Arise and Shine Uganda- Some of the work we do.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2jwahoZKU40&feature=autoshare

Greetings from Uganda!

We currently have five (5) volunteers helping with the Arise and Shine projects ie, Husna (working on the candle project), Hilary (working on the literacy project), Edna (working on the beads project), Christoph  (working as a public relations officer for Arise and Shine Uganda) and Alex who is helping more with the organizational strategies. Kazuo a volunteer from Japan just arrived and his going through the Arise and shine project to understand it more. He will also join in with the others by next week. We are so thankful for our volunteers and we would like to update you about what we have been up to the past week.
All projects have been going on smoothly and the returns are showing. Husna and her ladies have been able to make more beautiful candles in all kinds of shapes. Edna’s ladies are producing more and more beads with less faulty beads which is shows progress in the bead rolling skills. Hilary and Christoph are also working hard in the literacy project, currently teaching a group of fifteen people who attend lessons twice a week.
Christoph a volunteer from Belgium confessed he had never seen an older person who didn’t know how to read and write.  In his words he said, ''I saw what we mean by illiteracy, if an adult aged 30 years cannot read and write or even spell out his own name. I think there is need for action and that is why i decided to help in the Adult literacy sessions.''  To us the nationals we see it everywhere especially in the rural areas which are the biggest parts of Uganda. We are still fighting the illiteracy levels of our community and our volunteers are determined to recruit more community members into the literacy program. They are advertising for literacy sessions in the Kibuye area and all neighboring villages. With our program, we are hoping to raise the number of people who can read and right by at least 15% by the end of this year.For more information about illiteracy in Uganda please follow this link. http://www.ifad.org/gender/learning/sector/extension/52.htm

 The volunteers have also been moving around the nearest villages to Kibuye village and to their surprise, in this village were many people are affected or infected with HIV/AIDS, members are still lacking information and skills on HIV/AIDS transmission and prevention. This puts them at a higher risk of infection with the fact that they are in a country highly affected by the Disease. For information on the HIV/AIDS prevalence ratein different parts of Uganda, please follow this link. http://www.who.int/inf-new/aids2.htm

Arise and Shine is soon launching a campaign in the nearest villages and schools to create awareness on HIV/AIDS. In this campaign,community members will be matching and publicizing the event.At the end of the day,AASU volunteers and staff will be delivering a session on HIV/AIDS and raising awareness among the community members on the disease.


AASU is also looking into introducing a new livelihood project that will be focused on energy and protecting the environment. More information will be communicated as soon as the plans are made.

 The babies' home is doing well since all the children are showing great health and we have not experienced frequent sicknesses.
Thank you for following our blog! We are so glad to have you reading about us every week. And remember we also have a web site, facebook fan page you can like, you can also follow us on twitter!  Always read about us by checking out on the links below!

http://ariseandshineug.org/

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Arise-and-shine-Uganda/133109643399722  like us!

the thought of the day

Arise and Shine Uganda is surely changing people's lives! Who knew that any one can make such a big difference with so little? I am surely humbled at how much the volunteers have contributed to the projects. People in Kibuye have started harvesting vegetables,having a balanced diet! The candle project is growing and beads project is doing amazing, most of the ladies have perfected.Adults in the rural communities have a chance learn how to read and write, the babies in the care home are doing well and looking healthier like never before.The school has registered one more teacher and enrolled more students.How great are those who have devoted their efforts time and again just so to help those in need? Thanks for walking with us on this journey.The journey leading rural communities to self reliance and self sustainability. You will surely be remember in each foot step we make ahead. And this is because you left more than foot prints in our lives! We call upon all of you to continue walking with us each day as we strive to reach our furthest goals. We love you all and we call you our family but above all, you are our friends. And this goes to all our volunteers, past and present.


Just wanted to share a blog that one of our ex volunteers wrote to the Arise and Shine family.She devoted all her time and energy to the Arise and Shine Uganda activities,made a link between Arise and Shine with a chinese organisation so we can have a more sustainable market for the beads the ladies make in the village.She wrote a blog to all of us and I think it is so special!

AASU BLOG NO.1

LOVE IS ALL AROUND

By Mary Zhang

26. Agu. 2011

Despite of different colors, languages, values or even beliefs, after the whole

week with the African babies in the AASU Baby's Home, I have firm belief that

 love is universal---Do unto others as you would have them do unto you---

Even to the babies: smile, soft touches, hugs, time spent with them, talks 

between us, never lose words......Trust is built time by time.

Put your heart, your passion and love into everything you do and every person

you meet with. Because LOVE IS ALL AROUND.

PS: True appreciation for Sharon, Travis and everyone around, who brought 

me the most amazing experiences, gave me company and made me feel at

home. Most importantly, those who helped me get through the hardest time 

to be stronger.

volunteer update!

