Visit to Uganda and Kenya, June – August 2008, Pippa Wilkinson

We began the 7 weeks in , where we stayed in a rural village about 100 kilometres from Ginja. The village really was rural, and we were living in very basic accommodation (no running water or electricity, and I shared my room not only with Becky but with many crickets, spiders, lizards, geckos, and frogs!), which was actually great and it was a real privilege to live with such welcoming and beautiful people. We were never short of fruit or chickens, which were continuously brought for us as gifts from the villagers. Our work in the village consisted mainly of teaching in the local schools and doing home visits and praying for healing. We were also asked, without warning to preach at church on our first Sunday. I think the biggest impact we had though, was just being in the village and spending time with people; they just couldn’t believe that two mzungu (white people!) would want to come and live in their village and get to know them – and meanwhile, we couldn’t believe why people wouldn’t!

It was sad to leave the village, but we were so excited about heading back to (we would be working in Pumwani slum, Nairobi – where we lived and worked in our gap year) and seeing all our friends again. I cannot describe how it was to see everyone again, such a mixture of excitement, joy and emotion. It was particularly special to see the children again, whom we were unable to keep in contact with, and to have them rushing over remembering our names and so animated to see us again. I was also so overjoyed to hear that the group of slow-learners that I’d set up and been working with in my gap year had been continued by teachers at the school and they were doing so well. What a blessing.

Amongst other bits and pieces, our main work in was to set up a library for the children, and to work with the sponsorship programme. We also got to go on a couple of home visits, which included visiting a man, Patrick, was very ill with Aids, and could not get out of bed. His wife had died a few years earlier, and neighbours had taken in his children since because he had AIDS he could not earn any money to support them. He lives in a tiny room in the slum, with no bed, and relies on neighbours to cook for him. It was upsetting to see him living in such poverty, but we prayed for him, and asked if he would like to give his life to God. He wasn’t sure, but asked if we could bring him a bible. This was on Friday. The following Monday we came to the community centre, where we found Patrick waiting for us. He had managed to get out of bed (which he hadn’t done for weeks) and walk to the centre, and was asking how he could give his life to God!! We were able to pray with him and give him a bible. Isn’t God good?!

Our work with the sponsorship programme included working with an amazing lady, Joyce, who took us to meet children who desperately need sponsorship for school. Now home we are looking for sponsors for these children, and I’d like to take this opportunity to ask you to think about whether you could commit to sponsoring a child or youth to go to school/college. Before this year I was quite naïve and never really realised what a difference sponsorship makes – it literally is the difference between a child getting an education and therefore being able to get a job and make a life for themselves, or not getting an education and often ending up on the streets, in jail, in prostitution, or worse. The cost of sponsorship varies on the different cases depending on whether the child needs to go to boarding school or not. If the child does, sponsorship could be up to £400 maximum a year (less than £35 a month), if not sponsorship is usually around £100 a year (around £8 a month). If you think you could sponsor a child, or would just like to ask more questions, please email (philippa_wilkinson@yahoo.co.uk) or ring (07912629272) me.

I will be holding a cake on  the 7^th September to raise money for the work of St John’s Community Centre. Please come with money in your purse, and if possible, a few cakes for me to sell!!