Self-Financing Schemes

Mary and I made it clear to the Board in Kasese that while we would be happy to help with furnishing and equipping the Hostel as long as we still have funds, we could not undertake to finance the day to day running costs. So they have various ways to raise money locally.

One of these is their tree nursery. These photos show this, when visited by Cheryl Parrett recently. They sow the seeds, and look after them as they grow; and then they can sell on the little trees when they are big enough. I don't know whether the boys help with the work for this! It would be good if they did - but teenagers are not generally keen on gardening...

Another project has been brick-making. That is something boys enjoy! The soil at the Hostel site is suitable for bricks; they make them in a mold, and let them dry in the sun; then they are stacked up in a kiln as shown. The hole in the bottom is for the fire; and usually banana leaves are spread over the top. The fire burns slowly for two or three days; when the banana leaves catch fire the bricks are cooked! When they have cooled off, they are stacked, and sold.
Generous donors
Mary and I had an encouraging visit to a Mothers' Union group near Carlisle this week; we gave them our usual presentation, updated with one or two of the photos received from Alan and Cheryl a fortnight ago; and we were given generous gifts from the group as a whole and some of the individual members too.
I also received a cheque for £100 for the Street Kids from a kind lady in a nearby village, and a day or two later a cheque for £50 from a relation who has supported us before. Thanks so much, everyone!
chriscjenkin@aol.com

Building the store room

The builder is plastering the ceiling of the store room, so that all will be ready when the tools and equipment arrive in a few weeks.
Alan and Cheryl, whose help and support have been so invaluable from the start of this project, are shortly to leave Uganda for good, and recently travelled from Kampala to Kasese to visit various projects they have been involved with, and to say farewell to friends there. They went to see how the SKILL Hostel was getting on, and sent us some photographs.

 

Cheryl said hello to some of the boys who are now living in the Hostel.

 

And she looked in to the boys' bedroom and saw the bunks, with some of their clothes draped over the ends.

Further costs expected

David from TWAM (http://www.twam.co.uk/)  warned us that the tax duty charged by the Ugandan government on goods sent out in their containers has recently gone up - a few weeks ago they had to pay £30 duty on a sewing machine! So it is likely that there will be a substantial bill for all the items being sent out in the March container (which actually leaves on 2nd April).