On Saturday 4th June 2016 a day before school opened, Ba Nga Afayo Initiative Uganda organized a back to school out reach in Kayunga District (The area where we work) to help the children there close off the holidays and prepare for school in style. We carried with us good news wrapped in different packages and could not wait to share with the lovely souls.
For the greater part we managed to get sponsors for ten children, Ssenyonga Vincent being one of them. Vincent is 11 years old, in primary four being looked after by his grandfather. Vincent’s father abandoned his child and wife (RIP) for another woman making it difficult for Vincent to get education but thankfully Vincent has got a sponsor now.
Also we managed to provide 60 pairs of Sandals to a few children considering the number of those in need. This is because we know that most of these children if capable regardless of their ages have to dig on people’s or their farmland so they can supplement on their school fees. They do the digging bare-footed which is harmful and yet what we want is to care for them in all aspects of life.
It being a back to school outreach, writing materials were a must give therefore 400 excise books, 200 pencils and 100 pens were provided. Our mission is to bring real and lasting change to children affected by poverty and if we can provide these children with writing items, items that can help them define their future then enduring change can be realized
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We had something for the adolescent girls too; sanitary pads. For many of the girls it was their first time seeing sanitary pads, helping them learn how to use them effectively was of the greatest pleasure. We carried with us three boxes of Always sanitary pads and made sure at least each of the girls got two packets or more depending on the need.
What is work without play? And what better bonding than that done over games and food. We want more than a casual relationship with these children, we do not want to be looked at as just people who provide help but as friends and family. We want them to feel we are reliable and trustworthy because we are not only looking at their physical health but their spiritual and mental health as well.
Although our target group are children and young people, we could not leave out the widows and the elderly. We gave them a thank you package in form of 50kgs of sugar and 20 loaves of bread appreciating them for never losing hope, doing whatever was and is needed to keep their children fed and some in school. You might be wondering why the elderly? Well this is because when a child either loses a parent or is born to a young single mother they are most times abandoned or dumped at the grandparents’ homes. For that reason there are many homes headed by grandparents but full of grandchildren plus some of their own children. To aggravate the situation these grandparents are either farmers or housewives who rely on goodwill.
All in all we had a great time with the children and we managed to put smiles on their faces. We also welcomed new children like baby Shakim among others whom we hope will get a sponsor soon.
With more than 200 children in our program and only ten having sponsors, plus having limited resources to help them we pray that we get more sponsors to help us improve their lives and realize their future.
See it all here in video
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