Back Home (the last entry)

So I have now been back home for a few days and as expected, it is a bitter sweet return. I have somehow managed to eat everything in site and all foods seem to have so much more flavor. (oh cheese, how I missed you) Believe me, I am enjoying every moment of putting on some of the weight I lost:) I am also enjoying the luxury's of a western toilet and a hot shower. Oh, and NO BUGS:)

First, let me apologize for the absolutely horrendous spelling in all my blog entry's. It literally took 20 minutes just to get into this site to actually post a blog. That is why it was rushed and why I never had a chance to spell check anything. After reading a few posts I realized just how bad they were. Embarrassing:)

Second, thank you again to all of you who donated money for this trip. As I mentioned, the money was all put to good use. Here is a quick recap for you.

1. We paid for all the students at Nalusse Primary School at be fed lunch for an entire year.
2. We gave a down payment for some land for another primary school in Seeta. This land has an existing house on it that will be used as the new school.
3. We have purchased 100 new uniforms for the children at the Seeta school. (Pictures are to come)
4. We purchased 3 uniforms for Nalusse students as well as a new outfit for each of the 4 female teachers.
5. We purchased new books for EVERY grade level at Nalusse. There are books ranging from Nursery to P7. This was a big deal for the school because most of the kids had nothing to read, and if there were books they were being shared with 3 to 4 other students. All of the students were all VERY excited about receiving new books, and everyday they would ask me if they could read one of the new books.
6. We purchased a dictionary and encyclopedia and laminated world maps for all the children in P4 at Nalusse.
7. Pens, pencils, erasers, a few backpacks, some shoes, art supplies and various toys were given to the students at Nalusse. The soccer ball and jump rope were huge hits!
8. We paid rent for a proper office space for Nalusse for an entire year. They have yet to move in but should do so in a few months. (There is a lady living there and she needs to find a new house)
9. We purchased a new cupboard for all the new books so that they won't get stolen.
10. We purchased a cow for one female teacher in order for her to generate extra income for her and her daughter.
11. We purchased 2 pigs for another female teacher to supplement her income as well.
12. Trees were purchased for the directors land so that she can grow food to help feed her family as well as the teachers at the school.
13. We purchased a sewing machine for the other female teacher so that she also could earn extra income. She will also be in charge of making the school uniforms. That way she makes some extra money and the parents don't have to pay large fees for uniforms purchased elsewhere.

I wanted to explain why I chose to help out the female teachers of Nalusse school. First of all, by default, female teachers make less money than male teachers even if they have more experience. The reason for this is that supposedly males are to support families and therefor need to earn more money. Secondly, all the female teachers have been there for 10 + years and are truly dedicated to the children of Nalusse. They only make about $80-$90 a month and work a 12 hour day. All the women were abandoned by there husbands and were left to take care of the children on their own. So not only are they working a 12 hour day but after that they need to cook and clean plus fetch water. The work never ends...... there is no fun. Some of the teachers are even raising their young children at the school because there is no other place for them. The youngest being 2 weeks old. The director of the school purchased a plot of land some years ago and has been using it as a garden. She selflessly gives some of the food she grows to the other teachers at her school, as most of them can not afford to purchase food. In Uganda most people must grow their food because it is too expensive to buy it. If you don't have land to grow food on, in some cases, you may not be able to eat. These small changes we made will go a long way. It may not see like much but everything that was given will affect several people for years to come.

Lastly let me say that this trip has changed my life! The children of Nalusse have affected me in so many ways, and I will NEVER forget them. It's interesting that this is the first time that I feel like I want to keep this experience to myself. I am finding it hard to talk about the trip because I don't know where to start and what to talk about. I know that no matter what I say no one will ever be able to understand or to feel what I felt. There are no words that could describe or explain what Uganda's people have done for me. I am changed!

Jennifer

P.S. It is taking me a much longer time then I thought it would to put the photos and video's together. I will try to post an online album and get the DVD's out as soon as I can. Please be patient.