Monday 21 November 2011

Finishing the Hostel Building

At last we have received costings for all the remaining work to be done on the Hostel.

The detailed, itemised budget - hardcore, sand, cement, for floors; interior doors; plaster for walls - all room by room; tiles for the toilets; cladding; labour - all comes to a total of 77,792,000 Ugandan Shillings, which - at the exchange rate at time of writing - is £19,820.

That may seem a terrifying sum, but - here is the good news - we have already raised the bulk of it, and it is in banks in the UK ready to be sent out to Kasese!
Alan, our Emmanuel International missionary friend in Uganda, has asked for clarification on one or two points from the newest member of the SKILL Centre team, Alfonse Kambale - a Baptist minister with much experience of work with orphans, and a professional builder as well: what a useful man to have on board! When Alfonse has checked all the figures Alan will give the go-ahead for funds to be sent out from UK.

Just to remind you what it's all for - here are two Kasese street children - about the same age as my grandchildren - scrabbling in the rubbish, hoping to find something worth trying to sell for a few pence.


Let's hope that within two or three months, these lads will be welcomed into their new Hostel, given decent food, and love and care!

chriscjenkin@aol.com


www.justgiving.com/kasesestreetkids

Saturday 12 November 2011

Pictures from an Exhibition

We dismantled the Photographic Exhibition in Kendal Parish Church yesterday, after a four-weeks run. (And just as we were tidying up, a lady appeared to visit it!)






So here are a few more pictures to record the event.



1. Margaret Sentamu, our guest speaker and opener, with us - Christopher and Mary Jenkin.
2. The display showing the "story so far" of the Kasese Street Kids hostel; and a stand of colour photographs of African children, which were for sale (but no one bought any!)
3. Some of the guests at the Preview gathering to hear the speakers and see the Presentation; in the foreground are Margaret Sentamu and Carol Allen Storey (the photographer) chatting.

4. The photograph of the boy holding the baby, which was the one we used on all the publicity for the Exhibition, and which we had blown up to AO size - almost four feet high. 5. The crowd enjoying the wine, canapes and chat.


Was it worth it?

Many people saw the Exhibition during the four weeks it was in Kendal Parish Church - not only the regular Sunday congregations (who, we are told, were very interested and appreciative), but also the many who attended baptisms, weddings and funerals; those who attended concerts and seminars and other such events in the church; and the casual visitors who dropped in to see the church - though there were fewer such people in the later autumn than during the main tourist season. And, of course, there were those who had seen the publicity, and decided to visit the Exhibition, like the unfortunate late-comer!

The bottom line...

How much money was raised?

Given at the Preview: £1,600

Received since the Preview: £575.

Promised but not yet received: £580.

Yes, I think it was worth it!

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