14th April, 2021

Dear friends,

It is with thanksgiving to the Lord that we look back on 2020, which was an extremely difficult year for so many people across the world. I was unexpectedly locked out of Uganda in April after I visited South Africa, but the work of Homes of Promise continued to thrive without my being in the country.

The boys did well during the early lockdow . Some went to stay with their relatives in the villages. They were visited by Shadrach and Peace when lockdown finished and most then returned to George’s Place later in the year.

Five of our older boys moved into their own accommodation in November – Augustine, Tim, Simon Peter, Emma and Patrick – we furnished small rooms with bed and necessities and are helping with their rent. They seem to be doing well – Augustine and Simon Peter have been working on building sites but it isn’t always easy to find work. Tim is well settled in the bakery and Patrick and Emma are doing welding work. Godfrey has been helped to set up a chapati-making business.
It is encouraging to see these older boys moving forward in their lives and managing to fit into the workplace as well as having regular contact with their relatives, George’s Place and each other.
Derrick moved back with his father early in the year and has an apprenticeship in a welding business near Mbale. Sadly his father suffered a stroke in December but we were able to help with the medical fees.

The younger boys in George’s Place have received homeschooling since August when their lockdown finished. Sadly the schools are still not open but final year students are back – which means Kodet is back at school and so is Big Brian back at vocational college. The boys in George’s Place also received art classes, which they have really enjoyed, and local handicraft classes. They have been limited in taking exercise but managed to dig up some of the compound to grow vegetables.

Anton has continued growing crops of matoke, maize and Gnuts and is looking into building himself a small house on the land to save on rent.

In December nearly all the younger boys went to their villages for Christmas, also to avoid being in Kampala for the January 2021 elections. (30 street boys were arrested in Kisenyi during election time.)

We did have two Management Meetings during the year and Mr. Ken Mdoe joined the Committee – sadly his wife Betty died of COVID early in 2021. They have both been such a support to me personally during my time in Uganda.

2021

Where do we go from here? We give thanks to the Lord for the answers to prayers – for the older boys who are now working and resettled. Some of our younger boys who have been staying with their relatives might well be better in local schools near their villages or boarding schools, we are not sure! We know we can trust the Lord for our work – we are in a very changing world and many people are in difficult situations and circumstances in the U.K. as well as in other countries. Hopefully, I will be able to return shortly.

God bless Africa, Guard her children, Guide her leaders, And give her peace. For Jesus Christ’s sake. Amen.

Thank you for all your support – we continue to believe this is God’s work and He will guide the way forward.

Love and prayers.

Jane