Back at school/college, visiting Connect Africa, hearing from some of the older boys.

Dear friends,

The boys are all back at school/college. Tresor was busy Monday taking Joshua to Maranatha, Musumba to Trinity, dropping Yusuf to catch the taxi to Bombo, then taking Brian to Bethany and Sula, Saviour and Victor to Connect Africa – I’m not sure what time he got back home!

Kasita left last weekend as he has gone to his family for a few days in Mukono not far from Muzza High School where he attends, he starts school this coming Monday. Kodet is taking his ‘0’ level exams from a school nearby George’s Place – not boarding – prayers for him please – we felt it was better for him to be staying at GP. The young ones started back at Little Angels and Saidi arrived back this Saturday.

Griffin sent me a photo of 100 burger buns he had made at Munyonyo Speke hotel which look good. He is obviously doing well, though tells me he is tired!

“For we walk by faith, not by sight.” ‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭5‬:‭7‬

Peace and I went to George’s Place on Wednesday afternoon to talk with Benard and Tresor and to visit a clinic, the medical fees have been rising where we have a ‘Memorandum of Understanding’. Hopefully the new clinic we found will be more reasonable, we will still use the other clinic for emergencies.

We heard from Asaph this week who tells us he’s fine, working and driving a boda not far from Mubende where his parents live. Also Augustine phoned to greet us and says he is doing ‘alright’. Patrick has also called and will be returning to us shortly to get his new teeth fitted!

Peace and I visited Connect Africa on Friday, Jessie drove, to meet with Lynn (American CEO), Charles (the manager) and our boys to raise some of the issues the boys are anxious about. It’s good that our boys are able to speak up for themselves! Victor was spokesman and is concerned, as the examinations seem to have changed half way through the course, and the DIT exams they have all been sitting are being changed to TVET modules. Hopefully organisations/businesses will be aware of this when the boys leave college. There were other issues as most of our boys haven’t taken P7 exams and find written work difficult, also many of them don’t have birth certificates as their births were not registered, these are needed to register for exams, with the P7 results. I’m not sure how possible it is to resolve these issues. We agreed that they be practising more of the practical skills they are learning, I think last year there was a student who was encouraging others to get on and make some small money through their cooking/baking skills but our boys sometimes lack motivation and confidence. It was a helpful conversation. Along the roads, some of which had been closed, were many pilgrims walking to Namugongo for Martyrs Day on Tuesday, having walked from as far as Rukungiri, Mbarara and Masaka – it must have taken them many days but they were singing, smiling, clapping and beating jerry cans as they walked.

I visited George’s Place Saturday lunchtime, ate posho and beans that Vincent had prepared. The boys had been busy most of the morning but it had rained and when I arrived they were watching television, they then enjoyed a craft activity. They later went swimming with Tresor and Benard and I left to visit Joshua who needed a dictionary and powdered milk at school.

Thank you for all your love, support and concern for our work.

With love and prayers.

Jane