The Hairdressing Department Project

Saturday saw almost the whole team at NVI starting the painting onslaught. We needed to get two coats of undercoat on today if we were to get the project done on time. We were predicting a 5pm finish. Soon everyone was working, each with a task that best suited their skills. We had 3 ‘high level’ teams on ladders, a group ‘cutting in’ at low level and a group ‘on rollers’. There was a great spirit in the room and work went very smoothly allowing a morning break and a lunch break and, to everyone’s surprise, we were finished by 4pm.

There were several special moments:

1.       We arrived to find the floor cement work complete. The BCM lads must have worked quite late to get that completed. Then a couple from the Welding Department arrived to grind down some anchor bolts protruding from the concrete floor. This emphasised the sense of being a team project.

2.       A member of the NVI staff arrived to say a morning hot drink was arranged for 11am for the team. This was served with some roasted ground nuts - delicious. They also informed us that lunch would be served in the board room at 1pm. So even though we’d all put together a packed lunch, we tucked into chicken, chips and greens accompanied by a ‘soda’ and followed by a banana and coffee. Again some staff (and maybe students) had come in specially to provide this for the team.

3.       As we started work in the morning, one of the students, Vanessa, who is on the motor mechanics course, asked if she could help. She stayed with us all day and worked really hard. Then after lunch 2 more students arrived asking to help if we could show them how painting was done. Tony gave Emmanuel and Juliet some basic instruction and soon they too were helping. It was so encouraging to see the students taking some ownership of the project.

4.       When we left the building for lunch we noticed a long queue of students. We investigated further and realised that it was the national blood transfusion service here to take blood. It was taking place in the open air with no sign of refrigeration of the blood taken. But it was great to see so many volunteering to give blood.

5.       We heard from Josephine, the Head of Hairdressing, that she had been to Kampala to meet Joseph. The phone call from her was full of excitement. She had bought 2 special sinks and 2 traditional wall mounted hair dryers – ‘I am so, so happy’ she exclaimed. These will be installed this week.

There will be more as this project unfolds next week.

In the evening we spent a little more time on Helen’s project. We have been collecting bottle tops at every opportunity. The task was to punch holes in them and then string 10 together to make a counting aid. So far we have 400 bottle tops pierced and strung.

An NVI student 'cutting in'

2 more nvi students working around sue

NVI students giving blood

A UgandAid student's story

Wilson, aged 19, lives in Eastern Uganda and lost his father in an accident. His family is very poor because his mother struggles to support the family.

Wilson applied to NVI and was called for interview. He set off with a few shillings in his pocket. It was not enough to pay for his journey to Jinja. So he travelled on the top of a lorry for the first part of the journey. When he got to Soroti he was able to catch a bus to Jinja. He slept the night on the floor of the Jinja bus station.

Wilson arrived for interview dishevelled, exhausted and very hungry. The interview panel heard his story and their hearts went out to him. He was given a bed for the night and the NVI staff made sure he was well fed and cared for.

Having realised that the money he had left would not get him home the staff each contributed what they could to give enough money for the fare.

Last week Wilson joined NVI to study motor vehicle mechanics, and he now has every chance of turning his life around.

It is for young people such as Wilson, the poorest and most vulnerable, that UgandAid exists.

This entry by Christine

Nakibizzi Primary School visit with Gospel Cross

Friday morning: surprisingly little trace of the torrential rains of yesterday, the rich red soil seems to have absorbed all the water. Apparently there had been hail in rural areas that had destroyed banana trees. Not a patch of course on the news of the snow and storms that have hit the UK.

The lovely Gospel Cross team picked us up at the hotel and we drove to the outskirts of Jinja to Nakibizzi Church of Uganda Primary School. Mission Statement ‘To produce healthy, God fearing and well educated citizens who will develop the nation.’ There are about 500 children.

This was a more affluent area, and we ruefully noted the contrast to Masese Co-Ed School.  At Masese the playground consisted of a swing, minus the swings, and a slide, with just the steps, no slide. Here there was a full playground with much innovative use of old tyres, painted in bright colours.

After a brief welcome from head teacher Florence, we were seated under a tree. A teacher rang the sonorous bell suspended from its branches and the children assembled, wearing a uniform of lilac dresses or shirts, smart and attentive. They were put through their paces, shuffling forward and back, arms outstretched, jumping and twisting. After a rousing chorus of the Ugandan National Anthem, the East Africa anthem and some Christian choruses that we could join in with, we were introduced to enthusiastic applause.

