So much has happened since my last blog update and I’m not too sure where to start or if it’s even possible for me to actually put into words my day to day life that I find so much joy in. I was moved at the end of October to the babies home in Gulu where I visited the month before and wrote about in my last blog. Living here and working at this babies home has been such a great experience. I’ve been specifically working with the toddler unit nannies and unit heads along with one other volunteer to help bring some organization to the chaos that comes with raising 25 children ranging from 1 year to 5 years old all together in one room!! We’ve been trying to implement a schedule that was created by one of the past volunteers as well as come up with more activates and a routine to keep the children occupied and having fun as they are raised by their loving nannies. Having this role has been such a blessing for me as it has given me the opportunity to become more involved in the upbringing of these children which gives me so much joy and fulfillment! I feel so blessed on a daily basis (even when I have five toddlers all running in different directions as I call them in for lunch time!! hahaha).
Apart from what I’ve been doing with the babies home I have also started a bit of a project with North Ward School back home in Paris which is actually where I went to elementary school. This project was birthed out of a need I saw when I visited a village school a few months ago. This school had over one hundred students in a tiny building with dirt floors and walls that you could see through because of the cracks in the wood. As the teacher showed me around to each classroom I was so moved by the joy in each of the beautiful and welcoming smiles directed at me. The teacher showed me the library that the school had which consisted of just over ten books. This brought tears to my eyes as I remembered my schools days and the excitement we all had when we were able to go to the library and pick from hundreds of books. When I went home I was left with the burning thought that these children deserve to have books to choose from that will take them on adventures through castles, up in the clouds as they become pilots, or as a knight defeating the dragon!! As I was telling my parents about this over skype we came up with the idea to talk to North Ward School in Paris to try to start a book drive to raise money and books to provide this school with a library. I was in constant contact with Mrs. Conners, one of the teachers from North Ward, and decided to over a few weeks skype with each class in the school to answer questions that the students had about Uganda and the children here and to also share with them about this need. We came up with the idea to ask students and parents to donate a book rather than give their teachers Christmas gifts. This has very quickly developed into a very big project where currently we have about 700 books raised and over $1000 for shipping to get the books here. I am still currently working with Mrs. Conners to iron out a few bumps we are facing with shipping costs and to come up with the best way to start this library at this school but it is defiantly happening and I am so grateful for the support of the students, teachers and parents of North Ward School in Paris. Without their support this dream to provide these children with books would not be possible!
Please join with me to pray for guidance and wisdom as to how to most affectively provide a library for this school and the many others that I hope to provide a library for here in Uganda. Also pray for the finances and resources that will be so needed.
Missing you all very much and hope you are all doing well.
Jaclyn
Ps. I have many pictures of this school on my facebook page. Please feel free to view them there.
Ps. I have many pictures of this school on my facebook page. Please feel free to view them there.
