Author: Terry Game

As it was clear that the annual residential Children’s Conference would not be able to go ahead in January 2021 due to Covid restrictions, staff at UWCM decided that they would run 4 x smaller, 2 day conferences for 25 x teenagers from 4 different communities between 13^th and 30^th December 2020.  Each of these was followed by a 1 day training for 30 parents/guardians from each of the communities so that they could share skills of how to handle teenagers both at home, in church and in society. 

Over the 2 days they covered topics such as: children’s rights and responsibilities; life skills and decision making criteria; self esteem; abstinence for teenagers plus daily Bible study, worship and prayer.  On the last day, each young person received a gift of 2Kg sugar, 1 kg bar of soap and a packet of salt to take home as a Christmas gift for their families.  They were very excited as they received the packing saying, “I was not expecting this.  God is good.  Our parents will be very  happy upon receiving these items.”

As you can see from the comments below, the conferences were a huge success and UWCM would like to hold more over the coming year.

• One of the young people (Benard), during his vote of thanks appreciated the whole program and topics taught which gave him confidence to face the future while trusting God. He thanked all the facilitators for their time and skilful training to the children. Benard expressed himself in English and this made his grandfather very happy, because he was also in attendance at the closing ceremony! He said, “Now I know I have not wasted my school fees on Benard!”
• The young people were happy for the teachings and freely expressed their concerns which they asked us to share with their parents for understanding during the parenting sessions.  Such concerns were:
  • My mother is so harsh and cannot wait to listen to me talk. She addresses us at home by difficult and abusive language and names that sometimes make me feel like running away from home!
  • Our parents never provide basic needs for us and this troubles us so much!

• One of the local leaders said, “Much as I am a leader representing my people, I had no knowledge about the rights of children so I am very grateful for the teaching on children rights and responsibilities. I request UWCM to extend this service of imparting knowledge to all leaders in my area”, she asked.
• One parent who is a church leader asked UWCM to consider giving more sessions to the youth in his church if possible. He was grateful to be a host for the children and parents’ conference.
• “This is my first time to attend a conference. I did not know that even at my age I could attend any training!”  (A female participant).

Due to rising prices and food scarcity many families in the Mbale area are, literally, running out of food and although UWCM are doing their best to support families by distributing emergency food and household parcels, the numbers are growing.  Continue reading “Covid19 Update” →

Now that some lockdown restrictions have been lifted, UWCM have managed to buy and deliver more water tanks and sewing machines to communities which have been very gratefully received. Continue reading “Some community work starting up again” →

We have just received this latest report from UWCM on the COVID 19 situation in Uganda:

President Museveni provided a new timeline as the country continues to lift the lock down. He said that, “Apart from social distancing and other measures, the biggest safety measure is putting on the right masks. Therefore, the directive of the easing of the lockdown is to have compulsory wearing of masks for all adults and children above 6 years”.
Continue reading “Coronavirus Update” →

Tree Planting Ceremony In memory of Mr Denis Butt O.B.E. & Mrs Dorothea Butt

Denis & Dorothea Butt spent many happy years of their early married life in Uganda where their three children, Adrian, Helen & Martyn, were born. Denis worked as a Researcher in Crop Disease at the Kwanda Research Station and his specialist interest in coffee took him to the Mount Elgon area. They returned to England in 1966 but never lost their love of Africa.
Dorothea was a professional singer and after her death in August 2002, Denis arranged musical concerts in her memory to raise money for disadvantaged children in Uganda. Denis was always passionate about children’s education and so the donations sent to Uganda Women Concern Ministry were used to provide academic or skills-based training to many AIDS orphans who would otherwise have had no hope of an education and a tough future.
Over the years, Denis continued to support UWCM through Uganda Concern UK but sadly, he died on 26th January 2019 (his 85th birthday). However, Denis had not forgotten his links with Uganda and the family informed us that he had left a generous gift in his will to UCUK. In keeping with Denis’s belief in the importance of education, his legacy is currently being used to fund the senior school fees of several orphaned teenagers who have no other family support.
Denis & Dorothea’s daughter, Helen, discussed the possibility of something in memory of her parents and during our visit to Uganda in January 2020, close to the first anniversary of Denis’s death, two Jacaranda saplings were planted in the grounds of UWCM’s offices. Helen had donated a beautiful plaque which was placed alongside the trees after a special time of prayer & reflection. Mabel, one of Denis’s beneficiaries from the early 2000’s, was able to attend and plant one of the trees. She testified to the great impact the Butt’s donations had made to her life and how it enabled her to go to university and qualify as an engineer!