Today’s teaching for the top 4 year groups took place in the airy church. After the Gospel Cross team had presented the Healthy Eyes material, we divided into year groups for Snakes and Ladders. Quite a challenge, playing a game with 25 players gathered round, the board placed on the middle pew and the players hanging over the pews either side. Interestingly, their level of English was not as high as that of the Masese children. A happy, busy time that the children really seemed to enjoy.

On the way home we stopped off at a nearby village for Jan to pay an advisory visit. In no time at all the local children were sucking lollies and sporting football tops and multi-coloured wigs from Eddy’s inexhaustible supplies.

In the afternoon most of us visited Nile Vocational Institute to see our sponsored students. They were waiting for us in the hall and as each person appeared through the door they were greeted with cries of joy and many hugs by their student. To them we are ‘Mummy’ and ‘Daddy.’ A guided tour of the school brought us to the Motor Vehicle Mechanics classrooms that had been decorated by Team 1. Well done all of you, what a magnificent job! We had our first peek at the Hairdressing and Cosmetology Department, where Simon, Tony and David were perched perilously up ladders – see separate blog for full details of the transformation.

The evening saw the team enjoying a delicious Indian meal in Jinja. Happy times.

This entry by Sue

The decorating project

The Team 2 decorating project is focussed on the Hairdressing Department at NVI. But it will be far more than decorating. Can you imagine learning all aspects of hairdressing in a room that was previously an engineering department with no running water, only 1 broken mirror, walls so black that it was impossible to take a photograph of the students? A room with the remains of heavy machinery anchor points, raised concrete platforms and stanchions all there as serious trip hazards in the half light. A room with so many holes in the roof, it was impossible to use when it rained. You are beginning to get a picture of the hairdressing department.

This project has already become an amazing partnership between various NVI departments and the UgandAid team thanks to the efforts of Tony.

The hairdressing students agreed to scrub the walls and floor in preparation for painting. They started on Thursday and were still hard at it when we arrived on Friday morning. They were all dressed as if for a normal day’s lessons, yet they waded around in the floods of water, scrubbed the walls with great vigour and with much hilarity. Their effort and energy was amazing.

The Building and Concrete Practice Department undertook to remove all the stanchions and concrete platforms etc. They also agreed to insert two new skylights and replace many broken tiles. They worked tirelessly and before the end of the day had completed all the work and made good the floor. You might want to question their safe working practices but definitely not their energy.

The Plumbing Department are arranging a new water supply to the room and making provision for water waste. Three new sinks will be installed. The Electrical Installation Department are to update the electrics to allow three wall mounted hair driers to be installed. The Welding Department removed the steel stanchion and provided running repairs to the sledge hammer. The Motor Vehicle Maintenance Department provided loads of kit for the work.

Amidst all this activity two of the UgandAid team started putting on the undercoat on the walls at high level. It was slow work with one stationed at the bottom of the ladder and the other working amongst the rafters. But it was a good start for when the whole team joins in tomorrow.

A visit to Masese School with Gospel Cross

Today, Thursday, we went to Masese Co-Educational Primary School with Gospel Cross, an organisation that delivers Preventive Health Care training to poor communities. It was a rough ride along the dirt track up to the top of the hill overlooking the Masese slum area.

The school has around 900 children, many of whom are from the Karimojong people, a tribal group who have been displaced from their region in north-eastern Uganda and settled on government-owned land. They are feared and despised, are not allowed to farm the land and eke out an existence in the slum.

The top four year groups gathered eagerly under the trees, dressed in their yellow and blue uniforms. We were welcomed with a rousing song, then the Gospel Cross team introduced the theme of Healthy Eyes, at one stage causing hilarity as 2 of them blundered around in opaque goggles, trying to catch someone jingling bells. The challenge was to organise 200 children into 8 groups, then to introduce them to the game of Snakes and Ladders which reinforced the teaching. Whoops of glee and howls of disappointment rose from each group, they loved the game.

The students did remarkably well, we were impressed by their level of English, quick grasp of the rules of the game and of the points it raised. A hand-shaking exercise with glitter illustrated how germs are transmitted from person to person, then from hand to mouth to eyes.

