12th January, 2020
Dear friends,
Monday morning I managed to go with Augustine and William to the market to get the weekly shopping. I felt very weak, as I had been unwell all day Sunday, we spent over an hour walking around buying matoke, bananas, fruit and vegetables. The young man who carries for us was really helpful and we let him go off and buy things on his own as I’m sure the prices rise when they see a ‘muzungu’! Tuesday I went to see my doctor and I am now over the sickness, there was a torrential downpour whilst I was at the Surgery and a number of roads were flooded making the drive home interesting.
It’s been a week for catching up with paperwork and finishing off the year-end accounts. Petra came to work on the accounts for a couple of days and Peace started making lists of the requirements the boys need for going back to school or vocational training and filling in our quarterly return forms for the Ministry of Gender. A young man Shadrach, who I have known for a few years, has started work on a part-time temporary basis and helped with the buying of reams of paper, school books, pens, pencils, brooms etc. He runs his own charity working with Street boys and knows some of our boys, he and Augustine went together to get the school requirements. I also managed a visit to Nora, my lawyer, one afternoon in the centre of the city, but managed to get caught up in the evening traffic making it a long, slow drive home.
“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9
Some of the boys have been ill with tonsillitis, but after a few penicillin tablets have bounced back into action. Sam and I took the youngest ones swimming on Friday afternoon – it rained, they still enjoyed the water and we sheltered. Musumba was being taught how to dive by one of the attendants and did well.
William my security guard at home has left and gone back to his village. He asked if he could take Jackie (my dog) with him, which I’m obviously upset about but know that she really loves William so it’s probably for the best. Strangely Peanut my naughty dog has better behaved since they went, I think he needs a visit to the vet to be neutered, which will hopefully help his bad biting and jumping up habits!
We went to KK Beach Saturday afternoon and it was really good to see the older boys showing off their football skills, they play a game in a circle passing the ball to each other with usually a couple of the boys in the centre trying to take the ball off them if the ball goes out of the circle the player who knocked it out is then in the centre. They enjoyed the game so much today, especially Ronald, Godfrey, Simon Peter and Tim. It is difficult to imagine the lives these boys had in the past as they have grown into really nice young men and it’s a pleasure to be out with them and to see their enjoyment of being together, playing football and badminton.
With love and prayers.
Jane
