Kiwanvu Food Distribution

February 2, 2012

Today was the first month’s distribution out of the next six in a totally new area - Kiwanvu. 

It was a little slow in getting the distribution done, but that gave me time to talk to the women and children that were there.  I also got to meet the team here with Mr. Barry from Houston,Texas.

Pastor Larry, Woodlands, TX  surrounded by little friends 

Vera (l) and her friends want to get to know the "muzungus"

After the names are called out it is time to take the food to the homes.  These are heavy bags.  It takes two people to carry them . . . . 

  . . .or not

This takes a lifetime of practice!

The best part for me is taking the food to the homes of the women and getting to know them.  It often leads to a time of sharing the Gospel.  Today we went to Jane’s house.  Jane has three children, only one who is still home and two grandchildren. We learned that she does have a husband but he lives in a different village.  

She goes to the Church of Uganda  and claims to be a Christian.  I still shared with her C2C(Creation to Christ) and we will follow up on that.  Many believe they are Christians even though they do not have a personal relationship with Christ.

Jane with her cow hoof that she will cook today

Jane makes a living selling food.  Actually, she buys cow hooves, cuts them up, cooks and sells them.  Truthfully, it did NOT look appetizing to me.  But she does have a beautiful smile.  

Zirobwe Village

January 21, 2012

Our Christmas food project that we started back in December for the holidays is still continuing on.  One of our special friends is Ernest Buyondo.  He is a Christian young man who has special-hire vehicles for his business.  Ernest and his drivers are often used by our team to get places.

Ernest told us about his village in Zirobwe, about an hour north of Kampala.  There isn’t an orphanage there but there are several families there who have taken in orphans. We decided that it would be good to help these families with the extra children they have. One of our connected churches in the States wanted us to buy animals (goats and pigs) to help the families be self-sustaining.

Buyondo’s dad, Lawrence, is a farmer and had several goats and pigs himself.  We decided that he could be the person to oversee the project and bless the other families. 

Buyondo (right) and father, Lawrence

Greg, Lawrence, Madinah, Jan, and Ernest

Before we bought any animals we held a discussion to decide how we could best help these families.  Lawrence would oversee the project and help the families who might not know what was best for the animals.

 We spent the morning buying goats and pigs, then the rest of the day giving them to the families that have taken in the orphans.

Lawrence had gathered goats from others that we might want to buy.  Yes, we bought them.

More goats to buy

Greg Rainwater buys this pig.  Nice piggy!

And three of these piglets

Still needed another goat, so we buy this one from a nearby neighbor.

Bean, Posho, and the first goat loaded.

Loading the second goat.

We have made all of our purchases.  Now we are ready to start .


This was the first place we went to; the home of Francis.  Francis has 14 children of his own and he took in these four orphans.  I believe they were probably his nieces and nephews.  But with this big a family, help is certainly appreciated.

4 orphans with MK Hannah 

Francis receiving baskets of beans.

One of the girls with their new piglet

On to another house.  

This young man, not the guardians, was to be in charge of taking care of the piglet (with the help of Buyondo's father)


Another home. Another orphan.  He is just nine years old.

As we left each home, we prayed for them, that they and the whole village would be blessed.

Of course, all along the way,  we gave out beans and posho to nearly everyone that we met.

Madinah giving out posho to some of the Jjajja's (older ladies) of the village.

After we visited everyone that we could we returned to Ernest's father's house.  His mother and some of the ladies of the village fed us a wonderful, typical African meal.  Beans, posho, irish potatoes, matooke, sweet potatoes (they like a lot of starches) beef in a stew.  It was delicious.

Ernest's mom (right) and ladies from the village

Finally, in appreciation of the day, Lawrence gave two chickens to our group. 

Madinah with her new chicken.

It seems like I say this in every blog, but even though we went to bless the people of Ernest's family and the people in his village, I believe that all of us would say that we were the ones that were blessed.

God's Grace Orphanage School

January 16, 2012

Recently I heard about an orphanage in Kampala from my house worker Madinah.  She told me that a lady name Maria had 40 children who were orphans and 40 more that she was trying to help.  (Maria used to be married but she could not get pregnant.  For her and many others here that often means the end of a marriage.)

Madinah, Maria, and volunteer

Maria did not want children here to suffer the same kind of childhood that she had had so about five years ago she started helping children in the street.  Two years ago she found this building and it has become God’s Grace Orphanage School.  Although she has had people to help her, as far as I can tell, she has had no consistent backing from an organization or church.

 

 

She has 7 volunteers who run a school by day.  

My friend Sarah in one of the class/bedrooms

By night the schoolrooms  each become a bedroom  -- Just pull out the foam mattresses that are stacked by the wall. 

This little girl had the measles

Maria said that they do not know where food and help will come from.  When they have a need they go into the room that is designated as the “church” and pray.  She says that in an hour or two, sometimes more, the food (or whatever help) shows up.  “It is by God’s grace that we are here.”

Maria and the kids knew we were coming today.  When we said that we had brought food and we wanted to pray for them, they all went into the church to sing, worship, and pray.  One little 10-year old girl was called on to pray.  They call  her “musumba”  (preacher) because she prays so fervently.

Church - Time of Praise and Prayer

While they were still in the church I took the opportunity to look around at the property to see have they have and what they are doing with it.  They are renting the place but haven’t paid anything in a year.  There was another unfinished building on the property that I asked about.  I was told if they ever get the money they will try to finish it for classrooms.  

I also saw their outdoor kitchen.  Today they had enough food for all -- matooke (cooked bananas) and beans.

Cooking lunch for about 40

 

Finally it was time to get the beans and posho that we had brought.  The bean bag weighs about 200-250 lbs and each of the smaller posho bags weighed about 50 lbs.  The children rushed to do their part to help. 

Who can carry these heavy bags?

We can make it look easy

They were glad we had come and so were we.  The leaders gave coworker, Greg, a rooster in appreciation for the food.  We, in turn, gave the rooster to Madinah who had led us to Maria and the orphanage kids.

Maria and the children saying thanks

 

Leaders present Greg with a rooster.

Miscellaneous photos of the kids. 

 

I am holding Cathy.  She did NOT want me to put her down.

Always a ready smile.