Our team was welcomed into head teacher Christine’s office. The school motto is No Surrender. After the fun of the game it was sobering to hear that some of these children were heads of household. For many years a charity had provided a daily meal for the children, but the charity had moved on and the kitchen stood deserted. Many children had left as a result, taking to the streets to forage for food.  Others did not have the means to bring food to school, so went hungry all day. The teachers did their best and there were inspiring stories of former students who had gone on to further education. The children pay around £10 a term and there are various sponsorship schemes. Macedonian Vision Africa is the biggest sponsor, supporting around 20 of the children. If this is for you, you can contact MVA’s UK team Rachel Muter, Paula Gabbott or Nigel Harris.

We listened to Christine’s dreams and wished we could help. Geoff and Julie will return later this week to discuss a possible twinning with an Altrincham primary school. We mulled over all that we’d seen and heard on the bumpy journey back to our hotel.

Just as we were setting off for lunch a torrential rain storm began. It went on until the evening, grounding some of us at the hotel. As our tummies rumbled we thought about those school children who went all day without breakfast or lunch.

This entry by Sue

Geoff and Julie's chance encounter

After a most interesting morning at Kathy’s Centre, we decided to go into Jinja to change our money, have a bite to eat and then for some of us some retail therapy.

Our first stop was the bank where we soon felt like naughty school children. We were commanded to form an orderly line in front of the counter by a fearsome female crowd controller. We were told off each time we got out of line – the lady brooked no argument.

After lunch at the Source Café, we went off to browse the nearby shops. Within 5 minutes Geoff – who else you might say - sat on a chair next to a young lady tasked with relieving tourists of their cash. Noticing we were muzungus, she asked if we were involved with a charity. He said we were with UgandAid, and she immediately asked, ‘where are Geoff and Julie?’ Totally shocked I said I was Geoff, whereupon she took off my hat and pronounced that to be true. Julie then appeared to many hugs and much joy, followed by Joan, Pauline, Jane, Eddie and David. It transpired that she graduated from NVI 3 years ago and remembered us from then.

It was a lovely moment.

Kathy's Centre revisited

This was our first full day in Jinja. Most of the team had been involved with decorating the interior of Kathy’s centre last year. We were thrilled to make another visit there today to see how things had progressed. We were not disappointed. In fact the last 2 or 3 weeks have seen huge strides forward.

The kindergarten is now fully operational. The headmaster, Basil, was so excited to explain how the main classroom has been set out into 10 learning centres. He described how each activity centre involved the kids in a fun activity with a learning objective. The techniques are quite unusual for Uganda, but we were able to see just how engrossed the kids were. We were told about one child had gone missing from home last Saturday (a non-school day) and had been later found trying to make their own way to school – they could not bear the thought of not going that day.

Then there was the progress with an outside play area. This had been designed and built by Oliver from Cool Canvas, together with an Act for Africa work party. They had all come from the UK especially for this project. The area included an activity tree which needed to be surrounded by sand; a water flow which used rain collected water to flow through a bed of stones and ended up watering a plant growing area; an outside home area with a mud kitchen and shop counter all designed for imaginative play. Joan and Phil set too spreading sand around the activity tree. A small team from NVI, led by the wonderful Japheth, were helping with creating this outside play area.

The goat compound was occupied by 20 goats, 7 of which were newly born. They looked strong and healthy and have their own state of the art housing unit so they have protection when the heavy rains fall. They are cross breeding a larger breed of goat with the smaller local ones. In about a year’s time they will be able to start generating an income from this project.

We watched the brick makers at work, they were using an eco-technique that used very little cement and could be cured in two weeks without firing which saves precious wood. These will be used for the new building going up on the site.

Once the introductions were over we were able to pass on some toys and books that had been donated for the project. Eddie distributed his woollen dolls, crazy wigs and of course lollies. There were lots of good conversations with Patrick, Oliver, Japheth, Basil and the other teachers.

It was soon time for the 1 hour journey back to Jinja. The road is still under construction, but is in a much better state than 12 months ago. We were fascinated to see a roadside stone quarry with men and women breaking up huge boulders to make the stones for the road hard-core. Everyone was taking every opportunity to earn a few extra shillings.

The afternoon was spent in Jinja changing money, having lunch at the popular cafe, The Source and having a first venture around the shops. More of that later . . .

Oliver and his play tree

Oliver and the texture kitchen and shop

The children playing with the counting activity

The children and the water play

Emmanuel's story

24 year old Emmanuel is an inspiration and a true testament to the power of vocational training and sponsorship. 

Emmanuel is a bright, engaging, confident and chatty young man. 

