Christina and Rikke, out and about

Rikke and Christina went with Kezia, Beatrice and Gavin for a ride. We visited several schools to deliver gifts from the sponsors , take pictures to profiles and make health reports . On the way to one of the schools we suddenly saw a man who was pushing a boda boda (motorbike) with a boy and a lot stacked on the back. When we got closer we saw that it was two huge fish that lay across boda boda . Gavin stopped the car so we could take some pictures. They had caught two Nile perch about a meter long and with a mouth opening of 20-30 cm. They were so heavy that they could not drive the boda boda.

A few signs on St. Andrew Matale sencondary school.

We visited Rhemah Primary School, which is a 45 minute drive from Masaka . We were shown around by Pastor Joseph who is the School Director. The school , which has 284 pupils is cramped and in a poor state, this means they do not have enough classrooms, so we were shown the local church, which during the week is used by the school. It is used to teach the Top Class and P1 in the same room. When we came into the church the kids were sitting nicely in their spot and were very quiet. We couldn't stand that so Rikke playing "the big bad Muzungo (white person)" while Christina filmed. It was great to see 40-50 children dash around and scream with laughter, and being a little frightened by the sudden change in rules of behavior. Doubt they experience that every day. Students without parents live at the school include in a back room of the church which is home to 11 boys aged 6-13 . In total there are 28 boys and girls living there at the school, where they are all by themselves during weekends.

Christina with a couple of the kids at Rhemah school 

The big bad Muzungo - Rikke 

A classroom with two classes, separated only by a grass mat 

One of the many children who got a gift from his sponsor 

Paster Joseph 

The 11 boys room. 

After the tour we went over to Kezia and Beatrice, who was in the process of making health reports for each child. It is easy to see that they suffer from mostly the same illnesses. Many have skin infection/fungus on the scalp which is treated with ointments and pills and all get a pill for intestinal worms and a piece of candy before they go. In addition, they get their teeth and their feet checked and if there is anything wrong they get treated for it. Some had stomach pain and was referred to a hospital to undergo a scan. It is a big problem that many of the children go barefoot every day because they save their shoes for fine occasions such as Christmas Eve and church. The result is that they get jiggers (worms that crawls under your skin and lay eggs) and sores on the feet that get infected.

The medicine that younger children need is handed over to an older sister or brother, or kept by the teacher who makes sure they get it according to schedule. We met a young boy who made ​​a great impression on us. His name is Fulugensio Malaga. We emidiately noticed that his eyes were very yellow and that he looked somewhat sic. He was examined by Kezia , who asked the teacher to get his older brother. He had the same yellow eyes and similar aperance. Kezia examined both boys and gave them medicine for two months. The youngest boy was asked to wait as we were going to drive him home talk with his mother about how to take the prescribed medication. When Kezia was finished examining the kids, we took the boy in the car and stopped at his home, a small brick house. His mother stood outside and welcomed us. Kezia told her about the medicin and also said that she should make sure that her children had enough to eat. To this she replied, laughing , that how would she be able to provide it when there was no food. She showed us around inside the house, which consisted of a small living room with three sofas , a small hallway and a small bedroom where the mother sleeps in a bed, and the children sleep on the floor, on two very worn out foam mattresses. It was obvious that they were extremely poor. We talked to her about their lives, and she told us that she lived alone with her four children. Their father had left them because he found it so stressfull that the kids were always sick. She was still sadend by this, though it was so many years ago, but she had to hold your head high and take care of her children. She told me that it was hard to make enough money because she only earns a little by digging in other people's gardens. We decided that we would give her a little money. It caused her a great joy, and she knelt down, took our hands and thanked us. She asked Beatrice and Kezia to give us each a hug and thank us since her own gratitude was not enough. It was amazing to see how little it takes to make people's lives so much better!

On the way home in the car we talked with Kezia about the boys. They both suffer from a disease that makes them in need of regular blood transfusions at the hospital. In addition, their immune system is extremely weakened, and they havepain in the joints. Without the medication, children with this disease rarely excede the age of 13 as they die from anemia. Kezia could tell us that before she told her mother about this disease, the mother believed somebody had cursed her sons. Only the youngest boy has a sponsor, and although Kezia choose to medicate both boys, they really need help, because the mother can not finance the many hospital visits they need. The family lacks food, and own nothing besides the ramshackle of a house they live in. We hope there are somebody who would like to sponsor the older brother, and help to make life better for a family that certainly has made a huge impression on us.