A couple of weeks ago, we were able to carry out over 100 health checks on children in Namatala who aren’t currently attending any of our programmes.  This was to help us obtain a direct comparison with our children to identify the benefits our programmes are providing.  

It was also a great opportunity to give out free de-wormers to the community and some health advice to parents and guardians.  

Grace (our health manager) noticed a child wandering around and crying – clearly with massive health problems. He had a massive stomach and stick-thin arms; his skin was peeling off, probably through some parasitic infestation. His legs were severely deformed and bent, likely due to malnutrition and lack of calcium and vitamins (although it could be a form of rickets). His legs and lower half were extremely swollen and he just sat in the dust by himself, crying pitifully – probably through hunger.  

We located the guardian and asked for details of the child’s circumstances. She explained the parents had died and she was now looking after him, although clearly she wasn’t happy about it.  

Fast forward a week… Philip and Moses went to visit the child yesterday, and it turns out he actually does have a mother, who had gone to her home village some weeks ago and left the child with a neighbour. When the mum returned and heard that a medical team had come and had shown concern about the child, she took him to the hospital herself.  

Anyway, he is now admitted on the paediatric ward having some intensive feeding and his various problems being sorted out. It’s clearly a case of serious neglect by the mother – he didn’t get in that state overnight. But our team turning up seems to have shocked her into action. We’re going to keep an eye on the situation, but for now he’s in the right place.

Electricity in Uganda is generally hit and miss, with no power for half the day at least… and in Namatala it’s even worse. So, to help provide a constant power supply for the classes, Moses and Bex have installed a solar panel (yes, just one!) and some lights for the ground floor.

It produces enough power to light four rooms and four external security lights. And they can also power a laptop and projector, or the haircutting shaver!

An update about Child of Hope's girls’ home in Namatala has revealed its impact on the lives of the three girls currently living there. The girls have greatly improved in behavior, academics and appearance... and, of course, they are now safe.

The home is run by one of our staff, Ruth, as house mother. Ruth is a single lady and works as our office assistant – and has a big parental heart. Very needy as a child, she was shown kindness and taken in to someone's home to feel safe and secure. So she understands the pain these girls are going through. The girls love and respect her a lot.

This is Mary's story.... "I am eight year old. Before I got taken in to the girls’ home, I was stay with my abusive father and life was so difficult. I could only eat one meal a day and that was what I got from school. What was worse, my father could beat me up. He could tie up my hands and legs and start beating me almost to death. He one time burned all my clothes I got from Child of Hope. I was only left with one dress which is my school uniform. I used to share a small hut with him because my mother left me when I was two years old. In this small hut he could bring in his friends to sleep in. My life was insecure from these men because he could leave them in the house alone with me.

"However, my freedom came when Child of Hope identified me as one of those at risk. I was put in the girls home where I am cared for. I eat all the meals regularly: breakfast and evening tea at home, lunch at school. I sleep in a better place. I am so happy and grateful."

Meetings... love 'em, hate 'em... but staff at Child of Hope now do them African-style!

The team has created a meeting area at the back of the school, because there isn't enough space in the school currently for the welfare team to have an office – so this is what they’ve built for them... and they’re very pleased with it!

Worldwide Christian Schools (www.wwcs.org) is an organisation which helps Christian schools incorporate biblical teaching and principles into the curriculum and methods of teaching. Two of its trainers – Prossy and Liz – have been working with our teaching staff for the nursery and primary sections and welfare team. Through teaching, discussion and teamwork our staff have learned how to show the heart of God to the children and community we serve.

 Prossy and Liz said: “The training has gone very well and the staff have been very open and receptive. The idea of the training is to change the staff’s perspective of why they teach – from being merely a job or a duty, to that of an opportunity to change the next generation – to help the children become the future leaders of the community, reducing corruption and improving productivity and efficiency in their future roles as adults.  

“During the training we looked at practical ways of showing God’s love to those around us (eg celebrating birthdays, encouraging each other). We encouraged staff to move away from just using verbal examples or theoretical learning and try to find practical examples they can show the children.”