He grew up in the north of Uganda with 7 siblings. Three have sadly already passed away. With one of his brothers, he resorted to living on the street to escape the family who were wasting their lives with drinking and not working. He met an ex NVI student who recommended NVI and his application was successful. 

5 years later, he's completed 2 courses at NVI, starting with 3 years of Junior level motor vehicle mechanics, then 2 years on the more advanced Craft course. 

Whilst at NVI he took opportunities such as joining the gymnastics club (imagine human pyramids and jumping through hoops on fire). Emma was also proactive in establishing community initiatives to help encourage and aid those in poverty in the local rural areas. 

He's currently working as a mechanic in Kampala at The Cooper Motor Corporation Ltd, and also with an Indian company (Avianaerospace) to introduce drone technology to Uganda. 

I cant do justice to the words he used when he told us a little about his life. He spoke passionately about NVI, the skills he has gained and his plans for the future. 

He has incredible self belief, and rightly so. It's  men like Emmanuel who are changing Uganda for the better. His aim for the future is to be successful. When asked what he ment by this, he said simply for him this means:
- being happy
- changing his family for the better, and
- giving back to his country by support others and sponsoring children through education

His desire to raise up the next generation of Ugandans brought tears to many eyes.

Team 2 arrive

With two delayed flights to Brussels it was a rush for both groups to make the Entebbe flight. But we all made it safely and all had seats within the same section so there was time to catch up with each other. Just one missing case to report – we hope that will turn up in the next 24 hours. We had a glimpse of two team 1 members though the window into the departure lounge. Amid much waving and gestures we gathered they had had a good time!

We stopped overnight in Entebbe at a hotel not used by the team before – it was interesting. You have to keep reminding yourself this is Africa and get on with it.

It was a late night and after 5 hours we woke for breakfast with the sound of very heavy rain and thunder. You could not believe how wet you can get walking the 20 meters to the breakfast bar.

Soon we were on the now familiar road to Kampala and Jinja. It was a straight forward journey with fewer holdups than usual. It was great to turn into the road leading to our hotel and see the welcoming party in the middle of the road waving vigorously. The team 2 was now complete.

Once everyone was settled into what is to be our rooms for the next two weeks, we headed off to a beautiful spot overlooking the Nile for much needed food, a drink and lots of excited chatter. This may be the team for those who have been before but it does not lessen the sense of anticipation for what’s to come.

Day 13 - Worship service at NVI and Lunch at Jinja Yacht Club

Today was the big day when the team led the Sunday worship at NVI.  We had practised our songs (City on a Hill and 10,000 Reasons – selected by Gill) and rehearsed our skit (under the direction of Ritchie) over the past few days.  Andrew had prepared his talk based on the story of the Wise and Foolish Builder – and our skit featured Christine and Phil in the starring roles.   We were a little concerned that our dramatic efforts would not live up to expectations but we needn’t have worried – it was very well received, especially the part when Paul and Tony ran up and down the aisles shooting water guns simulating the rain and storms.

Andrew’s talk centred on the importance of having a strong foundation of faith in Jesus and how that faith will carry us through the storms of life.  Steve offered the opportunity of receiving prayer at the end of the service and several came forward.

After the service we were able to spend time with the students and staff under the shade of a marquee.  It was a great opportunity to get to know each other better and we were sad to say goodbye.

Lunch was booked at Jinja Sailing Club – the smartest and most expensive place any of us had ever been to in Uganda.  It is in a beautiful setting on the banks of the River Nile and we sat outside to eat with our guests – the Senior Management Team of NVI; Eddison, Prossy, Robert, Rogers, Joseph and Rev Luke.  We spent a wonderful relaxed afternoon together and reflected on all we have seen and done over the past 2 weeks.

Day 12 - Macedonian Vision Africa Project & Boat Trip

Today we were taken to the Macedonian Vision Africa (MVA) project, created and run by Pasteur Alfred.

Pasteur Alfred purchased the land over 15 years ago and time spent every day walking around the perimeter, praying that eventually it would become a training institute specifically for the young people of the Masese slum area.

We received a warm welcome from Pasteur Alfred’s daughter, Christine.  Christine is in charge of the girls who stay at the institute in their off site dormitories to keep them safe.

Christine spends most of her time working in the neighbouring Masese slum, encouraging the girls to come to the institute to train rather than remain in poverty.

