During a visit to Child of Hope in Uganda, a team from the Lighthouse Family Church near Poole got stuck in and helped repair a couple of straw roofs.
Leo McCarthy from the team said: “The welfare team had identified two families of children at the CoH school who desperately needed new roofs and of course we were keen to help.”
The working party was split into men (to help repair the roofs) and women (to carry the straw because culturally this was considered women's work. Actually, the guys helped too). All the straw was at the school and had to be carried quite a way, which proved hard work for the ladies on such a hot day.
Meanwhile the men stayed on site to help construct the roofs, which involved passing up the bundles to be placed by the local men, checking the ties on the roof twigs and making sure things were held secure.
“It was very early in our trip and we hadn't adjusted to the heat, but it was a very good opportunity to get stuck in with the community and also linking with COH's welfare team,” said Leo. “We had our first glimpse of slum housing and some of the team found the squalid conditions and lack of possessions rather overwhelming to start with. Overall we were well-received and thanked by many of the community, even passers by.”