So Happy Together

 

February 22 – Day 8

The resort provides a delicious buffet breakfast so, with bellies full, the young people soon head to the pool.

We manage to fill the dining room

Sue jokes with some of the girls

 

Anthon enjoys his swim lessons with Bonnie

We are impressed by how these kids and young adults, some of whom we have known since they were infants, have grown and matured.  They demonstrate a remarkable level of friendship, love and respect towards each other and the adults around them.  They refer to one another as cousins, and it genuinely feels like a big family reunion.  The notion that the educational, food, and moral supports we have provided for these kids is materializing in front of us is somewhat overshadowed by the display of family camaraderie that we have helped to create for them.

It is heartening to know that the effort and resources being provided by our organization and donors is being directed to the development and well-being of such a wonderful group of people.

Many of them take swimming lessons at school, and we note the considerable water skills some of them have achieved.  Rose, the nurse, is self proclaimed “hydrophobic”, so we are thrilled to see that none of that has rubbed off on Angel and Anton, who spend much of the day frolicking in the wading pool.

Sue chats with Hasifa

Saleh enjoys some football with the other lads

 The boys make good use of the new soccer ball, playing games of keep-away on the lawn.

One of our kids, Hasifa, was orphaned as a child as the result of AIDS and raised mostly by her grandmother.  We met her when her grandmother was quite ill and frail, but the extended family basically abandoned her after grandma died, and Doris Villa-Keeler provided sponsorship to see her through secondary school and seamstress courses at college.  She has graduated out of our program and working independently.  She is obviously much loved by the other kids.

Hasifa

With a photo of Doris, her sponsor

 Hassan was also orphaned due to AIDS and was referred to us by Sarah, another Kulikayo kid, when she realized that he had a scarcity of food and supplies at school.  He was sponsored by Sue & Alan’s son, Nick, and is now in university studying cybersecurity.  Hassan is a very personable lad, and a great talker.  He has made a good connection with Jamie.

Jamie & Hassan

Shakira, Shaturah, Saleh, Charlotte & Sasha are all siblings.  Sofia, their single mom, could not manage to provide for them and fortunately they all have sponsors.

Charlotte, Hasifa, Shaturah

Shakira is a beautiful and bright young woman who did very well on her recent final secondary school government exams and hopes to start nursing school in July.  She is sponsored by Paul and Mary Ellen Konyer.

Brenda and Aurora with Shakira

Shaturah, at 17, is in her 4^th year of secondary school (S4) and has always impressed us as being a fiery, strong young woman.  She hopes to become an electrician.

Alicia enjoying cuddles from Shaturah

Saleh is 15 years old and hopes to study medicine.  He is in secondary school, year 2 (S2).

Saleh (with cap) dances with Ashibin & Daniel

Charlotte, age 13, also wants to study medicine.  She is sponsored by the family of Charity Callaghan, one of our Kulikayo board members.

Sasha, the shy toddler who so loved frilly clothes when we first met her, is now 10 years old in Primary 4 (P4) and advises she wants to be a soldier when she grows up.

Sasha

Sandra had heart valve surgery as an infant and became a Kulikayo child when her Mom could no longer afford medication and follow-up clinic visits to keep her well.  She studied tourism and travel and is now working in her mother’s fruit stand while trying to find work in her field.  We have come to know her siblings over the years, and Carly has invited Maurice, Marjorie and Solomon along.

Sandra

 Faridah, another single mom, also struggled to provide for Sarah, Moses, and Ashibin (Cutie).  Sarah is very artistic with a flare for fashion.  She has finished courses in fashion design and now works in a juice shop in a mall that houses a number of fashion houses.  She lives with Faridah in Kampala and has an online business selling her clothing.  Alan and Sue helped her with a resume and a portfolio booklet to spur her dream of working full-time in her passion.

Sarah

 Moses, at 17 and in S4, has shown incredible skill for his age at football.  If he cannot become a professional athlete, he would like to study to become a doctor.  Carly and Scott are his sponsors.

Scott and Carly enjoy a discussion with Moses

Ashibin is 15.  A very quiet lad, we are impressed at how he has shot up in height and changed physically over the past 5 years.  He also wishes to study medicine.  He was treated for tuberculosis a couple of years ago but recently has been complaining of low back and neck pain.  Doctors at the TB clinic reassured us that it was not a recurrence of his infection and he asks Dr. Alan to check him over.  There appears to be no significant physical disorder and our retired MD offers reassurance and a prescription for regular stretching exercises.

Ibrahim (Abe), a nephew of Jackie’s, is 14 years old and hopes to one day become a chef!

Abe

Olivia, Gloria, Daniel and Jovan witnessed their mother die days after being attacked by their father.  Olivia, a very personable girl, has graduated out of Kulikayo after studying cosmetology.  Her employer is promoting her up the ranks in the hospitality industry.

Olivia

 Gloria, age 18, hopes to become an engineer one day.  She suffers from photophobia and her recent assessment at an eye clinic did not reveal any underlying pathology.  Jackie is seeking out affordable neutral grey eyeglasses to help her with that.

Gloria watches on as Sue takes notes

Gloria models her new backpack, a gift from her sponsor

Daniel, now 16 years old, hopes to study to become a chemical engineer.

Daniel

It is hard to believe that Jovan is now 13 years old.  His hope is to study finance and work in the civil service.  Doris Villa-Keeler also sponsors him.

Tired out from swimming and having consumed popcorn and sweets, it is time for the dreaded life lessons talks.  As an organization, we not only strive to provide food, shelter, and education – but also to support and educate citizens of this country who have a strong moral code respect for themselves and others, and a sense of female empowerment.

Gathering the boys age 12+ in Carly and Scott’s cottage, they hear messages in this vein, along with discussions of peer pressure and the importance of having a goal in life and striving for that.  These kids have known nurse Rose since their days at the children’s home, and they seem to take her messages to heart.  Jackie, Carly and Alan reinforce those themes and also provide information on sexual health and STI’s including a demonstration of proper condom technique.  The boys are not totally mortified and ask a few relevant questions.

Rose in a quiet moment

Angel

 The discussion with the older girls also goes well.  There seems to be an openness to this kind of information flow which we did not experience several years ago.  Rose has seen a disturbing incidence of cervical cancer in advanced stages in young women, working in her remote rural clinic.  This cancer is caused by infection with human papilloma virus (HPV), which is largely preventable by immunization ideally in the pre-teen years.  Uganda has had a program of HPV vaccination in the schools since 2015, but data indicates the percentage of children receiving the full course of prevention is much less than ideal.  Jackie and Alan agree to work out a plan to make sure the Kulikayo girls are covered.

With that behind us, we sit down to another buffet dinner provided by Keith and his great dining room staff.  This is a more traditional Ugandan meal consisting of matoke (plantain), g-nuts (ground peanut sauce), dodo (collard greens), delightful beef filet, irish potatoes, pilau masala rice , and sodas.  Everyone is treated to a dessert of ice cream.

Again, there is a campfire and dancing to Ugandan music.  The mzungus are undoubtably the stars of the show  😉