Day 9 25/02/25 (Helen)

Today we find ourselves bouncing along the rough roads out to a village. I promise I will never again complain about the state of our roads at home!

Our destination is the home of Shaluwa Namayania. She is a UgandAid student at Nile Vocational Institute who has just reported for her second year in Cosmotology (hairdressing) and we have been invited to her home. Having collected Shaluwa and Joseph, our UgandAid coordinator on the ground (just one of his many jobs) from NVI, we head off. Her mother is selling vegetables at the roadside an hour's walk from home. We pick her up as we pass by.

What a humbling experience to sit outside her home as she tells us her story of family rejection due to being albino. She is so thankful for Shaluwa's opportunity for further education at NVI. She prays for us as we travel, and we sing The Blessing over her and two of her 9 children. Leaving traditional gifts of sugar, salt and soap we head off, dropping her back to her stall.

Another bumpy ride later, we arrive at the home of another student John, who has just completed the welding and sheet metal fabrication course.

As we arrive we get some nervous looks from the pre school children. But they squeal with delight as they chase bubbles from Steve Y. and Dave H. and played catch with a pebble. It feels like fun is in short supply here.

Finally,  back to Jinja to buy gifts for the new students, more on that another day.

Helen xx