Milton decided that it was impractical to buy 509 pairs of shoes on the market without reference to size so he invited two of the sellers to visit Kyemula and provide shoes which fitted each of the children. All the shoes were in his words, ‘robust and durable’. Just to give you an idea of the size of the task, here are the smaller children lining up to visit the shoe stall, then some of the girls and younger boys in new shoes
As we exceeded our target we were also able to buy some Wellington boots for the more vulnerable older people – who were very pleased to receive them.
After a successful trial last term we have agreed to widen the health clinic to include termly input from Good News Productions International (GNPI) who bring solar kit with them to show a video and lead a discussion with the older children to talk about personal growth, relationships, self-esteem and the responsibilities of being teenagers. These are issues not often discussed in Ugandan families and we hope that opening up a dialogue will enable this generation to be more able to talk to each other constructively and treat each other with respect.
The government has revised the national syllabus for primary schools in Uganda so the teachers asked if we could buy the latest textbooks so that they can understand the changes and make the necessary amendments to their teaching. There is one big book shop in Mbale which Milton and Willy visited armed with a long list – four boxes were then loaded onto a boda-boda to transport the books back to Kyemula.
The children were excited to see the new books which will be stored in the library and given out each day.
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