Fundraising Friday-an update

There is a lot of excitement in a little mountain village in Uganda. All due to a building that WE built!!!!

You can see the results for yourself. Next stage is to put the roof on and then the pit latrine toilets are complete. We hope this part will happen in the next few weeks as the rains are heavy at the moment. Already rains meant the foundations had to be moved so we don't want this good work to be washed away. Let's get this roof on and give these children the toilet facilities they need and deserve. 

Fundraising Friday

Thank you to all of you who have raised funds for the pit latrine appeal. Unfortunately we had a hold up on the donate button so it still isn’t available for anyone wanting to donate who live further a field. When it does all get organised there will still be chance to donate though even if this doesn’t happen until after our visit.

We have however raised £768.64

A big thank you to everyone who took part and helped raise this amazing sum.

I have rounded the amount up to £800.00, which is still £200.00 off our target. So if you are still raising funds for Lent, please keep up the good work and keep donating. We are almost there.

Thank you.

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 

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'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!

Fundraising Friday – Those that help

The last blog post was a true but depressing account of what happens in Uganda on a daily basis and I’m sure Uganda is not the only place where kids ‘age out’ of orphanages.

The blog post ended with hope.  There are those that care and go that extra mile.

While Lutaaya was at her former home she had two special Aunties.  Auntie Nancy and Auntie Sara.  They visited the home regularly, spending quality time with all the children and not only raising funds for the essentials, but also spoiling the children with treats.  When Lutaaya moved out of the orphanage and into our guest house, the only things she had with her, were a few small things in a little bag.  The bag was one of the ones a lady from my church had made and that I had taken out with me that July.  The gifts inside the bag were all bought by Auntie Nancy and Auntie Sara.  Her only belongings and only memories, were from these two special ladies.

On returning to the UK, we went shopping in Cardiff while I was still on adoption leave.  Lutaaya pulled at my hand and said there’s Auntie Nancy!  Unbelievably we bumped into each other in the middle of the city.  We didn’t realise how close we lived to each other.  And there our friendship began and Lutaaya was reunited with her Aunties.  We have managed to meet up so many times, it is wonderful to hear all their stories of their continued visits to Uganda. 

Little did we know what plans God had placed on their hearts.  Plans to care for those older, so often overlooked children and teenagers. 

In recent months they have travelled to Uganda to put plans in place to set up their own charity.  Cornerstone Uganda.  They are now registered in both the UK and Uganda.  They are so close to getting up and running! 

Their plan is to take some of the children who still reside at Lutaaya’s former home and have no other exit strategies, into their care.  Their vision states,

‘We aim to create an environment where young people can truly have a family unit that will support them as they learn skills in order to help them in their future lives.’

Isn’t that wonderful?  To learn skills for their future lives.  There is hope.  These children will get the care and education/training to secure their futures.  They will then get the opportunity to input their own life skills to help the next generation.  These children will be able to see their future and prosper. 

They will not be forgotten or driven out.  This charity will treat every child as an individual and they will support them to reach their potential, whatever that child chooses that to be.  These children will be the future of Uganda and can make a difference to their own country.  These are the politicians, doctors, caterers, engineers, barbers, even presidents of the future. 

 

 

We hope to support Cornerstone Uganda in any way we can during our visit this year.  We also plan on supporting the charity throughout the year.  We have seen first hand the relationships Nancy and Sara have with the children, and we value the time and effort their put into developing each and every personality.  They know each child’s likes and dislikes better than orphanage staff.  They have hearts of gold. 

I had a text today to say they will soon be going to Uganda to look for a house.  Their tape measure is at the ready to measure for curtains!  These are exciting times for Cornerstone Uganda and even more exciting time for the young people they will be helping. 

If you would like to help, please check out their website, keep their plans in your prayers and if you are able to help financially, take a look here.  These are remarkable people and we will be supporting and advocating for this charity 100%

These two special ladies blessed my daughter with such precious memories.  They continue to bless so many young people currently in Uganda and caught up in orphanages or poverty.  Now it’s time to bless them, as they are blessed to be a blessing.

Fundraising Friday

There are many times when a picture says it all. So here are a few to show you a typical Ugandan village school.

The resources are so basic and yet this is deemed a good school. And it is that! The teachers work hard and ultimately the children learn and thrive here. But take another look at those classrooms. Mud walls, written posters to learn from, hard wooden benches, tiny windows, cramped conditions.

I know I can't change the whole school in one visit but I can try to change something's.

We will be visiting this very school when we go to Uganda this year. Already we are planning how we can have the best impact on the community. Sometimes it takes only a few pounds.

Towards the end of the holidays we went shopping and came across these bright, laminated style educational posters.

They were a bargain and as soon as I saw them I thought of this very school in Uganda. We (mam & me) picked them up and they sit ready for a journey to another continent. I know they will be the best used posters ever! The teachers will be over the moon receiving them. So this week I wanted to show you how it isn't about raising thousands of pounds (though that would be amazing) its about spending whatever we have on what will help. £4 bought a wonderful resource for a school. We can all do something, no matter how small.