Visit to Uganda

In July our new Imara team member, Adelaide Asibwa, and I spent 10 days in Uganda. Kevin met us in Kampala. It was great to spend the time with her and other members of her Ugandan team. Our days were filled with visits to schools or homes, time with our past and present scholars, being entertained with song, and taking part in meetings.

St. Mary Goretti Secondary School

This was our first visit to the school for the blind since it opened in February 2024. There are 43 students now, 9 totally blind, 13 partially sighted, one with sickle cell anaemia, 2 with cerebral palsy, 2 others with physical disabilities and the rest without disabilities as the school is open to all students and offers inclusive education. What amazing young people they are! They are learning that disability does not mean inability and they are talented and supportive of one another. So many of these children come from the very poorest families and we are supporting 16 with school fees grants so that they can be in school. The families were simply unable to raise the money. Some had dropped out of school and others were in danger of doing so.

        Equipping the school

Every new gift of equipment is received with great excitement and appreciation. Thanks to the support of friends at St. Peter's Church, Ardingly and Ardingly Village, we were able to bring out 2 Braille machines, an orbit reader 20 and a large print Bible. During the year generous donations for the school were received from St. Symphorian's Church, Durrington, Sense international in Uganda, and individual supporters. Together with an MTN Uganda's Change Maker Award grant won by Kevin, they have helped the school to become better furnished and equipped.

The construction of the dormitories for the girls has met with many challenges, but it was encouraging to see that some progress had been made. Washrooms were being added to the back of the building while we were there. There are two dormitories, a sick bay and a room for the matron. We are hopeful that the girls will move in next term.

Pit latrines are also being constructed behind the dormitories thanks to a charity, Equal Aqua. Work was beginning on these just before we left. One of the big problems the school has is a shortage of water as the bore hole close to the school is also used by the community.

We spent an enjoyable couple of hours at  Ngetta Primary School next to St. Mary Goretti Secondary School. Adelaide was given some beautiful Bible story books to take out and these were gratefully received by the children. We renovated the library in this school a few years ago so what a lovely gift for the library!

Visit to Gulu

Gulu High School is a two hour journey from Lira and we have 4 totally blind students there and one with partial sight. They gave us an enthusiastic welcome. Adjacent the the High School is a primary school attended by many blind children, mostly from the poorest families who have no hope of paying school fees. The children are encouraged to come to school where they board during term time and if they cannot pay fees, they stay for free. Blind and sighted children learn together and they all learn Braille. A little boy who stole our hearts had no visible eyes.

Home visits

When we see the children smartly dressed in their school uniforms, it can be difficult to imagine some of the challenges they face at home. It is in visiting their homes that we begin to understand just how important it is to give them an education that will lift them out of poverty and enable them to live fulfilled lives and play a valuable role in their communities. We visited the homes of a boy from the slums of Lira and peasant families in rural areas. The homes of a blind girl with three blind siblings, and a boy who is lame, were far from Lira, and once we left the main road we travelled over deeply rutted dirt roads and tracks. Twice we were stuck in mud and had to be rescued by passers-by. We were saddened to learn that a 5th child in the girl's family, a half brother, is also blind in one eye and is not receiving treatment.

As always, we wish we could do more for this child, for the child with no eyes, for children still dropping out of school through poverty, but we praise God for the generosity of donors who have enabled us to build the school for the blind and support many children and young people with scholarships and school fees grants, giving hope for a brighter future.

God bless you,

Belinda

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

STUDENTS AT ST. MARY GORETTI SECONDARY SCHOOL

A new school year has begun in Uganda and another intake of students has joined Senior 1 in our new school, St. Mary Goretti Secondary School. Included are several students with visual impairment and some with other disabilities, students with big hopes for a promising future.

Once again we face the challenge of how to get the poorest children into school and make sure they do not drop out because the struggle to pay school fees is just too much.