Christine was attacked in December after encouraging one of the girls to continue with her training instead of entering into a forced marriage after having a baby.  This meant that her guardians missed out on the normal dowry and it is suspected that they organised the attack as a reprisal.  This was then followed up by an arson attack on the dormitory itself, which destroyed all of Christine’s personal belongings.  Thankfully no one was harmed on this occasion, but it highlights NVA’s highest priority, which is to raise funds in order to purchase an on site dormitory where the students will be safe.

The morning ended with a walk through the Masese slum with Christine followed by lunch provided by Pasteur Alfreds wife, Rose.  We finally met Pasteur Alfred after lunch where he gave some brief word’s.

The day was completed with boat trip around Lake Victoria and the source of the River Nile. 

Day 11 - Crochet, Phonics Teaching, Meeting New Students and Games at NVI

Today’s focus was the official meeting of the new students at NVI.  Some of the team went early to give crochet lessons, attend hair-dressing classes and give phonics teaching to students prior to the days main activities.

Sheila, Angie and Gill were delighted with the enthusiasm with which the students took to learning crochet, despite using pencils rather than crochet hooks.  Visiting them a second time opened up the opportunity to develop relationships that could be built upon.  The subject of homelessness in the UK was discussed.  The students were appalled that this is possible in the UK or and other developed country when we have so much.

Sheila, Angie and Gill also attended a hair-dressing lesson where they were given instruction on hair extensions and received a new hair style.  The students were fascinated at the texture of their hair.  The team noted the facilities were woefully inadequate and yet the students were still delighted to be there.

Ness and Pauline have spent the last week making phonics resources, using plastic water bottles and cut up cardboard boxes, in order to deliver phonics training to the Evelyn, the Head of NVI teaching section and her students as well as to Betty and her staff at Victoria Baptist School.   They were delighted to learn about how phonics is taught in the UK and particularly pleased with the emphasis on using available resources.  We all had lots of fun and the students joined in with each activity enthusiastically.  Jan will be visiting Betty’s school next week and is looking forward to seeing that some of the activities will already have been implemented.

In the afternoon it was time to finally meet each new student and pair them with their individual sponsor (if they have one).  Each new student was given a gift bag by the Ugandaid team which included things like toothpaste and soap.  It was heart warming to see the joy of each new student when they met their personal sponsor for the first time.

Some of the existing students were also given gifts which included hand made post cards by the children at Broadoak School in Partington, UK.  There were various different designs which reflected British traditions such as poppies, red busses and full English breakfasts and the relationship with Uganda.

The day ended with a sports afternoon including netball, volleyball and football.  The football match was played between new students versus old students.  The new students won 2-0.  The Ugandaid team was then invited to compete in a tug of war against the NVI staff, where, to the delight of all the students, Ugandaid won.

Laurie's Spotlight

“Having know a few of the Ugandaid team for a number of years I have formed an impression of what to expect on this, my first trip.  However, now coming to the end of the second week I realise how I totally underestimated the experience.

The friendly welcome at NVI and all the schools and villages were close to overwhelming.  I have ben repeatedly and profoundly amazed by the engagement and enthusiasm of the pupils of young and old.

Similarly the enthusiasm of the teaching staff appeared to be boundless despite the extreme lack of resources and large class numbers, often 75 or more.

I hope that Ugandaid and NVI can continue to develop and provide hope for the youth of Uganda.”

Eamonn's Spotlight

“Totally humbling experience, a country of people with very little but always a way of surviving and never without a smile.

The Ugandaid charity is run very professionally by a tireless team of dedicated members whose 100% commitment is always aimed at giving Nile Vocational Institute students a gateway to a brighter future.”

Jan's Spotlight

“It has been a challenge to cope with ‘small’ groups of 30, rather than the expected ten!  Helen and I are learning a lot however; drama, glitter games, snakes and ladders and word searches have all helped to get the preventative health message across.

The Ugandaid team have pitched in wholeheartedly – and that is a HUGE help.  Our Gospel Gross friends have worked so hard to prepare and facilitate this trip.  Thank you!!

God is good – all the time.

All the time – God is good!"

Day 10 - Walukuba East Primary School & Party in the Village

A group of us went to visit the staff and children at Walukuba East Nursery and Primary School, which is partnered with Ness’ school in the UK (Bowdon Church School).  We all split up and visited a number of classrooms, with up to 60 children in each.

We thought I would be a great idea to teach them “Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes.”  This went down a storm and to our surprise most of the children already knew it.  It was amazing to see the joy in the children interacting with us.  Some classrooms even sang to us their own songs which was an honor to hear.

