Most of you have heard us talk about a tribe of children in Uganda called the Karomojong. they are a despised group of people-much like the gypsies in Europe. The children are so hungry they will eat ANYTHING! I have told you of the men sitting around pots of homemade alcohol and drinking from long straws-there is a nasty residue left in the bottom of these pots which the children scoop up and eat for breakfast. They become drunk and stumble around the streets. we have spent countless hours cleaning and dressing their wounds. Then there was Maria-the little girl who was digging through the trash and found a piece of meat with a dead rat attached. She pulled the meat from the rat's mouth and as other children who were rifling through the trash saw her with the meat began to chase her she shoved the whole piece in her mouth. she became violently ill and died within hours. the image wouldn't leave me as I asked people to contribute to a feeding program. A generous couple from California paid for large pots to cook food for the children and others donated money to begin a feeding program! It began yesterday!!
I am attaching photos of the first day of feeding and here are Pastor Ruth's own words about yesterday!
“Yesterday(monday),was yet another day to be remembered in the calendar of Smile Africa Ministries.We were up before 7:00am,and we had been on a mobilization activity for the past weeks.As you know the Government had talked of forceful Education for the karamojong children,but that will never work, because first thing these children are hungry.There were a lot of questions to answer , the parents and guardians asked if they too would be fed, since these children contributed to the whole family through the rotten food that they pick from the rubbish pits.We had to do a lot of explanations of the current and future benefits of this program, as we are out to teach these children to read and write, as well as music and Bible stories.
“Yesterday(monday),was yet another day to be remembered in the calendar of Smile Africa Ministries.We were up before 7:00am,and we had been on a mobilization activity for the past weeks.As you know the Government had talked of forceful Education for the karamojong children,but that will never work, because first thing these children are hungry.There were a lot of questions to answer , the parents and guardians asked if they too would be fed, since these children contributed to the whole family through the rotten food that they pick from the rubbish pits.We had to do a lot of explanations of the current and future benefits of this program, as we are out to teach these children to read and write, as well as music and Bible stories.
Then came monday,the children came in groups, and they would first peep and be sure there were no soldiers or trucks to take them back to karamoja, then large groups followed.By midday we counted 216 beautiful children,the rest who came late, we did not count.There was explosive joy as the children sang and danced with the team of volunteers who turned up.The cooks set out with their work, they are widows, and they are grateful to be able to take up this job opportunity.At 11:00am,we served them with porrage, this is made of corn flour,water and sugar, and the children just kept of shouting Jesus, with thier cups lifted up, and some made the big thumb symbol, which shows that Jesus is a Hero.They learned this during politicle campaigns, were people praise their candidates, for these children, they realized that Jesus is their Candidate and their Hero.Tears of Joy rolled down my cheeks, as i saw the face of Jesus Smilling, seeing the little children cheer Him.Thankyou everyone of you for making this possible.At 2:30pm,we started to serve the main meal, which comprised of Posho and fried Beans,the children were all smiles,and many of their parents stood by the fence, and watched their children eat
Apart from the young street children, we had five older ones, they helped us organize the young ones, and we sent them to bathe.Many of the children were extremely dirty, and we bathed them with medicated soap. The team all worked tirelessly.We hope to come up with an activity for the older boys, but for now, they will help with the younger ones, it will teach them to be more responsible.
The children sang and danced , and we closed with a word of prayer.I have attached pictures of the children having break porrage,and eating the main meal.
Continue to pray for us, that God will give us a means of transport, to ease our movement,for effective administration.
Picture "bathed and dressed" is of the little dresses the ladies made, and we are using them for the children to change in, after bathing, as we wash the dirty clothes. When the borehole is dug, it will greatly help, as the bathing and washing of clothes needs a lot of water.”
rachel's note: currently they are bathing the children in wash basins which are used for washing dishes, clothes, etc. It has always been a dream of mine to have a HUGE bathtub for the kids! with bubbles of course!
