Update from James and Gorret December 2020

Warm greetings to you all in the wonderful name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Here is a brief update on what is happening here: 

Recent Events

Churches

Churches have been re-opened and permitted to operate as long as they observe the Standard Operating Procedures of COVID-19. The major challenge is that a lot of buildings have been greatly affected by rain and many have had walls fall down. 

Micro-Loans

This is the programme which has been most greatly affected. Businesses dwindled during the COVID lockdown and saving and repayments became a great problem. A lot of people withdrew their savings. This area requires a real boost/intervention to kick start. Approximately 9 million Uganda Shillings (US$2,500) would be sufficient to re-start. Some people have resorted to stealing, especially the youth. 

Education

Having paid for the first term, which only lasted for two weeks, the second term was announced at a time that was not expected. With most people having no money, less food and nowhere to begin due to a lack of income, paying for education was impossible. Transport and transportation also trippled, hence increasing the prices of commodities.

Pangani School (UGA02b)

During the lockdown, and afterwards, we developed a Home Based Learning Program. Children from the same class level would converge at strategic places/homes for learning and some guidance. Since we had just re-started at our new location after the difficulties at the previous site, only 250 pupils had been admitted. They were from nursery to primary 5. The school unfortunately could not reopen because the government only allowed candidate classes, that is primary 7, secondary 4, secondary 6 (advanced level) and finalists in tertiary education and universities to return to school.

Tree Planting

The trees planted in Kween were damaged by the drought, however the ones I planted in Busia, including some bananas, are doing well.

Nabakisa Malwaye 

This is the subgroup of the loan programme of people living with HIV/AIDs. These ones completely ran broke due to the lockdown. They are lamenting. They need approximately 4 million Uganda Shillings (US$1,100) for a kick start.

Comments from BHW"s Uganda Partnership Facilitator

James is giving me as much information as it has been possible to send by WhatsApp but at least it gives us some overview of what is going on.

I think that we should support a boost to the loan programme. There is no question that this loan programme has been effective over a very long period of time and the same applies to the HIV/AIDS programme as well. The amount sought is respectively 9 million UGX and 4 million UGX in total which is approximately US$3,600 (this has subsequently been sent). 

From my discussion with James he does still appear to be in quite good heart and has not been too discouraged by the lockdown. It is so difficult to actually determine what is going on in places like Uganda without being able to visit. Practically speaking I think it is unlikely that I will get there in 2021 but, if I can, at the earliest it will be October/November.