Store & Secure promotes Colin to facility manager

Bournemouth self-storage company Store & Secure has promoted Colin Morris to facility manager. Read more: storeandsecure.co.uk/self-storage-news/promotion-colin/

New video: Child of Hope’s family support team in action

Child of Hope's Family Support Unit in action from Child of Hope on Vimeo.

The social impact of a slum Family Support team in action, seen in this 3-minute video... read more: childofhopeuganda.org/latest-news/new-video-child-hopes-family-support-team-action/

Top award... again!

They did it... Bournemouth-based Store & Secure self-storage has won a top industry award – for the second time in four years!

For details: storeandsecure.co.uk/self-storage-news/top-award-won/

Child of Hope: Betty is prospering with pigs

With a large family to support and in her mid-fifties, slum mum Betty wondered what more she could do to secure a steady income. She owns some semi-permanent slum homes that bring her a modest rental income, but as a single mum with many family members dependent upon her, the monthly family expenditure has always exceeded the rental income.

Well, on the advice of Child of Hope’s IGA team, a sceptical Betty bought four piglets as a further investment. The piglets prospered under her attentive care and, as adults, have produced a further fifteen piglets! Betty has sold two of the adults to supplement the family income and is excited by the prospect of extending her family’s prosperity – all thanks to the new piggery business. 

The Income Generating Activity scheme is bringing lasting change to numerous families in Namatala, lifting them from poverty to self-sufficiency. Could you help support the team that trains the mums with a £10 regular donation each month? If so, please click here!

Shoot and eat

Great fun photoshoot this week at cafe/restaurant/bar Cargo Lounge in Broadstone – to help promote its amazing new buffet selection.

After we photographed the food... we ate it. Delicious.

William and Lynnette provide the buffet for corporate and private functions from quantities of six upwards.

They make everything with ingredients from local suppliers based on quality not price, and it’s all made fresh on the premises, cooked to order. And they do extensive vegetarian and vegan versions. You can find them at www.cargolounge.co.uk

Child of Hope: Nursery teamwork

Our nursery teachers are pioneering an effective learning system for children that you won’t see in other nursery schools in Uganda.

On the whole, nursery education in Uganda involves children sitting in rows and repeating whatever the teacher says. They then struggle with a pencil and an exercise book for a bit, copying whatever shapes the teacher has put on the blackboard and then they go outside to go and play on the swings. But – thanks to input from various British education professionals that have helped us – that’s very different to what happens at Child of Hope!

In our nursery, teachers use a highly-organised system of several different activities happening at the same time in the same class (and sometimes going outside for some activities) based around group work. This helps children with their social skills and at the same time encourages creativity. The various activities mean that usually there is something during every lesson which every child will be good at – and they will also have an activity that they find challenging. For example – some kids are good with written work, others are good with more practical playing skills, others are better at oral/listening activities. It also means that they don’t get bored!

Of course, it does require the teacher to be super-organised ahead of every lesson, and needs extra adult help (teaching assistants) during the lesson to ensure all the groups are progressing well. The teacher then keeps an eye out for any particular children who are struggling in order to give them specialist attention. Our use of phonics is going particularly well.

http://www.childofhopeuganda.org/latest-news/nursery-teamwork/

Child of Hope: Sickle cell – the fight is on

Two of our pupils, Andrew and Rachel, suffer from sickle cell disease, which affects the blood of some African children. It can cause anaemia which leads to terrible pain in the body and sadly often leads to an early death.  

Rachel (6 years old) was diagnosed recently by our local friendly clinic run by a British GP. Now we ensure she receives daily dosage of folic acid to boost blood production in her body. She also joined our nutrition programme, giving her extra fruit, vegetables and carbs to give her the best chance. Even with this intervention, she occasionally becomes very sick and ends up admitted at Joy Hospice. 

Andrew (13 years old) is currently in P6 (penultimate year of primary) and hopes to become a civil engineer when he grows up – helping to construct roads and build bridges in Uganda. He comes from a very poor family and was abandoned by his parents – he now stays with his Uncle who also struggles financially. Lately his sickle cell crises have been increasing in frequency and severity, requiring him to be admitted at JOY Hospice several times to be transfused with extra blood. Now we have started him on a drug called Hydroxyurea which should, in the long term, reduce the number of times he has to be transfused. We hope to start Rachel on this medication too. 

These drugs cost about £15 per month but we hope that, when Andrew starts his civil engineering job, he’ll be able to pay for them himself!

http://www.childofhopeuganda.org/sickle-cell-fight

Entire Badjao village burned down in Philippines

Disaster Emergency bulletin from The Fathers Refuge on Palawan...

Sunday 3rd September began like any other day at the Badjao village in Puerto Princess on the Philippine island of Palawan... until a fire broke out that destroyed the whole settlement in just two torrid hours. More than 1,500 people lost everything, although miraculously no lives were lost.

In one fell swoop four hundred families lost their homes and almost all of their belongings. Most escaped with just the clothes they where wearing.

The village captain sorted out emergency food, portable toilets and bivouacs for night shelter. He pleaded for fresh clothes and underwear and a wash kit for all the women. So on Monday the team went to buy, pack and hand out 560 parcels. As well as bringing comfort these distributions have lifted the women's self esteem significantly.

The Badjao have always been a rejected people and have lived on the brink of survival, building shanty villages in the shallows near the land. A key role for The Father's Refuge team now is to advocate on their behalf for a suitable piece of land to be granted, which is near enough to the sea for them to maintain their traditional livelihood as fishermen and pearl divers.

In 2015 The Fathers Refuge team spent seven months building the only safe pathway in the community and a spacious, well equipped centre for education, ministry, food distribution and health care (both pictured right). The end-of-jetty is all that remains. They named the pathway Tulay ng Buhay (Bridge to Life) – which became prophetic as the major reason there was no loss of life was this stable and wide escape route.

Please can you lend a hand?

The Fathers Refuge has opened a special emergency fund in partnership with UK charity Tikvah Trust, and is inviting help so they can supply essential needs to the community in the short term and help with the resettlement longer term. Each clothes pack with wash kit costs £10 and a simple charcoal burner with cooking pots, plates and ladles costs £20.

Donations may be given through online banking to Tikvah Trust:
• Account No: 00010540
• Sort code: 40-52-40
Please put reference 'Badjao' and 100% of your gift will reach this needy community because all the staff, transport and administration costs are already covered.

We can vouch for The Fathers Refuge.. our son works there and we have visited the Badjao village twice before it was destroyed. Please help if you can.

www.palawanrescue.org

Child of Hope: There’s a transformation in the slum

Here’s a new video that lets you see into all the work Child of Hope does to help alleviate poverty in the Namatala slum. It’s more documentary in style than our usual videos (where you need to have a hankie ready!)… a great summary for anyone who hasn’t been to Uganda to see the work for yourself.

There's a transformation in the slum from Child of Hope on Vimeo.

Shortlisted for national award – again

They can't help being excited... Store & Secure Bournemouth has reached the finals of the UK Independent Facility of the Year Award... for the fourth year running!

Fore more detail: storeandsecure.co.uk/self-storage-news/shortlisted-award-4th-year/