Ian attended  primary school  and he achieved the top position in his school in the Primary Leaving Exam with a Division 1 pass. His mum is a single mother living in a slum area of town with her two children. She works hard selling roast cassava and sesame paste in order to provide for the family as best she can. She was desperate for Ian to join secondary school and not to drop out as so many children do. She scraped together enough money to buy some of the things needed for school and was able to pay half the fees but she could not pay the balance and it seemed inevitable that Ian would have to remain at home if we could not help.

There are five blind or partially sighted children from families too poor to pay the fees. Most are from farming families who live a hand to mouth existence. At the start of term some travelled over 100 miles from the West Nile region, not far from the borders with DRC and South Sudan, only to be told they could not be admitted if they were unable to pay the fees. Others remained at home seeing no hope. Kevin was at the school and she pleaded for those who had arrived to be allowed to stay and we would try to raise the fees for them and now the others have also come. 

Seven of the new children need our help and there may be others we will hear of in the weeks to come. We not only need to get them into school but to make sure they do not drop out later in the year. There is a primary school for the blind but no secondary school in the West Nile region. Paul was born blind. His father died and his Congolese mother returned to DRC leaving him with his grandparents. The primary school allowed him to study for free. Jo who is blind and Mark who can just distinguish light from dark attended primary school. Rebecca is blind and she also comes from the north west of Uganda. A former captive of the LRA Sam's mother travelled a long distance in the hope that  her partially sighted son would be able to attend school and she was in tears when she heard he could not stay without paying fees. Again Kevin intervened and he was allowed in. (Names have been changed to protect the identity of the students.)

We would love to hear from anyone who would like to sponsor one of these students, either through regular monthly giving or a one off donation at the start of next term (May). My personal plan is to cut my food/household costs during Lent to save enough for at least one of the children's school fees. It is a small sacrifice when I know that at home many of these children will eat a meal of beans and maize once a day and very little else. Many go to bed hungry.

Construction of the girls' dormitories.

Work is progressing rapidly on the construction of the girls' dormitories at St. Mary Goretti Secondary School after a long delay. We are hopeful that they will be ready for the start of Term 2 in May. The girls will be delighted to have their own dormitories complete with matron's room and sick bay at last. 

Scholarship students

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our scholarship students are back in their schools and colleges for the new term and semester after the long Christmas break.

They report to the office to collect all the things they need before returning to school.

A proud moment for one of our very first Imara scholars. The picture shows him at a ceremony where he was awarded a diploma in electrical engineering.

 

We are grateful to all our supporters whose generosity continues to make our work possible. You are giving new hope to some of the most disadvantaged children in northern Uganda.

Please pray that we will be able to help many more children and young people on the path to a brighter future for years to come and please pray for those in danger of dropping out of school because they cannot pay the fees. 

God bless you. Belinda

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

THE NEW SCHOOL.

So much has happened since I last wrote to you. It is hard to believe that, where only a year ago there was an empty field, now there is a school buzzing with activity. I thank God for each act of generosity and kindness that has made this possible. The first phase of the building was opened in early February and by the end of the first term there were 11 students, many with visual impairment, one with cerebral palsy, and a few with no disability. They are all so excited to be the first group of students in a brand new school.

The news I receive from Uganda often fills me with joy, especially when I hear that a child from one of the poorest families has managed to join the school, that gifts of much needed equipment have been donated, that someone who encourages the blind to take part in sport has spent a weekend at the school teaching "Blind Football" or that another small donation has arrived and it will help to pay the fees of a child whose family has not been able to raise the money to send him/her to school. The news fills me with joy and sometimes it breaks my heart. When children come to school, not only do they have to pay school fees to cover tuition, boarding, basic meals and care but they must also bring mattresses, bedding, cleaning materials, toilet rolls, school books, stationery, and everything else they will need for the term. Our Ugandan team leader, Kevin, wrote that most parents are struggling. Some have no hope of raising the money for school fees. By the start of the first week of term only 3 children had joined the school. Really without education these young people have little hope of leading fulfilled lives, especially if they have a disability. We had to do something and the generosity of supporters has been such that we have been able to top up or pay fees for those who could not pay, at least for the first 2 terms. Friends gave me some money when I last visited Uganda and this was used to buy 6 mattresses. The students then came in gradually through February and March as they were able to purchase at least some of the other required items.