This was the first module of six and we love the way teachers and social workers are encouraged to accept children just as they are, loving each one equally and having time for fun as well as learning. 

Each module (four full days of training for 20 staff) costs Child of Hope around £135. Would you like to sponsor the next module?

A bit of advance notice... Bex will be coming to the UK on April 30 - with Moses joining her on May 18 - until June 23. We will be setting up various opportunities (both here in Dorset and with a roadshow around the UK) for people to meet them... more details to follow.

While they are here, if you'd like them to speak at your church, business group, or just to a bunch of your friends, e-mail me (Phil Dowding) at the UK office with your preferred location and some alternative dates, no promises but we'll try to set it up. If it doesn't happen this time round, Bex hopes to be back in the autumn for a few weeks.

Moses, Philip and Martin are currently sorting out a temporary classroom for the school. We needed to make better use of the space we have available and the original idea – to simply partition one of the existing groundfloor classrooms – didn't work out because there just isn't enough space.  

So a temporary classroom (wooden poles, plywood and iron sheet roof) will do for the time being - it will cost just over £500, but hopefully the iron sheets (the most expensive bit) will be used for something else when the classroom is no longer needed, once the first floor is completed. We're just about to get an updated cost on finishing that floor - inflation is pushing up prices almost weekly.

In addition we're ready to install a solar power system at the school for around £300 (it will provide electricity for a few light bulbs and a laptop!), and do some work on the fencing of the school.

Here's the current state of the school building during the construction of the next floor... looks a bit untidy but all the wooden supports (the usual form of African construction for modern buildings) is where the new first floor is currently being built.

Further building works are on hold until finances arrive to fund the concrete slab that will form the floor of the second floor and the ceiling to the first floor.

Bex reports the Christmas party was AWESOME! She said... "We had three tents (marquees) by the school – 2 for parents (over 200) and 1 for the children, plus some VIP guests..  

We started with presentations from various groups: a couple of Christmas songs from the nursery choir (sweet!) – the little guys wearing the tinsel round their necks.  I’m still not quite sure why ‘Joseph’ was brandishing a baseball bat – but I guess Mary’s security was assured! 

We also had a drama of the nativity story by the primary school team, complete with Mary, an Angel (wearing the obligatory bed sheet – flapping around), Joseph, a donkey (I’m still not sure which child got the short straw for the donkey character!), shepherds, King Herod and his security team, some wise men (all our children are wise, of course!) and a bunch of miscellaneous creatures around the manger.  No children or animals were harmed in the making of this production I’m pleased to say!  We had a couple of songs from the primary choir and also a choreographed dance to the song ‘Light of the World’.  

The parents then had their turn – the mothers from the literacy and health groups formed a choir (the mothers in the long stripey skirts) and also gave a short drama about the importance of family planning (I suppose family planning fits into the Christmas theme in a ‘divine’ sort of way!).  Not to be outdone, the Karamajong parents also formed a choir (these are the very colourful ladies with a couple of guys with feathers in their hair) who had us all jumping up and down like lunatics (some of us nearly had heart attacks in the heat!). There was a very amusing moment when Pastor Philip went ‘head to head’ with one of the other K’jong dads to see who could jump the highest!  

After all that frivolity we had lunch (beef stew, rice, vegetables plus a bottle of soda each) and there was more than enough to go round – making it possible to feed all those community members who were stood outside the fencing looking in!  After lunch we had speeches and then moved on to presentation of certificates and gifts for the parents who had ‘graduated’ from their classes (health, literacy, IGA). The IGA woman of the year was Maria and you can see her receiving her gift of a mattress from the RDC. 

After the parents, the children received their awards (best in class, etc) and then Father Christmas arrived!  All the COH children received gifts (clothes and sweets) from Santa. Some of the donated clothes were too small to fit our nursery children so Santa was able to bless some of the little kids from the surrounding community.

After all that, everyone went home (the children happy, the staff exhausted!) and the COH team prepared themselves for their own, well deserved staff Christmas party the following day. We all trooped off for a slap up buffet lunch and some silly games prepared by Martin.

And now we are on official holidays!"

You can see some pictures by clicking here.