many more children who want to be educated.)
registering 8 children into the local school - HOPEFULLY
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