Links across the world
Agreeing to pay the administration costs of a school is a big step of faith for a small country parish but, in 2003, the Parish of Trellech and Penallt did just that - and the project was blessed beyond their dreams.
In October last year, a party of six travelled to the Ogenda High School for Girls in Nebbi, Uganda, to celebrate all that has been achieved in five years. There is a new examination hall and laboratory, student enrolments are up, and the school is due to be adopted by the Ugandan Government.
And, in May this year, Bishop Alphonse Watho Kudi of Nebbi and his wife, Evelyn, returned the visit. They met the congregation who turned out in force for a celebration tea at the Vicarage. The young people’s group, The Welcome Club, lived up to their name by welcoming the visitors, asking questions about the Church in Uganda and livening up the party by singing songs for all to join in.
Arrangements are now in place for a local charity “Hands Around The World” to select a number of volunteers who will travel to Uganda in January 2010 to build a much needed new classroom block to serve the growing student numbers. It seems that despite the formal link coming to an end there will always be a strong connection between the parish and Nebbi Diocese.
The trip to Nebbi was an unforgettable adventure....
We flew to Uganda and stayed in Kampala for the night to recover from the overnight journey. We were laden with things to distribute to the school. Two plaques made from Welsh slate; one for the school laboratory and one for the school commemorating the date the project was started. Sewing kits, Welsh cakes, bara brith, Welsh umbrellas, daffodils made from card, seeds for crops, bulbs, magnets for the laboratory and many other gifts for the children, teachers and our hosts. Early the next morning we packed up our hired people carrier and made a start for the long journey right up to the north of Uganda almost on the border of the Congo.
We stayed in Goli for three nights at the Bishop’s guest house. There is no running water there and very intermittent electricity but we were looked after very well and water was brought to us in the mornings so that we could wash. This had to be fetched from a well, in jerry cans which the ladies carried on their heads, and then had to be heated over charcoal even after their long journey.
On the day of the celebrations we made our way to the school and were made to feel very welcome. All the local dignitaries were there, including the Chief of the village, the Bishop, the PTA and the Archdeacon and we were entertained for the next six hours with music, singing and dancing. Everyone had made such an effort and it was a fantastic and moving experience. The children have a pride in going to school and take their lessons seriously.
We taught the children to play rounders - it was a marvelous sight seeing them enjoying a game and looking down onto the River Nile below. We gave out more presents and the Vicar showed the children how magnets worked. We had an unveiling ceremony of the plaques and sang the Welsh anthem and other songs. One was ‘Bind us Together’. We had taken strips of fabric which were then knotted together to make a large circle and whilst the whole school formed a circle we cut the fabric so each child had a knot to signify the friendship of the two countries of Uganda and Wales.
It was obvious that the support that has been given to the school has made a great difference to these students’ lives and we very much hope that the school will continue to keep prospering in the future. The faith which we encountered was truly an inspiration and an experience I will never forget.
Hannah Leak