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Email received from Emily on
Monday 13th June
Hello everyone!
Monday 6th June: I found out that the Matron, who looks after the girls and boys, had lost her sister. She travelled for around 8 hours, back to her village, to go and be with her family. She is now back at Kira, but please pray for her during this sad time.
Tuesday 7th June: First I went to a Maths lesson and learnt about different types of banks, their interest etc. After that, I then sat in a catering lesson. I didn't find out, until I had agreed to stay, that they were preparing stuffed chicken!!! The chicken was whole, with only the head removed! The girls have to saw the feet off, at the knee joint, and then cut it and take out the insides! The girls found my face highly amusing! After preparing the chicken, we then made chips, on a wood fire! And then cupcakes, in a wood burning oven! I found all of this very exciting! In the afternoon, I sat with the girls and painted their nails. We also talked about family and how to keep ourselves safe. In the evening we had devotions and then off to bed!
Wednesday 8th June: I was told we were leaving at 10am, to go to Lira. Grace (headmistress) told me she had been sick and didn't feel well. Someone came to pick her up and she has been in hospital with Malaria. She is now back at Kira, although feeling a bit weak. We left at 11.30am. We got a matatu (taxi) into Kampala and then walked through the busy roads and side rounds to the bus park! Wow, I’ve never seen a place so disorganised in all my life! I kept hold of my bag, and had men holding onto my arms telling me they love me and I’m beautiful! We then found Joseph on the bus and sat there for an hour! The buses don't leave until they are completely full! The gangways were full with huge bags and it was a very tight squeeze! The bus took over 6 hours to reach Lira, and on the way I got stung by a huge, fat, hairy fly thing!! Not a nice way to be woken up!! We then got a taxi to out very cheap hotel (less that £6 a night!).
Thursday 9th June: We went to Adele Primary School to pay fees. Two girls, who Amigos sponsor, showed me around the school. The school has a population of 10,804 and only 39 teachers – mostly male.
We went to several other schools where we paid the school fees, played with children and then left. Nobody was at Lira Central School due to public holiday so we went to visit some sponsor children, at their grandmother's house. Their grandmother looks after all 6 of them and Dolly, who has downs syndrome. Apart from Dolly providing chairs and giving us lots of hugs, we received quite a poor reception. Joseph had already guessed that one of the girls (who is 16 years old and in primary 6) was pregnant and that was why she hadn't been attending school. She hid in the house but Joseph managed to get it out of her brother. He explained that we still love her and want to support her with the baby and get her back to school after she's had it and that she might even be a candidate for Kira. At 3pm we then went to Alpha Primary School, in Amach village, where paid school fees and I spoke to some of the students and the headteacher. We then visited the families and homes of two male Kira students - you can see them in some of the pictures I’m attaching! At 7pm we met up with the girl who was pregnant and her grandmother. I explained that I would take her for a test tomorrow, so we have proof for Amigos and her sponsors.
Friday 10th June: Got up at 7 and didn't have time for breakfast. We spoke to the manager of the hotel, to see if we could have the hall for a few hours. She asked for more information and asked if she could have one of her children sponsored! The pregnant girl and her brother were waiting outside and we arranged to meet later for the pregnancy test. Then the local Rev. turned up (never met him before) and asked for children to be sponsored! (we guess the manager had passed on the message to him).
We went to some schools to pay school fees and travelled deeper into a village, where we went to King James School. This is where I stayed for a few minutes, before leaving, due to the caning. I later found out that our driver has a girlfriend in the school, even though he's married and has children! After visiting one more school the pregnant girl. I took her to the doctors, on my own. We had to pay 5,000 shillings (£1.50) for the test. Found out that she's due in August.
After the clinic it poured with rain for over 2 hours! So we stayed put, until it passed. We then made our way deep into a village, where we met the LC1 chairman, parents and children, to identify children who need sponsoring. I was able to choose many of them! I will attach some pictures. If there's anyone who would like to sponsor one of them, please attach their picture and email it back to me!
We went for a meal at another hotel at 8pm. Very hungry as we didn't have time to eat all day!!
Saturday 11th June: We had arranged to meet all the sponsor children (over 50 of them) at 8am with their guardians, to write letters to their sponsors and for them to receive a present, like toothbrushes, bags and shoes. One child got there on time, but we couldn’t get into the hall, due to complications. So I sat with them outside my room, and we started. They also helped me to get all the ants out of the bags, that we brought with us from Kira! They had hatched and taken over all of the bags and my bedroom! This is when I met the boy with HIV (information in the previous email I sent you). He couldn’t even walk or sit up. Joseph took pictures and we both paid for him to be rushed to hospital. Many different people had found out about the event (we guess through the manager) and were asking us to sponsor their children. Joseph dealt with it very well. After they all finished their letters and received their gifts, I sat with the girls and talked about how to keep ourselves safe and why it's important. We finally finished at 3pm (4 hours behind schedule!) We then made our way to visit the families and homes of two Kira students. We went out for a meal, at around 8pm. Very hungry again because we didn't have time to eat anything all day!
Sunday 12th June: Up at 6am and went to visit the boy with HIV in hospital. We then managed to get a free lift back to Kampala, with the brother of someone who works for Kira! I got back to Kira at 4pm, slept, had some food and then went to bed!
I'll update you all again soon, hopefully before Sunday!
Thank you for all your support and prayers,
Em x
Email received from Emily on
Saturday 11th June
Hello everyone!
