Fundraising Friday

So how is your fundraising going? 

If you've taken up the challenge for the whole month then you are on the home straight!  Just under a week left.

Anyone else out there surprised by how many times they flush a day?

News on our front is that we are awaiting confirmation on our flights.  Things are starting to come together for the day we will be able to get those pit latrines built and ready to be used. 

That day is just around the corner!  Keep flushing and fundraising everyone.

Donate button coming soon, so donating online will be an option for everyone 

The birthday girl!

Last weekend saw my baby turn 12!!!

 

12 years old!

The birthday girl

We love cupcakes so these one direction cakes were my girly's request

 This year Lutaaya asked for a 'Harry from One Direction Cake'.  I took on the challenge this year and decided we would make this years birthday cake.  Not bad if I say so myself and it tasted delicious!

Happy birthday gorgeous girl xxx

Quite an impressive candle added to our cake, although I did think it took my hand off as it lit

 

The birthday party request this year - bowling with friends and then a sleepover!

 

 

 

This girly loves company, so any excuse for a houseful and she's there!  She LOVED every second of having 5 friends stay the night.  The overall birthday being described as 'perfect'! 

 

Thank you to everyone for her gifts, cards and kind wishes. 

Flushed with success

Our fundraiser made the local paper!

You can see the article by clicking HERE!

And yes they really did make me pose by the toilet for a photo shoot! 

So thank you South Wales Argus for covering our story and helping us raise the money for the new toilet facilities in Uganda and if you're a new reader after seeing our story in the Argus, then welcome to our blog.  We hope you enjoy finding your way around here and please join in with helping us raise as much funds for Uganda as possible.

We are currently in the process of adding a DONATE button to the blog.  Keep posted for developments on this so that even if you live near or far, you can join in with us and support our fundraiser.

Look what's happening in Uganda!

The people of Buweri are VERY excited about our fundraising and are living in hope that we well exceed our target to get the pit latrine built for the village school.

Last week I received an email from Robinah, the lady who runs the school.

Her email reads,

"On our knees praying with you that the fundraising is successful.
The situation can get really desperate to know that children and teachers have nowhere to go for latrine to help themselves.
God bless and love to everyone.
Robinah."

Robinah has also taken it upon herself to organise for the digging of the actual pits while it is dry season in Buweri.  When the rains come, the red Ugandan soil, will be too difficult to dig, so it is essential this work happens now, before they have even received any money from our fundraiser. 

Attached to the end of the email were these wonderful photos so we can even see the developments in Buweri as they are happening. 

Robinah inspecting the pits - I can just imagine her thinking if the size is right, such an efficient woman

The busy worker - these pits have to be dug by hand, there is no machinery in the village

What wonderful developments.  Please use these photos as encouragement for your continued giving and support.  This village is depending upon us!

Fundraising Friday

So today has been the first day of our flush challenge.

Thank you to all of you who have helped advertise our appeal and everyone who is taking part.

We've been tallying up our toilet stops today and will be donating our 20 pennies for each visit.

Whether you're doing the full challenge for the month or are going to just make a donation or collection at work, thank you.

I mentioned the mudslides that damaged the school and totally destroyed the schools pit latrines in my post yesterday. My friend, Mike, has kindly agreed to me sharing his photos he took of the damaged classrooms while he was in Uganda.


I hope they can encourage you to take part and do as much as you can to spread the word about this appeal to get as many people as possible involved.

February Flush Fundraiser

So we’re setting down a challenge for the month that we hope you can all take part in. Before I set the challenge, let me tell you a little bit about the need.

Whenever you go to Uganda, you guarantee you can come home with a ‘toilet’ story. When you’re used to using a European toilet, a pit latrine is a whole new and VERY different experience. There have been tales of having to trek in the dark, torch in hand to the nearest loo, that is up the mountain. The time when a group leader kung fu kicked the latrine door in case there was something behind it, only to find another group member. All the stories of forgetting the golden rule of never looking up when you’re in the latrine, and then breaking the rule and wondering why you did when you realise what little (or big) creatures you are sharing this small space with!!! Having a chameleon or lizard share the small latrine space with you, who refuses to leave the door. Wondering how many mosquitoes are actually buzzing around in there, and praying they don’t get in places you’d rather they didn’t. The fears of anything dropping down the latrine while you’re in there and knowing that once it’s gone, it’s gone for good. So cameras are never taken in, torches are strapped on and you wear no valuables!

