Morning Chiclets, how goes it? I'm sorry that I haven't written earlier (I feel like I'm always apologising on this thing, but really it's because we so, so appreciate all your comments and words of encouragement and I desperately want to keep you guys updated with what's going on, but sometimes that's easier said than done) Anyway, life in Africa today is wet! I say today because life in Africa really does change with the weather. The only things that seem to stay the same are our clothes! Yes we smell and we don't care!
The experiences we are having are so different that our emotions are on a constant rollercoaster but I'm pleased to say that it's all good so far. Actually it's better than good it's amazing. Lorna and I keep pinching each other because we really can't believe how blessed we are to be here.
So let me explain a little bit of what we have been doing so far. You've heard, or read rather, about how we ended up meeting up with the Friends of King Alfred's team.
http://www.kingalfreds.oxon.sch.uk/
OK so King Alfred's is a Secondary school in Oxford. The team was made up of 48 people from all over the UK but mostly Oxford. The team was all different ages, talents, qualifications, shapes and sizes...you know the score. It was wonderful actually just listening to individual’s stories about how they came to be involved in the project. Maybe if you’re reading this and you're from the team you could share some!?
Anyway, we met the team at Adrift Camp Site in Jinja. This place became our home, and a very wet one at that, for the next 10 days. Lorna and I had the unfortunate experience of choosing a tent that was not at all waterproof. Never a good idea during Africa's rainy season but quite funny looking back. The site itself was gorgeous although very busy. I thought sharing a bathroom with a family of six was annoying try two hundred and six!
So as far as I understand in 2004 37 schools in England, Primary and Secondary, were linked up with "developing" schools in the third world. King Alfred's happened to be linked to a secondary school here in Uganda called Lords Meads, a very affluent boarding school by African standards. Meanwhile a neighboring Primary school in Oxford (sorry I can't remember the name perhaps someone could enlighten me) was linked to Butugaya primary school.
( Blewbury Endowed Church of England Primary )
Since 2004 the schools have enjoyed communications between students however both King Alfred's and the Oxford Primary school agreed that in terms of immediate help, donations and funding Butugaya Primary was in more urgent and desperate need. Remember I spoke to you about the girls all crammed into one classroom where they sleep by night and learn by day. So although King Alfred's still maintains contact with Lords Meads and we did spend time there, they have subsequently directed the majority of their physical and financial support to helping Butugaya.
So our team of 48 was divided into teams and we split our time and talents between the two schools. Each day you chose, or were allocated to, a team you wanted to join and felt you could contribute something to.
On the Butu (that school name is seriously too long) site we had a team of builders.
Their daily tasks involved carry bricks, laying bricks, cutting bricks and basically doing anything else you can possibly do with bricks. The work was very strenuous and the team did a fantastic job working alongside the local builders building a boarding house for the children there. There was also a resource team. Their job was to go the the local market and but any equipment the team needed as well as ordering the different materials needed for the finished boarding house. This was a fab idea as it generated some income for the local people and it's always exciting to get communities involved, that way the word of good work spreads and more lives are changed! We also had teaching teams there doing guess what...teaching and finally we had the support team. Their job was to go to the local market everyday and to provide lunch, cups of tea and water for everybody. Good job team. I never lost any weight so they obviously did their job well! (Too well)
Then over on the other site, Lords Meads we had a team teaching. This included science, maths and English lessons. For me it was (one of) the most enjoyable days I have spent so far in Africa. Not only did I spend the day with my beautiful sister singing but I just felt God's presence in that place. The children were so unbelievably responsive to what we wanted to do and welcomed us with open arms. Not to mention their ability to harmonise...naturally, which made our job a lot easier. At night we then enjoyed a huge concert where they performed some local dance and songs and then we all performed together. It was amazing. It's weird because I know that I should be saying that building was the most rewarding because we really were doing something productive but I just can't stop thinking about those children and their passion for education. It was so inspiring. They were just so appreciative of us spending time with them and singing with them. Of course singing gospel music all day with children who can sing is my idea of heaven but it was more that that. I felt like they knew and understood what they were singing about. They sang Eliza's song "May the Lord Bless you and Keep you" and let me tell you everyone in that audience was truly blessed.
In Africa the parents have to pay for their children's secondary education and so it is a privilege to even get to go to school. Some of them walk 4 or 5 kilometers everyday just to get to school (with no shoes) they start school at 5 in the morning and don't finish until 9 at night. Each child I spoke to said they wanted to go to university but in order to do that they must get the best grades so they study and study and study!
K I want to finish with once last story about a conversation I had whilst at Lords Meads. I spoke to a young boy called Francis; or rather he spoke to me. It was the end of the day I must admit I was knackered. It happened to be one of the hot days and we'd been singing and dancing all day. Then the kids decided to set up a basketball game. The last time I played basketball I was 16 and I ended the game with a broken nose so needless to say I sat out on the side cheering my team.
I had just moved under a tree for some shade when Francis came over to talk. I feel bad looking back because to be completely honest I couldn't really be bothered talking to him. I wanted to sleep. Anyway he persisted asking me questions. Even my one word answers didn't dampen his enthusiasm for this dull white girl. Eventually he asked me what kind of music I liked and I blurted "gospel". That usually stops conversations with 17 year old boys but oh no not Francis he was determined. SO then he asked, "Any particular gospel Erica?"
"Have you heard of Hillsongs?" I asked fully expecting silence. For the next hour Francis and I sat under that tree singing Hillsongs and praising God. He knew every song and he loves God! He told me all about how children at his school don't think it's cool to go to church and how they'd rather listen to Akon or JT than church music. He spoke of how he would be dead by now but his relationship with God had saved him and how he gets though the days here by praising God. "When I have a bad day or I see something bad in my country I just sing to God". You see JT or Akon may make you feel happy for a second and it can be a quick fix but I know love that is everlasting!" Wow who said the sidelines weren't as much fun as the game!
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