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