Sunday October 16th

Ann takes over the blog this time about activities in Mityana Yesterday.

I have had an interesting day today – the morning was spent at the Esuubi Café with Phiona, Nora and Esther discussing encouragements and difficulties.  They gave me a warm welcome and were just unpacking some craft, with which the Café was being restocked. I was quite encouraged to see some customers leaving as I arrived at 10am.

Around midday I was very brave and travelled to Ekiwumulo on the back of John Bosco’s boda (motorbike) - Not my favourite means of transport but the easiest way to get around while I am here! At the school a Primary 7 (last year of primary education equivalent to our year 7 in UK) party was underway. I find this sort of party great fun and a brilliant idea. It takes place about 2 to 3 weeks before the P7 candidates take their end of primary education exams. I was given a huge welcome (and asked where Simon was!) and was asked to help cut a cake made for the occasion and make a speech.

The P7 leavers

The party involved lots of dancing – initially by the P7 candidates and later by everyone. The candidates are all given “Success” cards for their coming exams. I love this idea, as it is an equaliser for all whether the children are academic or not. Following the presentation of cards and speeches a huge lunch is served.

Dancing

Success cards

 The mothers of the houses had been up since 5.30 preparing food and everyone was enjoying themselves.

The Lunch!!

Ann with Mama Joyce and her daughter Nagawa Sarah who is one of the leavers

After lunch I went to thank the housemothers and also Winnie Kisakye who lives at Ekiwumulo and is now teaching the very young children. She has been working with Esuubi since it began. I had learned via face book that she had recently adopted a baby boy following a knock on the door she had had in the middle of the night just over a month ago. She had gone to a house where she found a baby on the floor between the legs of a mother hardly able to move because of HIV – this young mother had been living with her grandmother and had been raped. The man involved had threatened to kill her and her grandmother if she told her grandmother that she was pregnant. The baby had been born prematurely and had been lying on the floor with the mother unwashed for a week and weighed 1.5kg when Winnie was called. Winnie and her daughter Jenny cried when they saw the child. As the family are unable to look after the baby they asked Winnie to take him and she is adopting him. He is still tiny, now weighing 2.5kg, but it is a miracle that he is still alive.

The Baby Winnie has adopted with a friend Brenda

Winnie told me that sometimes she had wondered why she is a Ekiwumulo but she knows that God has used her by being there for this child.  She also said that she at first found it very difficult getting up in the night to feed him!

I shall be travelling on Wednesday to join Ann in Mityana for a few days before going on to Fort Portal next weekend.