Ness and Pauline spent their time in the younger classes (Baby, Middle and Top Nursery) and used the glitter activity to teach about the importance of hand washing.

We had time after the classroom visits to mingle during break time.  Most of the children (1,000 +) simply wanted to chase us around and pose for photographs.

The afternoon and evening was spent back at the same local village we visited on Tuesday.  This time we split into groups and carried out eye health workshops with the villagers using interpreters to break the language barrier.  This type of education is essential as awareness of the small things, such as regularly washing hands to prevent the spread of infection and noticing symptoms of infection and conditions, which can keep eyes and eyesight healthy, is limited.  We taught on the importance of a varied diet – in particular vitamin A – and of visiting a health clinic if an eye condition develops.  We showed pictures of pictures of a baby with sticky eyes, people with cataracts, a child with measles, a child with trachoma and these were all studied with great interest.

Afterwards the village elder asked people to come forward and say what they had learned from the training and it was encouraging to hear that the messages appeared to have been understood.

The afternoon ended with speeches from villagers and Edison, who came along from NVI, supper and an amazing party with drums and dancing.  It was so good to see the happiness in the many the children, especially when we handed out soft drinks in cartons (with straws), balloons and glow sticks, which some of them had never seen before. 

Stuart's Spotlight

It is ten years since I was last in Uganda.  The journey from Entebe to Jinja is the same fascinating experience.  The increase in new buildings and businesses was apparent.   The welcome that we have received is spectacular and the joy of the people that we meet is overwhelming.

The project at NVI, cleaning and painting two classrooms, was completed in good time.  The teachers and students were so please to see the Ugandaid team.

It is a testament to the years of relationship between Ugandaid and NVI that so many students have been sponsored and lives transformed.

My experiences have been working on the project, Sunday morning service at NVI, games in the park with 150 students and white water rafting.  But, the thing that stands out is the love, joy and dedication and determination of the staff and students at NVI to improve life for the student.

Thanks to the Ugandaid team for organising this 2018 trip and thank you to the team that has worked so well together.

Day 8 - NVI, Gospel Cross and Spire Road Primary School

Today was a day of options for everyone.  One group taught around  30 Textile students to crochet using the hooks and wool they had been given from home.  Tony fixed the light fittings in the Motor Vehicle Mechanics classrooms and another group went with the Gospel Cross organization -  led by Betty, Harriet, Agri and Sam – to a local village school.  We used materials from the Healthy Eyes Activity Book to teach about the importance of a healthy diet, immunization against measles and face washing.  We had lots of fun playing a related snakes and ladders game which reinforced the key messages.

Later another group visited Spire Road Primary School in Jinja.  This school has provision for 52 blind or visually impaired children who are fully integrated into their year group classes each of which has over 50 children.  There are also 7 teachers of braille (6 of whom are visually impaired themselves).  The children learn by using a pre-brailler frame before using a full brailler. 

The head teacher is truly inspiring and has a big heart for these children.  We were met there by Pastor Alfred, who is the Chair of Governors.  We were told that there is insufficient funding for these children – who are all boarders at the school – and they rely on donations from well-wishers even to provide enough food.  They have no canes and there are insufficient braillers and braille paper.

Paul S's Spotlight

“Even after the orientation meetings I wasn’t sure what to expect on arrival.  After the first week I am now becoming more aware of the history of NVI and the relationship Ugandaid have with it.

I feel privileged to have been able to contribute a small amount of my time to make NVI a better place for its students, one of which we are looking forward to meeting and sponsoring.

The experience of a small piece of village life was a real eye opener.  The effort expended and gratitude expressed by the villagers was humbling.  I found Jinja town centre both exciting and challenging, due to its array of shops and restaurants, but also because getting there and back required hiring a boarder-boarder motorcycle ride.

I already have many memories from the trip, not forgetting the white water rafting on the Nile.  I have thoroughly enjoyed the trip and may repeat in the near future.”

Ness' Spotlight

It’s great to be back in Uganda and I am so proud to be with the amazing Ugandaid team this year. 

We have met so many old friends of the team since we’ve been here and it is clear that relationship is at the heart of all that Ugandaid stand for.  We hear time and time again of lives being transformed and we hear of people’s thankfulness to God for the work of Ugandaid. 

The team work together with their Ugandan friends to improve lives and there is a palpable sense of optimism and hope. 

Our school’s 2 students Dilish and Timothy are delightful  - full of thankfulness to God and hope for the future - and it’s been so good to get to know them.  I will be very sad to say goodbye.