Mike and I spent our day in Kajwenge visiting schools- something I always enjoy immensely.
Lay reader John lives and works at St Peter's Church, Kinyangkoko. Currently the church serves as the school. The mud and lathe walls of the school had to be demolished as they were falling down. The church gave some land where a new school will be built. It is a perfect place; the soil on the land is suitable for brick-making, there is a stream for water and the large tree, which has to be felled, will provide the required timber.
The only visible sign to date of the new school was a pile of bricks so what else could Mike do but pray that these bricks would grow into walls!
Lay reader John is also building a house for the lay reader, not knowing if he will still be in Kinyangkoko when it is completed.
Well it didn't stop there of course. We went on to visit Ngome Anglican Vocational secondary school - a school close to my heart - providing education for young people unable to go on to study because they have no fees or need a more vocational education. I have visited twice before but the school has grown exponentially, demonstrating the need for such an establishment. There are now 120 students and 18 teachers. There are still challenges, namely the drought, which has prevented families being able to pay the fees this year. Also the school needs an exam room so that students don't have to travel to other exam centres.
Of course there was another pile of bricks ready to begin the build. The foundations were complete. So Mike, filled with enthusiasm, prayed not just that these bricks would become walls but also the entire required hall plus roof. Go Mike! "Hope will rise as we wait upon the Lord."
The photos above show the teachers at Ngome and Benjamin talking to the students about the Joseph Generation. The hope is these students will find work in their communities, instead of moving to Kampala, and become leaders of integrity where they live.
We also visited Kajwenge Church of Uganda Primary School, where Carrie taught for a month many years ago. She is still remembered and they would love her to come back. Mike enjoyed singing with the children before we held an assembly under the tree. We also took boxes of chalk. The head teacher has been at the school for 18 years. He told us that many students have gone on to become teachers, nurses and accountants. He said 100 children have graduated from university. He also told us that the wider impact of the women's groups was that families could pay the school fees so the school was doing well.
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