THE FINAL BLOG

To everyone who has been checking, I do apologize for not being able to write an entry in the BLOG since last week. Everytime I tried, and began, either the power would go out, or the internet connection failed. It was frustrating! Believe it or not, I am writing this entry from an internet cafe in Paris! (Paris is beautiful, by the way.....and what a culture shock!..... and the keyboard is different).
It is with mixed emotions that I write this,my last entry in my BLOG. Saying good-bye to Uganda, the teachers, and of course the children was very difficult. I leave Namuwongo a very different person. I have learned so much and have developed a new appreciation for .......... life.
I know this project has made a difference here. The program does not, and will not end with my departure. Thanks to all the donations we have received to date, as well as the phenomenal amount of school supplies all the participating schools donated, school will continue for the forseeable future.
Teams of volunteer teachers will be working in Namuwongo every month, up to, and including the Month of September. I can assure them all that this will be an experience that they will never forget!
For those of you who are wondering, I did get to go on SAFARI last week thanks to the help of the Minister of Tourism of Uganda. He heard of my disapointment from the mayor of Kampala (it helps to have friends in high places), and arranged a safari to the Queen Elizabeth Park, with my own personal driver and park guide. YES........I saw tons (literally) of HIPPOS! In fact, one was grazing right out-side my suite's door at 11:00 p.m. (they feed at night); they certainally are massive creatures! I also saw a leopard, wart-hogs, a black, spitting cobra, elephants, all kinds of antelopes, spotted hyenays, striped badger, water buffalo, long horned steer, and many different types of beautiful birds.
I am now in Paris for 3 days, London for 2.......and I will be home on Thursday, the 14th.
Thank you everyone who supported this project via your moral support and/or your donations. Since I have received many emails inquiring how individuals can support the Namuwongo Literacy Project, please free to make a donation by cheque or cash payable to/ McGill University; the subject line on the bottom should read: Namuwongo Literqcy Project G.F.I.C./Howard Shapiro - 5676 Merrimac Rd, Cote St Luc, Quebec, Canada; H4W 1S6; Tax receipts will be issued.
Thank-you everyone for following this BLOG!

PLEASE....TAKE MY BABY!.......AND I THOUGHT THE CRYING WAS OVER

This morning I had scheduled some time for our team of teachers to do some home visits. Four of the children were to be our guides since they claimed to know where most of the children lived. Although the sun was now brightly shining, it had rained heavily the night before. The pathways in Namuwongo were still muddy, so this Mzungu had to walk carefully so as not to slip into the fetid little gullies and latrines.
As I walked through what passes for a street, filled with people, the occasional chicken, goats, ducks,.... a hand grabbed my wrist. I turned to see a woman, of indeterminate age, clutching a squirming bundle in her arms. "Mzungu! Do you want a baby? Please take my baby!" My heart stopped and then started with an extra beat. I wasn't quite sure how to respond. My group was already ahead of me, but I just couldn't ignore this woman. "Take my baby!" she again begged. "I cannot", I said, "I am too old" (it was the only excuse I could think of quickly). I had to inquire why she wanted to give me her child. It was not her's, she explained, but the child of her sister's daughter. Her sister was killed by the L.R.A. rebels in their northern village. The baby's mother died in childbirth. "I am too old," she continued, "I will soon die and then what will happen to this child? Please take my baby!" I tried to explain that I could not take the baby, even if I wanted to. Ugandan law requires 2 years of residence, without leaving the country, to adopt a child. I walked away reluctantly, not even knowing if the baby was a boy or girl,...... my eyes once again filling with tears, unable to really fathom what I had just experienced.
I caught up to the rest of my group to continue on to the first home visit. The children were delighted to have us visit their homes. I took pictures of the children with their caregiver, sometimes a mother, grandmother, aunt or uncle. I was invited into their homes. The homes were always 1 room shacks, a curtain for a doorway, earth floors and a variety of furnishings. A mattress, rolled up & hung from the roof was the bed. This was placed on the earth floor in the evening for the family to share while sleeping. The adults were always very welcoming of our group, thanking us profusely for taking their children. In some homes we visited, no adult was present as they were away working. The children looked after themselves in the mornings until it was time for school.
When we arrived at Jofrey's home, he quickly rushed in and put on his school shirt (the same, attractive, blue-stripped shirt he has worn to school every day since school started) which was clean, and very fresh looking.
How do the children continue to laugh and smile? How do they ever manage to grow up? I hope I have been able to bring a little comfort, warmth, affection and knowledge into their lives. I have definitely received it from them!

MAKYNDE....& THE MAYOR'S OFFICE

last summer, Judy Labow, Bob Feinstein and 4 other cohorts laid the foundation for the Namuwongo Literacy Project. Although they worked with the children of Namuwongo, they did spend part of their time working with children in P-4 at Makindye School. Makindye is approximately 20 minutes away, by car, from Namuwongo and may be equally impoverished. Judy and group initiated 2 projects at Makindye: an an African Alphabet book created entirely by the children; and, Stories of Our Lives, a photo book created by the children who were given cameras and asked to photograph family members and then write brief autobiographical stories. Their work was taken back to Montreal where it was turned in to 2, color-printed booklets. Today was my opportunity, together with Hannah Grey , a G.F.I.C. coordinator who volunteered in the program last summer, to distribute copies of both booklets to all the children who had created them. Please keep in mind that Makindye is a 'real' school where students who attend must pay school fees.
We were driven to the school by the local member of Parliament. We were greeted warmly by the head-master who escorted us to the P-5 class (last year's P-4 students). The greeting we received from the students was enthusiastic. They were all delighted to receive their personal copies of the books! We were then given a tour of all the class groups.
Once again, the pictures above tell the whole story.Hillcrest Academy in Laval it is not! Nonetheless, the children are eager learners!
Following our visit, the member of parliament sent back a new driver, informing Hannah and myself that we were invited back to Parliament to meet the Mayor of Kampala. The parliamentary compound was well appointed. In our meeting room were several officials who extended their greetings and thanked us for our efforts in their country. It was a quick visit, but made me feel 'special' and appreciated.
Monday marks my last 5 days in Uganda. It's hard to believe that 4 weeks have already passed!