Look at those faces – and those books!

What is there to say!
They simply love reading – and I, of course, love that they love reading.

By Trudy Marshall
Executive Director
I heard this class singing the Uganda national school song today, so I went to their classroom
and sang it in American English – which they thought was really funny, especially when I
danced a bit to the part of the song that says, “singing and dancing with joy together.”

If a day is hectic for me – I take time to go into a classroom to read and sing with the kids.
They bring sunshine into my day! They are worth every effort, all the time, and every penny of
funding needed to make a difference in their lives.

Books making their way to Uganda on cargo ships

March 6 – Container full of books left Austin, Texas for Houston
March 16 – Left Port of Houston aboard MSC Stella
March 19 – Left port of New Orleans for Bahamas, where the container was put aboard MSC Natalia and shipped back to Charleston, S.C.
March 26 – Left Charleston en route to Capetown, South Africa
April 29 – ETA in Capetown, where the container will be put aboard another ship en route to Mombasa, Kenya. From Mombasa, it will travel overland to Uganda.

Easter Outing with Jackson and Sylvester

Jackson (18 yrs) asked if he and Sylvester (14 yrs) could spend Easter with me. Iagreed. So, after church I treated them to lunch. Afterward, I asked if they wanted ice cream. Their faces look puzzled. After they ate one bowl, they wanted more! They hadn’t tried ice cream before! Where is a DQ when you need it!

I then suggested a road trip – or in this case – a foot trip, as they didn’t want to go home yet. There is a store here, Bam, that is fairly ‘westernized’, which I knew they would find interesting. The guys hadn’t seen the majority of the appliances before, so much learning took place. Then, to live up to my crazy Gran status, I decided they should try on wigs, funnels, etc. – which sent them into gales of laughter. On seeing blankets, they both just stopped! Then Jackson talked about how cold they were at night with no blankets. Sad.

As we were checking out, a person cut in front of me, putting their items in front of mine. At another store, two people tried. I said “nedda” (no), picked their items up and moved them back. Luckily, the people
were buying hardly anything – so I included their items in what I was buying – to their astonishment. This sent Jackson and Sylvester into fits of major laughter once again. It was time to part.

They both kept repeating, “This is an Easter we will never forget.” That night they slept snuggly in their new blankets – after eating Pringles and candy, of course.

Great day – that it was!

Who would have thought ...?

One day, I noticed an elderly, gray haired lady carrying two water jerry cans – one small and one larger. She would set the heavier one down, pause, pick it up, and continue.

I decided to help carry the heavier of the two. After lifting it, I knew I had made a mistake. I thought my arm was breaking. The sweat was rolling down my face. Finally, I put the lady and her jerry cans on a boda. Before paying and sending her off, I ask the driver to remember where she lived, so I could find her
again.

The next day, I found the lady, who lives in a tiny round hut in a large slum area. She was shocked to see me. The boda driver ask if there was anything she needed. She replied that she needed a radio, clothes, shoes, and a water basin – in that order. Off we went on two bodas to shop; she in her bare feet. After arriving
back with the items, she slipped into one of her two dresses and her new shoes for a picture.

As we were driving off – with all the neighbors staring after us, I looked back and she was waving her hand in the air and letting out African whoops! I had to laugh when my driver told me that she was using the water in her hut to make home-brew!

Another day in Uganda!