Sunday 26th November, 2023
Dear friends,
There has been so much rain again this week but this morning, Saturday, is bright and sunny so hopefully it will stay that way. Most of the boys have gone off to the football academy this morning and following this they are going to some sort of celebration, I’ll contact Tresor later to see if its worth me going up to Garuga to see them.
All the boys in Secondary schools have returned and the boys in Little Angels also broke up this week. Kasita’s school report is amazing with many A*s – he is doing so well. Also we believe Johnson has done well but his report is coming via WhatsApp! I think Kodet is struggling but I have not seen the report yet – we might talk with him about going for vocational training. So it’s a fairly full house at George’s Place. I arrived there on Thursday evening about 8pm as we had taken Raymond for family tracing that day.
“The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned.” Isaiah 9:2
Jessie, my driver, and I met Tresor at Kajjansi at 9am to collect Raymond before we proceeded to collect Peace and drive to Kayunga. On the way we bought some school supplies to take to Destiny Primary School where Dan’s brother George and sister Shilla attend. (We pay school fees for them both). Sadly we saw a mob beating a man in Gayaza for stealing – we prayed that he survived.
On reaching Kayunga we went to the Town Council as we had arranged to meet the CDO (Child Development Officer) but he wasn’t there! We were directed to a District Office, about 5 miles away on a murram road and he met up with us 3/4 hr later. We were introduced to the Chairman, Health Inspector and other members of their committee who were having a meeting and we then proceeded with the CDO to find Raymond’s home. Raymond had lived with two aunts (his mother’s sisters) their children and his older sister who has a baby. There were 13 children there. The sisters rent a couple of rooms. No one seemed pleased to see Raymond – they said he had run away before and been brought back to them. None of the children attend school. I think the environment was even a shock to the CDO, we sat and talked and then walked to find the LC1, who was not at home but met his wife who knew Raymond and said he was trouble! Eventually, following several phone calls we met up with the LC1 back at the district office and he signed and stamped our papers. I don’t think Raymond will be going back there for a while. His mother is said to be in Kampala so we will start looking for her. In Kayunga we went to have some local food and whilst eating met the local Probation Officer who came and greeted us – we know him through Dan who also comes from that area. When we eventually got to Destiny School all the children had left so we will go back there next week on our way to Mbale.
Griffin has been helping with the cooking this week and made burgers for the boys and staff which they thoroughly enjoyed. He wants to make a cake and we have bought him the ingredients. Joseph, back from college wants to see if he can get some work during the holidays at the Water Board, he is doing a plumbing course, so we will look into that for him. Flavia contacted me last week asking for school fees for a lad in Senior 4 (Wassaw) who was due to take exams but couldn’t until the fees were paid – of course we settled them.
It’s grasshopper time and many taxi’s and lorry’s are arriving in Kampala with sacks of them to be sold!
Simon Peter was hoping to go back and stay in his father’s village, but the uncle has written that he isn’t welcome! The father died before Simon came into our care. His mother lives the other side of Kampala and is married again.
Please do pray for our boys some of whom are rejected on many levels sometimes with curses put on them, or through neglect/cruelty, even their relatives participating in ‘witchdoctor’ involvement.
I spoke with the boys on the laptop this afternoon and will visit them on Monday, they were all fine. Our work continues and we give thanks for the positive changes in these boys lives. Thank you for all your kindness, love and support – we couldn’t do this without you.
Blessings and prayers.
Love Jane x