Stories of some of the children. Names have been changed to protect their identity.

Susan is totally blind. She comes from a large family and 4 of the children are blind. Her father wanted to bring her to school but he needed time to raise money for transport and school requirements. Susan had been studying in a village primary school with no braille or specialist teaching. One of her blind brothers dropped out of school. They have all suffered from the stigma that often goes with disability. People tell the family that their children will not be able to do any professional courses. With a little help, Susan was able to join the school. She has settled in well and is learning braille.

Simon is partially sighted and a braille user. He sat the Primary Leaving Exam and missed the top grade by one point. His father died. His mother had no hope of sending hime to secondary school. When she was told we would help, she raised what she could and he joined the school.

Sam has lost one eye and has limited sight in the other. His mother, a widow, is sick and poor. She could see no way of sending him to secondary school.

before he became blind, Sam loved to play football. He was invited to come to the school for the weekend when Blind Football was being taught. A friend from his village lent him some shorts and shoes and the school bursar found him a school tee shirt. He was a talented footballer and he had a great time. He stayed on for the last 2 weeks of term. He was able to use one of the mattresses that had been donated. He sold his pig so as to buy some of the things he needed for school and with the help of the charity with fees, he has managed to return for Term 2.

Who knows how many other young people are left in the villages with no hope of going to school?  Until a few days ago one of these was Jacob. He is not visually impaired but he is an orphan. He lives with his grandfather who paid for him to attend primary school. Very few children achieve top grade in the area in which he lives but Jacob worked hard and achieved top grade in his primary leaving exams. He was looking forward to going to secondary school when Grandfather became ill with a heart condition and could not raise the money, even if we paid the fees, for transport, uniform, books etc. so he remained at home. Now his uncle has managed to help just a little and between us we have been able to get him into school. 

The cost of sending a child to secondary school.

Fees at the new school are roughly £150 for the first term and a little less after that. A mattress costs £20, sheets, pillow and mosquito nets another £20,  exercise books, pens, pencils etc. about £50 per term. The school uniform is about £55. A farmer may earn less than £3 a day so it is no wonder many struggle to send their children to school.

When I look at the rising cost of full scholarships and the cost of each phase of the school construction, it can be quite daunting, but even the smallest donation will buy something a child needs for school. Over the past few months so many small donations have been coming in and I have been quite overwhelmed by the kindness and generosity of friends. Thank you all so much.

The new term has begun and there are now 13 children in the school. Our scholarship children are also back in their schools. A few of those in tertiary institutions will complete their courses soon and one is about to start a certificate course in social work.

Please remember the school and the children and young people in your prayers, especially the blind who face so many extra challenges. An education will give a child with visual impairment the skill to live with some independence and to contribute to the life of the community. Sadly, without education they are so often shunned and made to feel of little value. Please also remember Kevin and her team. Kevin works with such dedication to improve the lives of the children and she is on the governing body of the new school.

Videos

 Earlier in the year I sent some of you a link to a video Kevin sent giving you a glimpse into the work we are doing together with her NGO Itinga Charity Education Foundation. If you didn't manage to see it, the link is

https://youtu.be/ggJys2WB_BA?si=A_fPfWOuM-bvrcvv

Kevin has also sent a short video clip of the visually impaired with their braille machines learning alongside sighted students. The link is https://youtu.be/UEK12rxQYJM?si=496-Pz-jjbPkosyu

Once again thank you for all your support and encouragement which means so much. May God bless you.

