If you only ever read one of my posts, please let it be this one

Please watch the video but then read this post, I know it looks like a boring load of writing but it could change their lives and I've made it as short and interesting as possible!

Note:

This has been an odd two weeks. I've been working on the video and post in the little free time I get and things would conveniently stop me like power cuts etc. Also have limited resources here, I can only use movie maker to make the videos which is very very very frustrating when using lots of clips, doesn't do a lot and keeps force closing and corrupting my work. 

So please forgive me for any amateurism or mistakes, as well as if I've seemed a bit stressy recently! I can now get back to my normal self.

So on the motorbike one day I was thinking about my time here and how I want to really make a difference. I know I am doing a lot each day but I just felt like there was more I could do to help and I just prayed something would come up to show me how I can help...

Edith

However, I didn't spend most of the afternoon with the kids this time. Edith was there, she is the lady who started the whole thing, and I spent a long long time just talking to her and finding our her story. It is so inspirational and she is extremely strong and brave and if you have a few spare minutes I encourage you to read my post about her (click here)

Wanting to help

Of all the places I visit each week, there's something inside me that really really wants to help Home of Hope and the children. I have seen some orphanages with children with awful backgrounds and also very sick, however they are now in good care, with stable funding and are well established charities.

I feel Home of Hope could do with some more help, just some small things I've noticed which I think (with the help of you) we can change.

If you haven't watched the video now would be a good time to watch it to see who I'm aiming to help...

Sending things isn't the best answer

After visiting the markets here I now realise that although collecting things and sending them over here would be lovely and make us feel great and people are more likely to collect items than money...

... it actually is less of a help than buying it here. Because,

1. Everything is SO much cheaper here, 

2. Postage costs to here are SO high for large packages, and

3. the amount of stuff I saw in the market was unbelievable. Mountains and mountains of clothes, shoes, furniture... the list goes on. Everything. And most of it appears to come from places like England. Piles of clothes with designer clothes mixed in and nobody even realizes what they're worth. 
Anyway, however they got all this stuff, my point is that buying things here is a better way to help the local economy and also support the people trying to sell things at the market. 

The main bit...

SO. Here is my proposal. I have had an AMAZING amount of support from friends, family and people I don't even know. Thank you so much. The financial help when raising money to come here was great, and now that I'm here I really want to make a difference to these children's lives. 

I feel the amount of support from you guys is a huge opportunity for us to help these kids, and for us individually it would be the tiniest effort ever; like I said, everything is much cheaper here so our money goes a very long way. I would love to raise money to really help them here, but your thoughts and prayers are equally as important as not everyone is able to give financially.

In the UK we value people with disabilities just as anyone else, they are not outcast or abandoned, so I hope we can use this heart and mindset to help the children at the bottom of society here.

The best thing about what I'm going to ask of you, is that if you choose to help, you will be able to see the outcomes.

I am here right now. (at 2am inside my mosquito net) 

...I am in Uganda, and so I can SHOW you the change. YOU WILL SEE DIRECTLY WHERE YOUR HELP HAS GONE

Wasswa and Hausi

The two boys

After spending some time on walks with the boys, noticing how clever they were, I asked Edith why Waswa and Hausi (pronounced "house") don't go to school like three of four of the other kids do that are able enough. 

The only reason is there is no money to pay their fees...

Waswa and Hausi both have Hydrocephalus which is a build up of fluid on the brain. The excess fluid puts pressure on the brain and damage it. Most cases result in an abnormally large head. (It can also cause paralysis of some of the body, mental disabilities, and in some cases death.)

Luckily for Waswa and Hausi, they are very clever young boys. They cannot move the lower half of their bodies, but I believe they would really benefit from going to school and learning. They can even speak some English to me; they are very cheeky, funny and love to rap.

After watching the video, if you feel you could help towards fees to send them to school, it would be such an incredible opportunity for them and greatly appreciated.

Baby Bunks

Waswa and Joseph are two babies I've spent a lot of time with. Joesph was left abandoned on the grass outside the home a few months ago and we don't know who left him. Waswa suffers from Cerebral Palsy. They are adorable little boys and they now need a bed each (bunk bed which has guards like cots do)

Tony, Rashida, Peter, Geoffrey and I

Lying on concrete is not comfortable

One of the first things I noticed when I came to Home of Hope was the lack of places for children to lie or sit in the day - some just lying on the hard floor, unable to move much.

Many of the children cannot even crawl and so lie on a mattress all day. However there is only one large mattress at the moment, and therefore it is shared by up to eight babies / young children at one time.

Lots of babies and only one mattress...

