Seven lunches and lots of signing

Friday's blog for the Southern Team is written by Claire E in Mbarara.

The day started with a lovely breakfast provided by our hosts before being collected by our lovely driver, Qraish. We journeyed back to the Ankole Diocesan Office to meet with the Mothers' Union. After a short welcome and the first visitors book of the day we were invited to visit the communion wafer machine that K&SG deanery helped the MU to procure. The making of the wafers brings in a lot of income for the MU. Unfortunately, it is starting to fail an a new one needs to be bought.

We continued down the road to visit the Mothers' Union Family Complex and Clergy vestments shop. The ground floor of the building has been completed and fundraising for the first floor will commence next May. The Mothers Union work with families at grass root level and there vision is to be able to provide support for teenage mothers and families who are struggling to feed themselves. Looking around the shop we were told that they had only been open since July. Another visitors book to sign before heading off for a snack.

We were welcomed to St James' Cathedral by the Dean and his team. We heard about the programmes that were being provided by the cathedral which includes Christian Women Fellowship, Fathers' Union and Youth Ministry. They also have a number of shops that they rent ut and a few head of cattle on the church farm which provides milk for the staff. Welcome Book 3 was passed around and tea and samosas served (meal 3). When tea was finished we were taken to the site of the new Children and Youth Church that was being constructed behind the hospital and opposite the Diocesan offices. The building started in January 2022 and it is being built as there are a lot of young people and not enough space. Whilst we were looking a builder ran over offering us the 4th visitors book (and its not even midday yet).

We left the building site for a short trip to the Ruharo Mixed Inclusive School. The school specialises in educating those with special educational needs and disabilities, such as hydrocephalus, spina bifida, cerebral palsy as well as a number of other conditions. In a school of 400, 36 children have disability and they are taught along side those who have no disability. The teachers are specialists in ensuring that their lesson plans are produced so all children can engage. We were given a tour of the boarding facilities and the new disabled access washroom.

Below is a gallery of some of the images taken throughout the day.