Belinda

 

THE NEW SECONDARY SCHOOL FOR THE BLIND

The first phase of our new school is near completion! We are waiting to hear when it will be open for its first group of students.

It is hard to describe just how important this school will be to blind children, particularly those from the poorest families. Recently, Ugandan team leader, Kevin, visited Ikwera Primary School about an hour's drive from Lira. It has a unit for the visually impaired. Like the children of Ngetta Primary School, Lira, its students will be able to join the new school for their secondary education. When Kevin told them about it they leapt out of their seats and jumped and clapped for joy with one young lad beating on a drum!

My vision for the new school and for visually impaired students goes well beyond bricks and mortar. The school will need more rooms and it will also need quite expensive equipment; it will need committed teachers and they will need to build up an ethos of love and support that will enable its students to thrive and reach their potential. Most of this will cost money but, as the saying goes, "A journey of 1000 miles begins with a single step." We have already taken many steps and I have witnessed God at work through some amazing encouragers and supporters. One of the biggest sources of encouragement has been from blind people themselves, blind people who have had the opportunity to receive an education. The teacher who set up the unit for the visually impaired at Ikwera Primary School is totally blind.

A few days ago, I learned that another blind teacher has founded a new community based organisation that is teaching visually impaired young people how to make bags decorated with beads, liquid soap and bars of soap, to give them a means of earning a living and some independence. They are using the primary school rooms next to our new secondary school at Ngetta.

For some years we have been made increasingly aware of the challenges faced by blind children in northern Uganda. The need for the secondary school was clear but there are also many children who have already dropped out of school or whose disability is such that they would benefit most from short vocational courses. Many such courses are available for sighted students but not for the blind. When I heard of this new initiative, I felt quite emotional with joy. One of the young people we have supported for many years is Linda (not her real name). Linda is blind in one eye and one arm is too weak to be of much use. She walks with a limp and has learning difficulties and little self esteem.  She has joined one of the short courses and will be taught a craft using her strong hand, foot, and mouth. She is so happy.

I was in Lira in late November and I had the opportunity to see how the secondary school building was progressing. I visited both Ngetta Primary School and Ikwera Primary School and was welcomed with song in both schools. I visited some of the scholars in their schools and others, past and present, came to the office to spend time with me. I have known some of them for many years and our earliest scholars have started out on their career paths with opportunities ahead of them that they could hardly have dreamed of a while back. Other students, still in school, have big hopes for the future. What a difference the opportunity of an education can make in bringing hope to young people otherwise destined to a life of extreme poverty and hardship.

 It was good to spend time with the Ugandan team, our partner ICEF,  who manage the day to day work of the charity under Kevin's leadership and do an amazing job.

 

A couple of weeks after my visit, the scholars met at the office again for what has become an annual Get Together. It is a day of fun, song, prayer, and food. The highlight this year was a game of goal ball (like football for the blind) between the sighted and the blind children, the sighted wearing a blindfold. The ball has bells in it and the goalies shout loudly.

The present and former scholars have been made to feel that they are a family with the love, support and encouragement that a family can give. They have formed a WhatsApp group and are in regular contact with each other.

All our scholars are preparing to return to their schools for the new school year after the long Christmas break. The Primary Leaving Exam (PLE) results are out and we are very proud of our only candidate. She achieved a Division One pass. 

One of our disappointments is that, for the second year running, we have been unable to afford to offer new scholarships. The scholarships are paid for through the regular monthly donations and other donations and fundraising events for the purpose, but the cost of school fees and other school requirements is rapidly rising. I know that times have been hard for all of us and I can't tell you how much your continued support has been appreciated and what a difference it is making to the lives of these deserving children. Thank you for supporting the scholars and thank you to those of you who have bought bricks on the website donor wall  and have supported the building of the new school. You can see the progress we are making by visiting the "New Campaign" page of the website. It is our plan to continue with the building by adding a hall, a library, a Braille library and 2 computer rooms this year.