And how often do we take our toilet facilities for granted?

We think of it as an essential part of our house. It is safe and warm, we can lock the door and flush after every use. We can have the comfort of a toilet seat to rest upon.

How often do we think about those who don’t even have a latrine to use, let alone a European toilet?

You see toilets are few and far between in Uganda. Some houses have their own latrine but this again is deemed a luxury.

Did you know……

· 2.5 billion people across the world don’t have somewhere safe to go to the toilet (WHO / UNICEF)

· In Africa, half of young girls who drop out of school do so because they need to collect water – often from many miles away – or because the school hasn’t got a basic toilet.

· The lack of a loo makes women and girls a target for sexual assault as they go to the toilet in the open, late at night

· Many women get bitten by snakes as they squat in the grass to go to the toilet (Toilet Twinning)

And for us –we take for granted every flush.

I have built up amazing friendships in a small mountain village in Uganda. The family there who host us are truly that – family. James and Robinah work so hard on making the best of the resources they have and make a positive impact on the local community. James runs the local church and Robinah oversees the management of the primary school. Over the years I have helped fundraise for both the school and church and have invested my time in these two projects.

Pastor James, relaxing at home
 

Robinah, the best Ugandan cook around

 

Resources are always tight but they keep carrying on. There have been times when the challenges seem so vast and I have been unable to help and felt even more helpless by being miles away from them. This time there is a new challenge and I need your help……

A few years ago, the village experienced some very heavy rain. The rain took out walls in the classroom and caused a lot of damage to the surrounding area when mudslides hit. People in the neighbouring villages were killed by the mudslides. It was a horrific time.

Years later and the school is being rebuilt bit by bit. Friends have fundraised and sponsored classrooms so that the new facilities are stronger to withstand the weather. But there is an immediate need.

The mudslides destroyed the pit latrines the school once had.

For all of you who may have visions of toilets in their minds - here's the reality of what a latrine looks like from the inside

And here's my friend Rachel, heading to the latrine

Robinah text me last weekend and asked if I could help. I hadn’t thought of an exact fundraiser for our visit, but knew a need would arise that we would be called to help with. This is it!

We want to raise enough money to build at least one block of Aline pit latrines. These are the best available for the soil in the area. One block of 4 cubicles, each housing a latrine, will cost approx. £1000. That’s the minimum we need to raise. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to far exceed this amount and really bless these children with the things we take for granted?

So here’s the part where you get to help?

We could be really boring and ask you to make a donation, which of course is still very welcome, but we really want you to think about what every penny is going towards.

So for the whole month of February (the reason why this blog had to go live today and not tomorrow) we want you to donate a minimum of 20p every time you flush your toilet. February is a short month – only 28 days to raise our funds, so I think this is very achievable.

Are you with me?

Will you help fundraise with every flush this February?

With your help we can give this school safe toilet facilities. We can make sure there are no hidden risks in taking a toilet stop. We can safeguard the children and stop them from being so vulnerable. We can stop kids getting sick or even dying due to poor sanitation! We can help girls stick to their education and be in school every day.

These are the children who will benefit from your donations

So get spreading the word about our fundraiser – maybe collect at a toilet in your workplace, or have a family saving scheme at home. Whatever way you want to take part, if we all join in, our target can be well exceeded!

Posters are available if you want to advertise at home, work or school. 

 

Please leave a comment below or facebook me to say if you’re going to be signing up and taking part. If you send me your email I can send you a poster through.   

A big thank you in advance for every penny you raise.

February's looming

It's 1st February on Friday and I'll be laying down a challenge for you all to take up this month.

It's going to be a flushing fundraiser in February.

Details will be on here tomorrow night so stay tuned to find out more and see how every flush in February can raise money for us to get brand new toilet facilities in a Ugandan village Primary School.

Tune in tomorrow. This one is not to be missed!