Towel instead of
nappy

Not only is this cramped and uncomfortable for them, the lack of control over urination means there is constantly wet mess all over the sheets which get worn due to so much washing. 

Pampers disposable nappies are not used here as it is way too expensive. Small towels are tied around the babies bottoms instead but it's much more time consuming and less effective. If any mothers are reading this they will know that this is not ideal in comparison to nappies!

I'm sure you are getting the picture that the home is there, the heart is there but there are some small basic needs that could be fulfilled.

I am desperate to help make life easier and more comfortable for the children and staff, (as it's an extremely hard and tiring job as you can imagine) so I told Edith to write a list of everything she feels the home needs if she were to have enough money to get it all. 

I told her we can't be expectant but to write anything she can think of, and that I would try my best to find help in ticking some things off this list. This includes:

Me feeding Rachel - most children
can't feed themselves

1. School fees for Waswa and Hausi

2. Mattresses with waterproof covers (5)

3. Bed sheets (50)
4. Disposable pampers
5. Curtains for the windows
6. Mosquito nets (30)
7. Big sauce pans for cooking (2 sets)
8. Big kettle
9. Beds for two smallest babies Waswa and Joseph

Edith's email:

Hi Rachael,

Hope you are doing well dear, here is the information you asked for - the list of things we need. 

This is the list but we shall appreciate what ever comes and we can even decide to meet the urgent one though all are urgent, lots of love Home of Hope

Schooling

1- Waswa  Herbert  £62.50  per term or  £187.50 per year.  (250,000 Ugandan shillings per term or 750000 Ugandan shillings per year)

This includes supplies like books, pencils, food, pampers to use while at school.

2- House Gavamukulya. This is the same as for Waswa.

 So, for 2 pupils the cost per year for schooling would be £375.00.  I would love to raise that and more to guarantee them a full life education but little steps first.

List of things we need:

Mattresses for the day time resting, each at £37.50   (150,000 Ugandan shillings) - which include mackintosh which prevents urine spoiling the mattress so last longer. We need 5 mattresses = £187.50 

Bed sheets -each at  £5.00 (20,000 Ugandan shillings) We need 50 bed-sheets= £250.00

Curtain for the windows = £225.00 (900,000 Ugandan shillings)

Washable  pampers  = £125.00 (500,000 Ugandan shillings)

Mosquito nets each at £5.00  (20,000 Ugandan shillings)  We need 30 = £150.00

Big sauce pans,  A set is at £75.00 (300,000 Ugandan shillings)  We need 2 sets = £150.00

Big kettle £15.00 (60,000 Ugandan shillings)
Bunk bed for two babies - total for the bunk bed with guard and two mattresses - £72.50

 After lots of research, emails and advice,  PayPal donate seems to the the safest way to send money to my Uganda account, and you don't need a PayPal account to donate. Any tiny amount will go far here, £1 is 4,000 Ugandan shillings! So please don't think a small donation is useless. If you managed to read this whole post right to the bottom then well done you :) You should probably make it worthwhile now and donate ;)

and THANKYOU for supporting by reading. 

DONATIONS FOR THIS CAMPAIGN ARE NOT BEING COUNTED ANYMORE. THANK YOU TO EVERYBODY WHO HELPED THESE CHILDREN!

Click to view the Facebook page - updates of how donations are being used 

My friends at Home of Hope

Some of the children I visit, 

their disabilities, 

their sad stories about their old lives, 

and how they are different now that they have therapy and good care...

Click here for Edith's story (lady who started and runs Home of Hope)

Click here to see post about how we can help these kids

Waswa (big)

Wasswa

Wasswa is nearly 8 years old. He suffers from Hydrocephalus (excess fluid and pressure in brain enlarges head). He cannot use the bottom half of his body but luckily he is mentally OK. His father died when Wasswa was 1 week old, and he was left with his mother who was very sick due to HIV. He was left in the house alone and occasionally fed by passers by. He was eventually taken by the probation officer to Home of Hope. He is a very cheeky and extremely funny boy (you may have seen his videos already). He loves to rap and always says "excuse me" in any situation. Waswa was one of the first children I got to know well as I took him on a very long walk (not realising how far we'd gone) in my second week in Uganda. I love how clever he is and his ability to speak some English with me! Hopefully we will be able to raise enough for him to go to school so he doesn't have to sit at the home all day every day!

Junior

Junior

Junior also suffers from Hydrocephalus. He is only 4. His father was in a motorbike accident and his mother could not cope with looking after both. He is very happy all the time, laughing and smiling. I just want to constantly pick him up and cuddle him!