Please pray for the scholarship programme and for the new school.

God bless you.

Belinda

 

THE NEW SECONDARY SCHOOL FOR THE BLIND

My heart soars when the Imara-Uganda Education Fund scholars rise above the traumas and difficulties they have faced in their lives - the years of fear during the LRA civil war, the death of parents, rejection, poverty, hunger and attitudes towards disability - to achieve more than was expected, and I know many will, in their turn, help others and some are already doing so. Our six blind and partially sighted scholars have extra challenges to face. One of the totally blind girls encourages the others to believe in themselves and to work hard because, she says, they can do anything. I believe she will make a difference to the lives of many blind children as she goes through life. Another blind child excels in singing and another at sport. They need people who believe in them, encourage them and give them opportunities. That is why the new secondary school next to their primary school is so important.

VISIT OUR DONOR WALL

Since I last wrote to you, the new school building has been growing fast. The walls are in place and very soon the roof will be built. This is the first phase of the main school building -8 classrooms, the staffroom and admin block and the toilets. The builders are on track to complete this section of the main building by the end of December ready for it to be opened for Senior One in February 2024. Starting with one year group means that student numbers will be low and spare classrooms will be used to meet all the needs of the school in the first year.

We had hoped to continue to Phase 2, the library, Braille library, computer rooms and hall early next year. However, the rapidly rising costs of both building materials and labour mean that we need to raise more funds to make this possible.

FUNDRAISING - THE DONOR WALL

Why not visit the page "NEW CAMPAIGN" to find out more about the school and to see how we are doing with fundraising?

If you can, please "buy a brick" on the Donor Wall using the donate buttons on that page.

A £10 brick will buy 280 real bricks

A £100 brick will almost pay for 3 door frames.

The donor wall and news about the progress of the school building will be regularly updated.

Donor Wall - paper version

If your church or community organisation can help by filling a Donor Wall, please get in touch. I will send you a paper version. (belinda@imara-ugandaeducationfund.org)

SCHOLARSHIPS
Too many children in northern Uganda drop out of school because their families are too poor to pay the fees. The cost of sending our scholarship students to school or college is rapidly increasing and this year we were unable to award any new scholarships. Our scholarship fund pays school fees to enable some of the poorest children, including orphans and blind children to go to school. Sponsoring a child is very rewarding and it makes a huge difference to the future prospects of that child.

Picture: An Imara scholar writing to his sponsor

These are just a few of the children who are able to go to school or college supported by the charity's sponsors and donors:

*Ben is one of the poorest children. His mother, a widow, earns a little money fetching water for people and some of his siblings beg on the streets. Ben was desperate to go to school because they feed you there and he wouldn't go to bed hungry.

*Freddy is the youngest of 4 orphan boys. His oldest brother dropped out of primary school in order to work and support the rest. They rarely have enough to eat.

*Anna is partially sighted. Her parents have separated and she lives with her father. This talented girl dropped out of school because her father could not afford the fees. Now she is back in school and doing well.

*Harry's father died. His mother is a subsistence farmer and very poor. Harry has just been accepted into university to study for a degree in physics and mathematics. He plans to be a teacher.

*Sam witnessed his father's murder by the LRA rebels. Now Sam is studying to be a nurse.

They all have a story.

(Names have been changed to protect the identity of the students)

COFFEE MORNINGS IN SEPTEMBER

If you live in the area, why not join us for a coffee morning in aid of the scholarship fund.

There will be 2 coffee mornings in September (11th and 25th) in Hapstead Hall, High Street, Ardingly RH17 6TB from 10.15 am - 11.30 am. There will be sales of beautiful handmade cards, books and other items. Please put these dates in your diaries and come along for delicious homemade cakes, coffee or tea.

Please pray for the charity especially for funding for both the new school for the blind and for the scholarship fund.

