Welcome Back!

You have Gifts for Good in your basket.

Welcome Back!

Last time you were here, you were looking to help vulnerable children and families. Your support can save and change lives.

Today is the day we have been waiting for – we are going to finally meet our sponsor child, Hamad.

The drive to the ChildFund centre in Hamad’s part of Kampala is not long. As the van pulls into the car park, drums begin to beat and by the time we are out of the car, a Ugandan song and dance is in full swing. It is spectacular.

After the show, a little boy appears in the doorway of the building with a bunch of flowers. It’s Hamad and he is gorgeous. He comes out into the yard and hands the flowers to me, and whispers something so quietly that I can’t hear it. His eyes are averted and he’s obviously very nervous. Although I want to hug the stuffing out of him I decide that it’s probably not the best move at the moment.

We go inside and meet the team from ChildFund. We are once again thanked profusely for being sponsors and enabling the work that they do. While this is going on Hamad and I have a whispered conversation where he tells me he is nervous and I tell him I am, too, but that we’ll have a great day together…

Read the full post about day 6 of Julie’s African Adventure on her blog – and watch her final video diary below.

After spending the day with a rural community supported by ChildFund, long-time sponsor Julie Goodwin reflects on all she has seen and learned.

Today is the day we go out into the field and experience firsthand the projects that ChildFund is running in the community. We are headed for the village of Kadenge, about half an hour out of Mbale. We start with a meeting at the ChildFund field office of Mbale.

The landscape changes rapidly as we leave the city of Mbale, soon there are nothing but bushland, crops and mud houses. It’s 36 degrees and very humid – typical tropical weather. The houses are organised such that the main house is the home of a man’s first wife, and the little round huts surrounding this house his subsequent wives. He is allowed up to four!

The project we are visiting today is called Nutrition Day. It is held once a quarter. Its goal is to provide health and nutrition information, including how to avoid malnutrition in toddlers (the most at-risk group), and information about HIV which is still a huge problem in Uganda and one that they grapple with…

Read the full post about day 4 of Julie’s African Adventure on her blog – and watch her second video diary below.