A weekend Children of Hope Event and More School Visits

So last Saturday was a big day for the Children of Hope (and me).

There was a ceremony where some of the caregivers were given animals as part of the Income Generating Projects. There were 10 goats and 4 pigs (really 5 - I will explain in a minute). The meeting started with a prayer and introductions. This was the second round of giving out animals. The last one took place about 3 weeks ago and these were mostly people who couldn't make it to that meeting. Some were parents, some relatives, others just people that have offered to care for orphans in the program. There were loose translations between English and Lango and I think every one there understood about 75% of everything that was said - which is really good relative to all other meetings I have been to in Uganda. To be fair there was a drawing to determine which animals were going to go to which people. Some boda bodas (bicycle transportation) with sacks containing the pigs and then a loaded up open bed truck arrived that was busting at the seems with people, plastic water jugs, sacks of food and 10 goats that were forcefully transported to the other side of the road to us. I did some interviews of the caregivers talking about who they are caring for and what this opportunity to have an animal means to them and how it will help them better care for their family.

The big surprise was that after hearing about how excited I was to see pigs Esther got me one. Yup my lifelong dream of owning a pet pig has come true in no other place but Uganda. I have named her Lucky the Pig (Gum - pronounced gome - the Pudu). I am in love. She is 3 weeks old and cries unless I hold her tight to me. We took her with us when we got lunch and the waitress seemed to like her as well and decided to feed her table scraps from other tables as we ate. She is settled in at home rooting around happily grunting and spending her nights safely sleeping in the hen house. When I leave they are going to keep her to live and make babies amongst the chickens, cows, turkeys, dog and cat they already have.

We have visited more schools today. There was a boy we met that was in a village that was attacked by the LRA. His hut was burnt and he suffers major burns on his face from his escape through the thatched roof. He was a street child for two years after that and is now in school. We visited the school that Esther teaches at - a school that has 7 students sponsored through the Children of Hope. They were all smiles joking in Lango (maybe they were making fun of me - or each other - i don't quite know). We started them on the art project. I am not sure if I mentioned this before, but each child is going to illustrate what their life was like before being sponsored and what their life is like now. I hope to make a book with their brief biographies and a photo of them. I want to try to sell it online when we make a website for the COH and in gift shops in Uganda.

That's about all for now. Days are going fast. I have almost been North for a week now. I am very used to getting up earlier and living without electricity at this point. Esther has a girl (Caroline) help with housework and who cares for John (her 20 month old baby) when she works. Caroline is 15 years old and is the sister to Daniel - the other boy that is Calvin's age that lives with Esther. Esther found both of them in an IDP camp about two years ago and they have been staying with her ever since. Daniel goes to school at the school Esther teaches at for free and Caroline promised to help care for John until he turned two at which point Esther is going to pay for her to attend school as well.

I'll keep you posted.
peace,
Lauren