Our donors and child sponsors deserve a huge thank you. Your generosity is making such a difference to the lives of our scholars, and the new school will give hope and opportunity to blind children and other learners for many years to come.

Thank you and God bless you.

Belinda

 

WE ARE GOING TO BUILD A SCHOOL FOR THE BLIND!

This is a huge undertaking for a little charity like ours, but so exciting!

PLEASE HELP US TO GIVE HOPE AND A FUTURE TO SOME AMAZING CHILDREN WHO NEED US NOW.

VISIT OUR DONOR WALL

As my spirits are lifted by the beauty of the English countryside in spring, I can only imagine what it is like not to be able to see, and if circumstances also mean that you cannot go to school, how limited your prospects will be!  
We have six amazing visually impaired students amongst our scholars at the present time - youngsters with so much potential. We know we must do everything in our power to make sure opportunities are open to them and that their futures are as bright as it is possible for them to be. Too often the potential of these young people is not recognised, but things are changing and opportunities are opening up.

In achieving our goal, we will be working in partnership with the Catholic Diocese in Lira who own the primary school attended by the blind. They have made land available adjacent to the primary school and the secondary school will be an extension of the primary school. The school will be built in three phases and it is hoped that the first part will be ready by January 2024 for the Senior One intake. When it is complete, the school will take up to 300 students. It will cater for the education of other learners as well as the visually impaired.

At present too many blind children drop out of school after their primary education because the nearest school for the blind is too far away. They return to their homes with insufficient education to lead reasonably independent and fulfilled lives. This is so sad.

Thanks to a legacy left to us by a wonderful supporter, we are in a position to contribute very substantially to the cost of the buildings over a period of three years, but we do need more help.

WE HAVE TWO APPEALS. THE FIRST IS FOR DONATIONS TOWARDS THE COST OF BUILDING AND EQUIPPING THE SCHOOL AND THE SECOND IS FOR REGULAR DONATIONS TOWARDS THE COST OF SCHOLARSHIPS. NO DONATION IS TOO SMALL. 

The funds we raise through regular monthly donations and most occasional donations and annual fundraising activities go to the scholarships to enable orphaned, visually impaired and other disadvantaged children to attend school or college. Your generosity over the years has made a huge difference to the lives of many Imara scholars. However, cost have increased dramatically and we have been unable to offer any new scholarships this year. We are not raising sufficient annually to cover the cost of the scholarships. I know we live in uncertain times and it may not be possible for many of you to increase your giving, but if you are in a position to do so it will make such a difference. Regular giving helps us to plan the number of children we can support. If you are not giving regularly but you feel that you could and would like to, we would love to hear from you. There are so many children who need our help. 

NEW DONORS GIVING JUST £10 PER MONTH WOULD MAKE A HUGE DIFFERENCE.

THE NEW SCHOOL

The total cost of the school building for the blind will be around £400,000 and we are over half way there. We will also need equipment and teacher accommodation. It is very important that the school should be well equipped and should attract the best teachers.  

We will start with the main block - eight classrooms, offices and staffroom, and toilets. Some of the classrooms can be used temporarily as dormitories to begin with.

The libraries, computer rooms and hall will be added on to the main block as soon as possible. This will leave the science block, boys and girls dormitories with toilets, and the kitchen to be added on and staff accommodation to be built. We have asked the Catholic Diocese to look for other donors to help with or take responsibility for the outer buildings while we concentrate on the main block.

A GET TOGETHER

Our Ugandan team organised a Get Together of past and present scholars in January this year. Thank you, Norman and St. Symphorian's Church, Durrington, for fundraising for this event. It was a wonderful day with songs, dance, speeches, a meal and cake. The six blind students sang a lovely song which you can find on our Facebook page imara-uganda-EF or through the Facebook link on the website. I found it very moving. One line in particular is so positive, "All I see today are possibilities." One of the blind students gave a speech of encouragement on behalf of the others. She spoke so well.

