News about school, house, children, and other things and urgent search for sponsors in November 2023

1. Visit to Uganda in November 2023

The board of directors – Joachim Kubitz, Thomas Langsch and Renate Blank – are back from their trip to the HiH project in Uganda.

As always, the journey was very arduous. The direct route via Cairo proved to be a good choice on the outbound flight. Nevertheless, the time commitment was enormous; with check-in times, change and final car ride from Entebbe airport, we had been on the road for almost 24 hours. Sleep was hardly to be thought of and our back and legs only slowly recovered.

Since the flight from Entebbe was already 40 minutes late on the return journey, we could not reach the connection in Cairo and were rebooked on Turkish Airlines, which meant an additional time delay of about five hours.

Nevertheless, we arrived back in Germany safe and sound with an immense number of impressions and information.

The most important topic of the visit was to discuss the independent future of the Südverein (Southern Association).

For this reason, we talked to almost all the young people in the project. Of course, they have great wishes, but some have indicated to us that they feel very connected to the project and have given us their support.

That's why Sylivia Nalukwata, a sister of Betty Nakajigo, has agreed to take on the task of childcare, calculating school fees and requirements as well as managing the kitchen, despite of successfully completing the "Art and Design" training. She has already been working in these areas free of charge since January 2023 and will receive a contract with appropriate remuneration from 2024.

Paolo Kimbugwe is about to make his exam to become a medical technician. From 2024, he will also offer his manpower to the association and support Ms. Nakajigo in all tasks of bookkeeping, administration of school fees, etc. He will also receive an employment contract from HiH from 2024.

Due to major misunderstandings in communication, we had to realize that a huge financial hole has appeared in the current year regarding school fees. To be able to complete the respective degrees and classes, we therefore had to make an additional payment of about 9,000 euros for the children at short notice. For this reason, the budget for regular, mandatory costs from 2024 is no longer secured and we urgently ask for your help.

Additional money is also needed for:

the weekly medical aid project. The tent used for this is partially broken and needs to be replaced.

  • Costs for this approx. 600 Euro

The weekly number of patients is about 80 people. The current medical staff of two people is completely overwhelmed with this task. They ask for support for an extra force.

  • Costs for this approx. 40 euros/month

There was a very pleasing development in the agriculture belonging to the association. The organic farmer Richard Ssekajigo, who is responsible for this and employed by the association, has significantly increased the crop yield through a large-scale restructuring of the areas, shading measures with sensible use of water and the use of self-produced compost. The in-house cultivation and cultivation of plant seedlings enables expansion and successful replanting.

Particularly noteworthy is his ability to teach young people about sustainable and organic farming, so that they can all help and deepen their knowledge in their free time.

Mr. Ssekajigo is also a trained veterinarian. It is often requested by residents in and around the village in case of animal health problems. His great request, however, is to have more instruments available for this purpose to be able to provide effective help.

  • Costs for this approx. 800 Euro

Due to Ms. Nakajigo's shame in telling us the truth, serious changes have occurred in the project, of which the Northern Association had been unaware for too long and which only now came to light through its own inspection. About five years now, there had been an agreement not to accept any new children as long as the people living there are in education with constantly increasing costs.

However, due to their big hearts and the tragic fates of the children, we have now had to realize that instead of the 64 children we had accepted, there are now well over 80 in the project. The beds are therefore three times occupied, and the need for food and school fees has risen to dizzying heights.

We urgently ask for a financial contribution to this in order not to have to send the children back on the streets.

1 kg of corn costs about 0.85 euros
1 kg beans approx. 1,00 Euro
1 kg of rice approx. 1,30 Euro

All in all, we returned from Uganda in a very confident and positive-minded state. We have been able to have many clarifying discussions and will now start the new year under new conditions - especially through the active help of the committed young people in the project.

They have all understood that they must not remain financially dependent on Germany in the long term, but that they must stand on their own two feet. Together, we have agreed to work on this in the future and to act as a team on an equal footing.

We wish you a wonderful pre-Christmas season and hope for a generous support so that the extremely disadvantaged people in Uganda and especially our children and young people can have a little hope.

Best regards,

Renate and team

Donation account:
Hand in Hand für Uganda e. V.

Volksbank Raiffeisenbank Dachau
IBAN: DE79 7009 1500 0001 5290 72
BIC: GENODEF1DCA

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