An Update From Blake
In keeping with Ugandan tradition, the holidays is a time to leave the big cities, and head to home villages to be with family. Our the girls headed out on December 22nd to their various villages surrounding Gulu, and spent a week celebrating with extended families. Our mentor Oliver made her way to Western Uganda, where she had a special reunion with her family, seeing them for the first time in 5 years.
Christmas is a time for feasting with family, and with a bountiful rainy season winding down, the harvest was plentiful, and indeed the feasts abundant. Not all of the girls had home situations which were suitable for visits, so some of them stayed in Gulu and joined Beatrice with her family to celebrate Christmas and New Years.
The girls returned to the home on 2nd January, resuming the numerous activities taking place in the home. Singing and Traditonal Dance continue to be favorites, with such dances as Larakaraka (courtship dance), lakubukubu (wedding dance), Naa (leisure dance), and mailyel (burial dance).
With Beatrice leading the way, the tailoring training has progressed nicely and the girls are currently sewing table cloths. The manual sewing machine is tuned up and running well, and the electric machine presents and exciting challenge for the girls with experience primarily on the manual machines.
Knitting is another favorite therapeutic activity, allowing the girls to chat and open up, relaxed by the rhythmic activity.
Janet, our beadmaking teacher, recently returned from Kampala, and is preparing to begin training sessions with the girls. There is a huge need for alternative income sources for the girls involved in the outreach program, and beadmaking presents a great initial step in that direction.
The outreach program continues to grow, as every Tuesday 35-40 girls from the community gather to spend the afternoon together, and wait their turn for 1 on 1 counseling with Pauline and Oliver. We’re continuing to witness great needs from these girls, challenging us continue to search for ways to assist.
The new school term is just around the corner, so the girls and mentors are scouting out local day schools, and beginning the application process. We’re encouraging as many girls as possible to further their formal education, as it will open up doors, but also respect that the best fit for many will be vocational training. English, reading, and basic mathematics continue to be taught in the home, as these skills will be vital for their economic success and independence.
