Raffle and Reward

After selling raffle tickets for the beautiful patchwork items for three months, the draw was finally held on Saturday 10th December.

A fourth prize had been added by the skilled and crafty maker and donor of the patchwork quilts and cushions - two beautiful, large, hand-made Christmas baubles.

The first prize (double quilt) was won by a pensioner couple from Ulverston (who bought their ticket at Orton Farmers Market).

The second prize (lap quilt and matching cushion) by a couple in Penrith, who bought their ticket at a Penrith Singers rehearsal.

The third prize (two matching cushions) and fourth prize (baubles) were won by people in Kirkby Stephen - they probably both bought their tickets when we were stationed outside the Cooperative one Saturday!

The raffle brought in a total of £1,300 - the best prize of all!

Street Kids suffering goes on

Enos Kyibibi tells us from Kasese that the kids have been getting a lot of harassment from the police, and two of them are at present in prison.

Enos comments that prison staff are not known for their gentleness and kindness.

A generous gift

www.justgiving.com/kasesestreetkids is a site where people can make donations to the Kasese Street Kids. We mention it in our leaflets, but generally get hardly any response that way.

But this week we found that someone has donated £1,000 to Kasese Street Kids on that site.

He wrote:
"This donation is in memory of my brother ...... He had a kind and generous spirit so please accept it in his name."

Another recent donor wrote:

"The pictures shown in Kendal tell the tale, and if big boys can look after little boys, we are bound to support them all."

I am sure he was referring to the Photographic Exhibition held in Kendal Parish Church, which ended nearly a month ago.

He particularly alludes to the wonderful picture shown here, of the boy looking after a baby boy, the child of a sex worker dying of AIDS.

He must have picked up one of our leaflets at the Exhibition.

Thank you, both - and all who continue to give to support our work!

chriscjenkin@aol.com

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

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!

-

chriscjenkin@aol.com

www.justgiving.com/kasesestreetkids

Report of progress

1. Plumbing and Water Supply: The intallation of plumbing in the new Hostel is now complete, but not yet connected to the mains water supply. All the necessary materials for doing so have been purchased, but the connection would have to pass over the land of a neighbour, and negotiations are in hand for this. Meanwhile, however, there are crops on the land concerned, so they will have to wait till the crops are harvested in January - otherwise compensation would have to be paid.

This means that probably the children can not move in till water is connected, perhaps in February.

2. Electricity: The solar power panels are installed and working; two are being used for lighting, and the third for sockets for computers and DVD players.

3. Walls and floor: Before the boys move in they want to get the walls and floors plastered, and this will be paid for (at least partially) by selling the bricks that the boys themselves have made. In this way the street boys are making a direct contribution towards completing their building.

Successful Preview

A large poster adorns the railings outside the beautiful Kendal Parish Church. It advertises
the "Children of Hope" Exhibition, mounted by Kasese Street Kids for one month.

The church building is magnificent, and a wonderful setting for this Exhibition; we are so grateful to the Vicar and PCC for allowing us to use it.
About 60 people came to the Preview on the 13th, and examined the photographs and their captions with interest.

"How much have you raised?"

People often ask us, "How much money have you raised so far?"

The question makes us slightly uncomfortable as it seems to give all the kudos to us - whereas we are so very aware how we depend totally on the generosity of our many donors and supporters.

But we got the latest accounts today from Emmanuel International UK, our parent body (http://www.eiuk.org.uk/). Since we started fund-raising in April 2008, adding the Gift Aid tax that has been reclaimed, and including the 10% of funds that go towards EI administration, we find that what has been raised so far is

£38,036.36.

There is still quite a lot of that waiting to be sent out to Kasese, when Alan Parrett authorises it after seeing budgets and accounts. He and Cheryl are going down from Kampala to Kasese next Monday, when they will inspect progress and talk to Enos Kyibibi, the Project Director.

The next jobs to be done on the building are interior doors and flooring. Cement is extremely expensive in Uganda for some reason, so the floor will cost quite a lot.

Photographic Exhibition

Numbers of those expecting to come to the Preview on Thursday approach 80!

Remember - if you are ever in or around Kendal: the Exhibition is in Kendal Parish Church, Kirkland, from 14th October to 12th November. Do drop in, and also pass the word around.

Do get in touch if you would like to know more, or to support us!

chriscjenkin@aol.com