9th April, 2017

Dear friends,

I have been in the office most of this week, though did meet with Revd. Erineo on Wednesday morning regarding the food supplies for South Sudanese refugees.  He and his colleague Aquila have come up with a proposal and we are in the process of purchasing rice, posho and beans for identified South Sudanese families some in Kampala and some in a refugee camp who are in critical need.  Hopefully I will meet with the South Sudanese Mothers’ Union who are based in Kampala next week to hand over the foodstuffs for here and will also visit the refugee camp.

Crane had a meeting on Thursday morning that I went along to for directors of organisations working with street children.  I went by taxi but unfortunately the one I was in stopped outside the city and I had a long walk up to Namirembi;  as I walked through the market and slum area I met a couple of boys I knew collecting rubbish and was able to help them with drinks and food.    We have planned another meeting with him early next month so that we can be working together for the best possible outcome for these children.  We also talked about the celebrations for the International Day of the Street Child which takes place next Wednesday.  Shaffick continues practising his rap!  I handed out some of our leaflets and a few people recognised the boys and were really encouraging seeing them look so clean and healthy.

‘They took palm branches and went out to meet him shouting, ‘Hosanna, Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the king of Israel!’ John 12 v13

The paperwork continues – in fact I wonder if it will ever be finished!  

One afternoon I took the boys to Jahazi Pier where last week’s church service was, it’s great as they can play football there, we even put up the badminton net and played a few games, also took the hula hoops- which I’m improving at.  Sam has been on a parenting course this week so Tresor and Paul have been around helping out. 

Saturday we enjoyed our usual trip to KK beach dressed in our Homes of Promise T-shirts – easier for seeing everyone, we even managed to squeeze 15 of us into the  car on the way back. We walked there. 

So life continues at George’s Place – an outside kitchen has been built to shelter the cooks from the rain (which continues), one of the garages has been cleaned and painted, bunk beds installed so that we are prepared for more boys.  The storeroom has been shifted and shortly I will have my own small office, a shelving unit has been ordered to store clothes and shoes – so we are getting organised!  

There is no sign of Easter in the shops or on the television – not one Easter egg – but palm leaves were being sold today for a few hundred shillings for everyone to take to church tomorrow.  Thinking of you all, especially as we enter Holy Week – may it be a reflective and special time.

With love and prayers.

Jane