Little Peter

"Little Peter"

Peter is 5 and suffers from cerebral palsy. He was taken to Home of Hope because his Grandmother could no longer look after him well. He couldn't walk, stand or crawl when he arrived, but thanks to the therapy Home of Hope give him, he now runs around the home, and follows me everywhere, always wanting a cuddle. He looks up at me with the cutest smile and big eyes and I can't say no! Watching him dancing (see videos) always amazes me as he is actually paralysed on one side of his body. He is an incredible little boy!

Big Peter

"Big Peter"

Peter is 7 and also suffers from cerebral palsy. He was found picking rubbish outside a building and was brought to Home of Hope. His condition means his muscles and movement are very strained but he can crawl and also do thumbs up when I ask!

Hausi

Hausi (House)

Hausi is 11 and also has Hydrocephalus. He also can't move his bottom half and sits on the floor with his friends or in a wheelchair. He is, like Wasswa, very clever and hopefully we can raise the funds for him to also go to school!

Geoffrey

Geoffrey

Geoffrey is 14 and extremely energetic! His mother left after having two children with disabilities and his father became an alcoholic. Geoffrey became very malnourished but since moving to Home of Hope is on a nutrition and therapy program and has put on some weight. He cannot speak but loves to cuddle people (or drag them around the home showing them all his friends). He can be difficult sometimes, but he just needs some love and attention.

Pushing Rashida home from school

Rashida

Rashida has sickle cell anaemia and her legs are currently very fragile and weak and cant support her. However she is a very happy and bright little girl. She is sponsored to go to school (in her wheelchair) and is doing really well! The photo shows me pushing her home from school one day :)

Maureen

Maureen

Maureen is 14 and suffers from cerebral palsy. However she is becoming very able, and is attending school. She is learning to talk and although her speech isn't as clear as most of us, it is still understandable. She amazes me - she is pushed home in her wheelchair and then crawls on her knees with her feet facing inwards, climbs onto her bed, goes through all of her clothes, picks an outfit and dresses herself. Its incredible to watch from far away when she isn't aware you're there. She is at Home of Hope due to her parents dying and her grandmother being too old to care for her properly. She's so lovely and always smiling!

Tony

Tony

Tony is almost 7 and suffers from mild Hydrocephalus and a development delay. His mother died due to HIV and his grandmother then just locked him in the house. He was very week when he came to Home of Hope and couldn't even walk or feed himself. Thanks to therapy, he is now walking and running around! He is also getting better at speech and is attending school. He loved to be cuddled and dancing to music.

First time she's
smiled for me!!

Gloria

Gloria is 17 and suffers from cerebral palsy. She is not able to talk or walk but can feed herself and sit with minimum support now. It upsets me to see her always looking distressed or angry. She rarely smiles but after spending an hour one day sat outside with her, talking to her, she eventually gave a few smiles which was the best thing ever! I hope and pray that one day she will somehow be able to talk and communicate with the children and staff.

Waswa (small)

Waswa finally smiling!!

I have a big heart for Waswa. He is 2 and suffers from cerebral palsy. His muscles and limbs are constantly tense and he always appears to be straining and in pain. His eyes are always wide and his fists clenched. He also struggles with breathing a lot of the time. It breaks my heart to see him struggling to do the basic things we don't even think about and not be able to relax or be comfortable. I often hold him against my chest as this upright position seems to be somewhat comfortable for him. And I've finally worked out that if I lift him high in the air and grin at him he will actually smile! It is the best feeling in the world every time I do this with him.

Baby Joseph

Joseph

 Joseph is nearly 2 and suffers from cerebral palsy. He is very floppy and doesn't seem to be able to support his limbs or head. He is such a beautiful baby, yet he was left abandoned on the grass outside Home of Hope one day in February. I have no idea how someone could do that to their child. Edith had no choice but to take him in and he now has therapy and is looked after and fed well. 

Warning: don't read if you're vegetarian

Coming from a life where supermarkets are taking over the world, I am used to buying everything clean and packaged, ready to be eaten or cooked safely. Being in Uganda has shown me the journey of our food before we buy it in a shop.

When you buy rice, most times you cannot cook it straight away. I see the mothers spent sometimes an hour with a big plate full or dry rice, sorting through the grains and picking out stones - something that's not an issue we have to deal with. This also goes for meat. And I don't mean picking out stones from a dead animal, 

I mean that people own and grow their own animals rather than popping to Tesco to choose a nice naked ready-to-cook chicken. 

