We are good now - We have hope!

"Now We Have Hope".

"Yesterday (Jan 15) we visited the little village of Awal in northern Uganda,  home of Bosco Lundman's biological relatives/family. It was a very hot and dry afternoon but the people welcomed us with shouts and chants. This is an extremely remote and poor area, but we saw some improvements.  The village itself feels it too as they named their newly formed farming group, "Now we have hope". (We are good now). A big part of their hope comes from the new borehole H2O installed last year. It serves hundreds of people from a radius of 4 km. It was fenced and producing adequate clean water. Donors please know that your contribution has saved and improved lives here.  Appoyo matek!  Thank you very much!"
- from Tom Osborne.

This is the very first time we were greeted in this village with smiles, singing and dancing - a sign of renewed hope and joy since their commmunity group was formed. They are in the process of making the poles for the chain link fence for 1/4 acre of land that will be there vegetable drip irrigation garden. The chain link fence donated by a partner organization for the previous infant orphan care center. They also have farmed cotton successfully last season however their sorghum succumbed to the drought. Tom made an elective decision which the pleas of the team that had not visited in quite some time or ever who were moved to tears by the poverty and very thin children as people they encountered. (To me and the Ugandans who see this village regularly we actually see big steps of improvement! - still quite a stark contrast to other villages however). So at the request of the team after asking the village what they needed (there will be two more months of severe drought and heat to survive through!) we bought them sacks of maize and beans to try and help get them a little farther along. Also, At request of Awal elders they would like 2 VHT (village health workers) trained so we decided to bring them to palabek for our village VHT training with the team. Also 2 representatives of their community farming group will be attending the farming Gods Way conference we are co hosting in Gulu Jan 23- 25. Brenda also brought some clothes and shoes donated by friends from Billings and she blessed these children, babies with them. She and Carol also had a few tops for women.  Since there was not enough for all kids I donated some money so clothes for all kids would be purchased by the VHT's - their first big job for the village work they will be doing - as volunteers mind you!  Frances is so bright and smart I am also personally placing him in secondary school. He speaks great English even as taught from the local school which is a surprise. It is an honor to sponsor any promising young person from these remote war torn villages as they are the future of progress and a way out of poverty for their villages and role models!!  The VHT's were equipped with wound care supplies, ORS and more after the training. Mosquito nets. All de wormed and vitamins given.  The water board was the most active for the well we drilled of all villages we visited and drilled wells for so far. They are raising money for its upkeep, have a protective fence. We gave some clean water Jerry cans to reduce the contamination potential and help with the drip irrigation.  They would like a start up for a crop that has a shorter growing season since the climate and weather is changing and they lost the sorghum in this drought whose growing season is 8 months.  We thank God for our great country and friends in America that has allowed us the prosperity and freedom to share in resources, training and love with the world!!