It's our last night in Lira and it has been a hectic time! The last 2 days we've gone without breakfast and lunch because there just isn't time! There's been a lot of highs but unfortunately a few lows. I would like to ask you to continue praying for me, as the last few days have provided me with a few struggles that I'm finding difficult to cope with.
Yesterday we travelled all over paying school fees. When we were at one school, we saw a member of staff carrying loads of long sticks that he has just collected from the bush. We sat down in the headmaster’s office and within seconds they started caning a child in the room next door. The headmaster and a few teachers were laughing about it but this child was screaming like I've never heard a child scream and the sound made me physically sick. Joseph ran off to ask them to stop but I had to get up and leave the school. I didn't go back in after that but they apologised to Joseph and said they hadn't realised I was there. I have had nightmares about this and need some help trying to get over it.
I have seen some children's report cards and some classes have over 400 students with only 2 teachers. I understand that this must be such a huge struggle but caning a child over 15 times is just wrong. Today we put on a morning session for all the sponsored children, helping them to write letters to their sponsors and providing shoes and school bags for those who need it. Halfway through the session a lady carries in a child who is obviously very unwell. He is living positively with AIDS and he couldn't even sit up! So Joseph and I paid 40,000 shillings (about £12) and rushed him to hospital to be put on a drip.
We are going to visit him tomorrow morning, before leaving Kira, and see how we can help! I can't get his image out of my head.
Speak to you all soon!
Em x
Email received from Emily on
Tuesday 7th June
Hello everyone!
Well, it’s been a busy few days! On Thursday we travelled up north. We drove near Besingis house (I guess that’s how you spell it!) and all around were police with stingers. It took us over 6 hours in a hot coach before we arrived at Red Chilli Rest Camp, in the National Park.
We only had time to drop off our bags in the rooms before heading down to the Nile for the water safari! It was a 2 hour trip and we went up to Murchison Falls. On the way we saw cape buffalos, crocs, looooads of hippos, an elephant, wide range of birds (including the diving king fishers!) and a range of other animals! When we got back, we went and had a lovely cold shower! I had a bit of a fright when a spider’s leg touched me while washing my hands! We had a nice meal at the rest camp too! Then off to bed at 10pm for an early start in the morning!
On Friday we woke up at 5:45! Very tired as were woken up by a hungry hippo munching by our room during the night! We made our way down to the Nile to catch the ferry across for our game drive! We had to be at the Nile before 6:45! We travelled across and met our tour guide on the other side. While on the game drive we had cheese and marmite sandwiches for breakfast! We saw lots of different deer, cape buffalo, two giraffes up close, two deers locking horns, elephants up close and a lion!!!! (Although he only had 3 legs!) After the game drive, we made our way to Masindi! We went and visited some 4 different sponsor children and had a look around their homes. One boy had built his own house and he’s only 12!! Later that evening, we ordered tea together and Joseph shared stories of some of the children at Kira and some who are sponsored. They have had such hard lives.
Another early morning on Saturday! We went to go and meet a young boy and his mum who told us that her husband died in 2005 and she wasn’t sure what he died of. In 2007 she found that she and her son were both HIV positive. The boy cried for two weeks when he found out. He didn’t cry because he was positive, but he cried because he didn’t want to lose his mum as well. They are both very healthy and strong. We all prayed with them and shed a few tears. His mum said that if she didn’t have faith, she would have died by now.
Then we went to see a girl that one of the team members sponsors. After we met a girl who went to Kira last year. A week before she was due to start at Kira, she was taken by her step aunty to be a child sacrifice. She managed to escape and has since had her ears pierced so that she is no longer perfect. She now looks after chickens in her family house and will sell them when they are big enough to eat. Her mother moved away when her dad got Elephantiasis and her step mother has also passed away. Her dad can only wear shorts due to his condition and struggles to make ends meet.
Then we went to visit another girl also went to Kira last year. She is doing really well and her crops have done really well this year. We had a quick 20 min lunch and then back in the coach! We then went to visit the homes of some of the current students at Kira. We first visited Vincent’s house, then Joshua’s house, then Rebecca’s house and then Beatrice’s house.
On Sunday, we got up early to start our journey back to Kampala. On the way home, we stopped at Sharon’s house. (Sharon is also a student at Kira). Sharon’s mum had prepared a present for us to take back for the students at Kira! The present included mangos, jack fruit, peas, beans, eggs, bananas and lots of other fruit and vegetables. We had to load all of the fruit and vegetables into the coach around us and our luggage! After this, Sharon’s mum showed us where her chicken pen had been broken into and all her chickens were stolen when she was out. So we all put some money together, so that she can afford to fix it! We then carried on with our journey back to Kampala. When we got to Kampala we saw a cow going round a roundabout the wrong way! We all went to 1000 Cups Coffee Shop, and had a light lunch. We then had the opportunity to shop at the craft markets. Instead of shopping I went to Watoto Church, which used to be called KPC, with Miriam and Anne (Phil’s wife). We then travelled to the guest house and put our luggage away. A few people went out for a meal but Miriam and I decided to stay at the guest house and get an early night!
On Monday we were up at 5am and left the Guest House at 5:30am! We arrived at the airport at 6:15 and I said goodbye to the group! I then went to the bank with Joseph, exchanged some money and then came back to Kira Farm.
Hope this helps you all to keep up with what I’m doing! I’ll email again soon!
Lots of love Emily
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