As always our thank to you all for your wonderful support. God bless you.

Belinda

 

 

At long last we have been able to return to Uganda. Sylvia and I spent two busy weeks there in June and it was so lovely to see our Ugandan team and all the scholars after more than two years. The children have grown so much.

We have partnered with a new team in Uganda. We asked former Imara-Uganda Education Fund scholar, Kevin, to register and lead a new NGO through which we would work. The new team welcomed us and it was lovely to meet them. They are young and enthusiastic and have lots of good ideas.

We spent a day in Abia where, with a small ceremony, we handed over the resource centre to the school management. The resource centre is now called Jean Ashwin Resource Centre in memory of Jean who took such a keen interest in its construction and donated so generously to make it possible. There are four rooms - a library, an IT room, a small group room and a hall. We chose to support Abia Primary school back in 2011 because it was the site of such suffering during the civil war when the LRA rebels attacked homes, villages and refugee camps and abducted thousands of children, forcing them to become child soldiers. Our older scholars still talk of those times.

 Perhaps the most moving experience of this visit was a journey to Kotido in Karamoja, a four hour journey from Lira. The land is semi desert during much of the year and it is difficult to grow crops. The people keep cattle and many live a nomadic life. We set out early and after a few hours driving along rough roads, we passed through a beautiful low mountain range and beyond it were flat plains stretching towards the Kenyan border. Because crops do not grow well and the cattle suffer in these times of climate change, this is a region where there is much poverty. Our purpose was to visit two of our scholarship children in their schools and the home of the youngest one, a bright eight year old. It was hard to hold back the tears as we entered his tiny dark home. Grandmother is blind and rarely ventures out. She sits all day on a mattress on the floor. At night the children sleep on mats around her. The mother, a widow earns a little money by fetching water for people. When we were there her youngest children were with her and the older ones were out getting food (begging). Food has rocketed in price and they were unlikely to make enough for an adequate meal. This family often goes to bed hungry. Only the one we are supporting is in school.

After leaving this home, we went to the two schools our scholars attend and were met with the biggest smiles. At least for them there is hope for a brighter future. Paul is physically disabled. One of his legs is very weak and he is unable to walk. Sometimes he is in pain but he is in secondary school now and that is what matters to him. Brian loves his primary school and is making good progress.

We now have seven visually impaired children in our scholarship program. We visited the home of one of them, Priscilla. Her parents earn a meagre living farming tobacco about a one hour journey from Lira. They have seven children, four of whom are totally blind. It is hard to imagine how difficult life must be for them, but this as a loving family and even the two-year-old sighted child has learned to guide his blind siblings.

One of the main purposes of this visit was to see how best we can support the education of visually impaired children at secondary level. Too many of those who complete primary school drop out of school, but without a secondary school education and further education, their future is bleak. These are children with so much potential. We had some useful meetings and we will let you know how things progress. At the time of writing, the options are to add a secondary school department to the primary school or to add extra facilities to an existing secondary school. Both options have their challenges and we are waiting for answers to questions and the result of further meetings with the authorities involved. This can take time. At present those families who can afford it send their children out of the area, but the nearest secondary schools to cater for the blind are a two hour journey away. We spent a very interesting day in one of them as we are supporting two children there. We were struck by how these children, growing up where there is such stigma attached to disability, were achieving so much, not just academically but in the fields of sport and music, and they were whizzes on the computer! They had brought home several trophies for goalball and athletics. They are encouraged to believe in themselves and their future is bright. We would love to see opportunities like these in the Lira area. Among the sticking points is the need for the school to be government aided. This would make the government responsible for paying the teachers and providing curriculum materials. The other is financial. Please pray that the challenges will be overcome and that doors will open.

Our AGM will be held on Saturday 17th September at St. Laurence's Church Hall, Goring-by-Sea, starting at 2.30 pm. Please join us if you can.

My very best wishes and may God bless you,

Belinda