Tuesday, 21 October 2008
A lot has happened since the last time I sat down to pen an update to you. It's been an exciting time of change and growth for Fields of Life both here in Ireland and East Africa. Let me update you on the latest news:
- Fields of Life in Dublin has moved its office out of my home into a converted out-building on my brother's farm at Bride's Glen. We are delighted with the additional space and the fantastic view of the countryside.
- At the request of Fields of Life, the President of Burundi, His Excellency Pierre Nkurunziza, enjoyed a successful visit to Northern Ireland in May. As a direct result, we are now building our ninth school in Burundi. Details of his visit is pictured and outlined on its own page in Achievements. Additionally, Fields of Life have undertaken to build 20 schools in Burundi over a two-year period. The Burundi school building projects are progressing well and I've placed a few pictures from the Opening Ceremony of the Gihanga Christian Academy for you to view. There was a lot of drama during the day as the opening ceremony was delayed due to security reasons.
- We frequently ask many of you to pray for the safety of our builders and staff on the roads in Uganda. Sadly, we have lost one of our builders on the road in August. Patrick Kalyango is survived by his wife and five children. Please pray for their welfare and their future now that they face a life with the family's loss of a husband and father.
- The total number of schools in East Africa now totals 88 with over 35,000 children attending these schools. In addition, 46 communities now can enjoy clean water from FOL wells drilled. Our Achievements page features our progress in more detail.
- An East African Education Advisor (Bernard Masaba) was appointed at the beginning of the year, and already we are seeing a difference in the quality of education in the schools. Why not read more about Bernard in our Education section? In fact, early in December, we will host the second Fields of Life Head Teachers' conference in Kampala. We are looking forward this second conference as it has been undertaken due to popular demand from the first conference's attendees. The outcome of the conference and a more thorough report on the sessions will be reported in future months on the website, so watch this space!
- Just a brief note for our many child sponsors: You may like to send a Christmas card to your sponsored child in Uganda and now is the best time as the children go on long holidays from the first week in December. Once they return to their villages we have no way of distributing letters to them. Please send your card to: ‘the name of your child', Fields of Life, PO Box 886, Kampala, Uganda, East Africa. Please do not enclose cash or cheques in the card. If you would like to send some money for a Christmas present for your child, please send it to the local FOL office (Dublin or Northern Ireland) and our staff in Uganda will ensure every child receives a present this Christmas.
- Gifts of Life and Micro-Finance projects are now positively impacting many people in the communities surrounding our schools. Gifts of Life leaflets are being reprinted and will be with some of you shortly for your alternative gifts this Christmas. If you wish immediate gratification, you can simply visit our Gifts of Life page on the web site if you require ordering information now.
In conclusion, I can never emphasis how much your support, as always, is warmly appreciated! The telephone calls and the chats we share with our supporters means a great deal to us. So, drop us a line, let us know your thoughts regarding our work, it does motivate and spur us on.
Talk to you soon!
Trevor