6th November, 2022
Dear friends,
I’ve been travelling this week with Peace, Jesse and two of the new boys young Denis and Musa to find their families. Tresor came with us to Lugazi to deliver food supplies to the boys at Hope. It was a busy time meeting probation officers, LC1s, and some of our older boys who are back living in their home communities.
On Monday I spent 5 hours at the NGO Board offices trying to submit documents to obtain a letter to renew my work permit. Nora came with me for some of the time but there were queries! I have left it all in Nora’s capable hands.
On travelling to Mbale we went via Palissa to see Augustine and his family. There are so many of them, it was lovely to see ‘Aunty Jane’, (named after me), she has certainly grown! Augustine has some work back in Kampala this month and will return, staying with one of his brothers who is working here.
“The Lord himself will go before you. He will be with you; He will not leave you or forget you. Don’t be afraid and don’t worry.” Deuteronomy 31 v 8
We found Musa’s mother, also on our journey, near Iganga, who was pleased to see him, and we spent sometime asking about the circumstances of him running to the streets. As I’ve mentioned before boys usually stay with their father’s when a marriage breaks down and Musa had been with the father and stepmothers.
We called to where Emma works at 9am on Wednesday morning in the centre of Mbale and found him there, he has been making metal doors. We arranged to take him to supper that evening, he loves an audience and is quite a comedian, which the two new boys enjoyed.
The journey to find young Denis’s family was not easy, he came from a village near the Kenyan border called Bumbo. We had arranged to take the Probation Officer with us and collected him from the District Offices. On reaching the home, which was a good walk from the road, through a slum area, down an embankment, over a stream, up a hill, past fields, we found the grandfather was out. The locals helped William the PO to locate him and after about an hour the father, grandfather, teenage step grandmother with a baby, uncles, neighbours, LCs arrived! Of course it rained and 16 adults squeezed into the home with Denis and a number of other children, escaping the downpour! The mother had abandoned Denis at the grandfather’s home when he was a toddler and not been seen since. We met the father who has no home and a drink problem. How Denis survived is a miracle in itself! He will not be returning for holidays until he is much older and then this will be monitored by the Probation Services.
Later that day we visited Derrick who also lives in a very remote area in the hills, and is well settled in village life.
Thursday morning we found Musa’s father, in Mbale, the Probation Officer for that area was unable to come with us but the LC1 was available and knows the family and thankfully she stamped our papers. Musa was reluctant to see his father, I think he was worried we might leave him there. He will go to his mother for holiday periods to begin with.
Tim came and met us in Jinja on our way back to Kampala, for a meal and we gave him a copy of his DTI certificate and CV as he is applying for a baking job in a nearby town. Altogether a productive few days.
The auditors have been in the office this week and everything seems to have gone well. They just need to confirm George’s Place exists and have a list of our assets – furniture etc. in the home.
I’m off to see the boys this afternoon and take them to play football and for swimming. Prayers please for Kasita and Musumba as they take their P7 exams this coming week and Dennis as he will soon be finishing his S.4 exams.
Christine and I are hosting a barbecue tomorrow (Sunday) in the gardens of the apartments, I just hope I have the energy!
Thank you for your continued love and support.
Love Jane x