Almost every home has some kind of mini farm, whether it be chickens wandering around, pigs, goats tied up or a cow. It's also a kind of bank to save money, as a lot of people here don't have a bank account. Putting your money into buying a nice big cow is a way of saving it without it sitting in your money box waiting to be stolen. And also the cow can give you milk. This also may explain (if the story is true) why the owner of a cow that got struck by lightening the other day ended up fainting...

Anyway, a few months ago, the Village of Hope bought a large amount of chicks to grow and sell/eat.

I got all excited at the cuteness of the chicks, as you can see in the photos.

It's been a strange experience for me to watch them grow and eventually, last Sunday, watch them be slaughtered (by the kids) and then eaten (by them... and me.)

I guess a lot of people back home have probably seen similar but I've been very much in the bubble of just buying it from a supermarket and not seeing the life of the chicken first...or the death.

Seeing the kids so easily cut off it's head was a shock too, even stranger when little Deborah was just standing playing with the chicken heads as it they were some kind of... toy.

Anyway it's been a new experience for me and it's actually a great way for the village to provide their own food and save money.

And it tasted great. (sorry chicken)

Chicks to Chickens:

Holding the... meat

strange experience, by chicken

Kids helping kids

I was sat with some of the boys in the Village of Hope the other day, and discovered that a few of them thought that I just visit them and play with them and spend the rest of the time at Suubi House (the place I stay). They genuinely thought that's all I do here in Uganda. Although I LOVE playing with them, it's not all I do. In fact its not a set thing in the program we created for me, I go there in all the free time I get.

I wanted to show them some of the things I do here, not only to let them see what I do but also to give them a day out of the village and see how some of these children are living....

So I took them to Home of Hope (disabled home) on Saturday. 12 boys aged 9-14.
(The same ones I took out to town)

They worked so hard! The older half spent the first part of the day mopping and cleaning the home and then washing all the children's clothes - no washing machines like home!

The slightly younger ones came with me and we took a load of the kids out in their wheelchairs for a walk. They love going out as they can't all do it often - 35 kids, not 35 staff or enough hours in the day...

Josh with Waswa

We ended up walking all the way to the sugar plantation and then had to go all the way back. We all nearly fainted, dehydrated and became frustrated with the uneven dust/rocky ground and uphill on the way back but it was good fun...

Then we had rice, beans and chapatti for lunch and spent some time with the kids. 

Then the boys painted some tyres which had been cut into swings, and also painted wooden beams to be made into frames. This is a fantastic idea which uses local resources and recycles old wheels which is cost effective and gives good supportive swings for the disabled kids. I went back today to see the finished product, now it's been put up and fixed into the ground... amazing!!

 Final Product at bottom...

The boys worked so hard and had a great day, seeing the struggles of kids with disabilities and also seeing them as real people, instead of the general opinion that "there are special homes for lame people who can't do anything". Coming from some unpleasant backgrounds themselves, they can understand how lives can be changed when someone invests in your well-being and future so could appreciate what is done at Home of Hope. The photos show them really enjoying spending time with the kids!

Here are the finished new swings!!

Sports Competition, ice-cream ...bike, and a burnt face

Today (Saturday) I changed my program so that I could go with the school kids to their sports competition.

It was nothing like I expected, I have NEVER seen so many children on a playing field, there must have been almost two thousand people from over 30 primary schools. 

Our kids have been training for a few weeks on our school field but clearly the other school took it a lot more seriously. I don't think we were prepared for the size of that track, it was at least three times the size of out school field. 

Therefore the stamina and training our kids were used to was nowhere near enough. The first races were seven laps around the track and our kids practically collapsed and fainted after the races... We were often the last in the races, and very worn out but I was SO proud of the kids, the tried extremely hard and didn't give up or get disheartened when they were clearly not winning. I introduced some team spirit, some songs etc to support their school as well as encouraging them to cheer on their team mates. It was so nice to see everyone fanning the person who had just ran, and just all getting along with eachother.

All the kids using their skirts to fan a
very tired Jennifer after her race

 Plus we had the best sports kit of them all and looked so smart and team-like haha.

I also burnt my face as the sun cream I put on that morning obviously didn't last as long as the bottle told me it would..

And this amused me - a javelin event held IN THE MIDDLE of the running track... DURING a running race. Just one of those things that's completely against the health and safety rules at home. Luckily noone died and this was the one even our school actually won! John is now representing the area in a regional competition :-)

Javelin in the middle of the track... 

This is Uganda's version of the ice-cream van: a bicycle with a freezer box strapped on the back with a little horn that plays typical ice cream van songs! Very refreshing in the heat, and costs about 5p for an ice cream and cone...

Lap 2...

Our orange girls ready for their 7 lap race

Teaaaaam

So colourful