10 x water tanks were delivered to members of Namisindwa CMT at the end of 2019 and UWCM told us that   ‘activities in the center of Namisindwa almost came to a standstill as people came to see something they have never seen before! ‘ 

“We have one point where we get water from and it is very far from where I live, but since I got this water tank it has not only helped my family but many families around. Sometimes the water can get finished the same day but when there is continuous rain it only takes about 20 minutes to fill up and life is made easier.  I have become a blessing to many people in this are.  May God bless UWCM.” Alice, a widow and member of Namisindwa CMT

Please click HERE to learn more about our Rainwater Harvesting Project which is being supported by Kenn Road Methodist Church in Clevedon  

 

Here are some thoughts from three members of our group for whom this was their first visit to Uganda:

Muzungu, Muzungu!!! The children shout excitedly from the side of the red dusty earth track with massive pot holes that rock the jeep from side to side. The countryside is beautiful, lush green, plantains, bananas, avocados and massive jackfruit hang from the trees. We travel high up into the mountains visiting remote villages where UWCM visit on a regular basis. As we get near we hear the wonderful singing and that lovely ululation, a strange howling sound, then we see the women and children dancing and cheering, just for us!! We are greeted with hugs and ‘special’ handshakes the children, so beautiful, are so pleased to welcome us, tears fill my eyes, already that red dust has got into my eyes and indeed my heart ! Penny Sims

I have been coming to talks about UWCM for approximately 20 years and have always wanted to go to Uganda. But I have never quite understood what I would be able to do if I went. Well this year I made it!!!
I feel very privileged to have been part of this year’s team. And no – I have not been able ‘to do’ very much BUT I have received SO MUCH. It has been an opportunity to see the hands, heart, ears, eyes and feet of Jesus at work. It is a very humbling experience to see those folk with very little supporting others with even less in a wholehearted way. Everything is surrounded by prayer and there are a lot of smiles. UWCM do amazing work within the poorest of communities and it is a real privilege to have visited them. Carolyn Waite

It does tear at the heart strings and there is so, so much need here, and you have to ask yourself, where do you start. It is incredibly overwhelming. What I do know is that I have to start somewhere, and just starting makes a difference. And they are so incredibly grateful just for any small gesture or help you give. It is incredibly humbling. By helping one person or family, it radiates like heat out to others in the family or community. We are doing it all through Uganda Women Concern Ministry, which means the coordinators give the food/money/clothing/ to where it is most needed. Pete O’Keeffe

Thursday  –  We visited Nakatsi Landslide Women’s Association in Bududa to help with the ‘mudding’ of a new shelter (traditional home) which the group had built for Olive and Andrew.    Their home had been washed away in the landslides towards the end of 2019 and, tragically, 4 of their 7 children also died.    Our funding enabled UWCM to buy a piece of land for them and also paid for the iron sheets for the roof plus doors, windows, nails etc.   

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We then spent some time teaching the women how to make reusable sanitary pads which are in great demand as girls often have to miss school for a few days each month due to lack of protection.    We bought 2 new sewing machines for the groups and had taken out all the necessary materials with us.     We had also taken out several hundred pairs of knickers which were distributed to each of the groups we visited as women and girls in these remote communities often only have 1 pair of knickers which are kept for special occasions.

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Finally, here are a couple of photographs of our group together with the staff of UWCM:

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Terry Game, Bridget Withell, Sarah Parker, Graham Roberts,
Carolyn Waite, Penny Sims, Pete & Janelle O’Keeffe

We visited a community on Tuesday to see one of the 1000L rainwater harvesting tanks which we are instrumental in installing.   These tanks are making a big difference to families as during the rainy season they fill up within about half an hour and supply water for cooking, washing, bathing and cleaning for several days depending on how many neighbours use it!      Each tank costs approximately £100 and to qualify for a tank each household has to provide the concrete base, gutters and pipe work.      

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Please click on the following link to learn more about our Rainwater Harvesting Project which is being supported by Kenn Road Methodist Church in Clevedon  

https://ugandaconcernuk.org/projects/rainwater-harvesting/

Terry Game, Bridget Withell, Sarah Parker, Graham Roberts,
Carolyn Waite, Penny Sims, Pete & Janelle O’Keeffe