Last week we took pictures of all the children at the Arise and Shine Nursery and Care Home. So that everybody can soon be able to have a look at the smiling face of each child on our website. A week ago we had a big party for Sharif and Ruth. It was their very first birthday, both are 1 year old now !!!! We organized a game (the children had to find candies in the garden), played with baloons and also had a nice lunch with Pilau, meet and fruit. On the same day we also received lots of rice, flour,a big package of cloths and some toys.We would like to send on our thanks to the Stewarts for all their support. For the Cloths, a big thank you to Auntie Rosanna Tuffo! One of our past volunteers.We thank her for Keeping involved in the Arise and shine Uganda activities even though her time here in Uganda ended.We also want to thank her family and friends for the support they are giving towards the babies at the children's care home.The babies all looked smart during the birthday event! And the candies were a super treat.                

In the village, both projects are successfully being continued. For the beads project, we finished separating the good beads from the bad ones and counted them to make packages with money to pay the women after one and a half months. The women were so happy to get some payment again!!! We also managed to collect a big box of papers for making the beads so that the project can be continued. 3 weeks ago, we started a new beads session in Kibuye village. We are looking forward to the next meeting this week, when the women from both villages, Kibuye and Bandali, will all come together.

The candle project is doing well too. We have started making candles with different shapes, sizes and colours, But we have to still search for a good market, so we can give a payment to the women making candles too. Otherwise, the projects are all going on well, ladies are so happy to be involved in the income generating projects.Good news is that we sold alot of beads these past weeks again, a big thank you to the stewarts for all this support. They purchased alot of beads for themselves and for their friends as well.This will enable us to pay the beads ladies these coming weeks!Furthermore, we are happy to tell you all that the school received more school uniforms . It is so exciting  now that every child has their uniform! The kids all look like little flowers in the school compound.They sure love their orange uniforms and are always excited to wear their uniforms to school each morning.School should be exciting at all times. At Arise and Shine Nursery and primary school we try to make an exciting school environment for the children.More photos on the school will be coming up soon.
We are still working on our website, but we encourage everyone to check it out as there is lots of information on the ongoing projects as well.We also like to hear from you, you can send us feed back through commenting on the sites or emailing us directly through the web site if you go to the "contact us section".
http://ariseandshineug.org/

 compiled by: Mary, Husna, Anke and Ida

party time!!!!!!!

Baby Sharif and Ruth have a birthday on sunday the 25th! first birthday party at the care home........ cake = excitement!!!!!!!!! come join us everyone, only fun times...

The Transition!

First of all, we want to thank each one of you out there for your unfailing love and support for Arise and Shine Uganda. A lot has been happening in AASU the past week; we would like to tell you about how your support is helping us grow every other day.

My heart  sings with joy, anxiousness and excitement   as I watch some of our children in transition!

Peninah and Joan got a sponsor from the Netherlands; they are now in Kibuye village attending school in the Arise and Shine Nursery and Primary school.  Education is such an important aspect of life, and while everyone else in the western world can have access to free education, In Uganda education is an opportunity!

 Many children go to bed at night praying to God for the opportunity to go to school. What an honor and privilege it is for Bulungi Uganda to be part of that far greater plan and be an answer to some children’s prayers. Peninah and Joan can now get an education and enjoy the benefits that come with it in the future.

Last Monday they were taken to the village and reunited with their family. It was such a special moment. Very happy to see their older siblings, their mom and of course after telling them about the plan for their stay in the village, I got a question.

new friends!

 “Shall we then be able to wear our uniforms and shoes and a back pack to go to school every day? “Joan asked. It was cute! She needed reassurance.

Am excited for them, looking forward to see how they do in school, even with the widest vision what they will be in life. I just wish them all the best.

Niina and Sari are also in transition, their adopting parents are here and living with them at the moment. Getting used to a new family has never been such an easy thing especially for a two year old. But God is faithful; I trust that they are well. This is our first adoption and I have to say adoptions are not easy and of course no one said it would be a rollercoaster. Especially doing it for the first time, under the guidance of many people, rushing you to do many different things in such a short time and finding out they are  driving you in the wrong direction and such things are not even necessary after so much hard work! We have met our challenges and still pray for the best. God is faithful. We are looking forward to spending more time with the adopting parents here at the children’s care home and we are praying that all goes well with the adoption. What an honor and privilege it is for this family to be God’s answer to a child’s prayer! Niina and Sari will have a home with a loving mother and father! 

MEET THE BABIES AT THE ARISE AND SHINE CHILDREN’S CARE HOME

 I know we have written a lot about the project in the previous blogs but we have never actually introduced to you our babies at the AASU children‘s care home. We currently have 20 babies both able bodied and disabled children. We take on babies that are orphaned, abandoned or any other children in vulnerable situations. Some children will have parents but due to the financial situations at home, we take such children in our care with the aim of restoring them back to health and then later reuniting them with their families. Other children get adopted while others are put in foster care homes in the kibuye village to attend the Arise and Shine Nursery and primary school. Other than the children with disability, most of the children we take on are 4 years and below. We take care of them to the age of 5 and later send them to their foster families in Kibuye village. The disabled children stay with us at the Arise and Shine care home depending on the degree of disability. For some that have minor disability and can attend school with ease, we send them to the village for school at 5 years of age. But if the degree of disability severe then they stay with us and attend preschool at the care home.

At the moment we have 20 babies under our care. Most of them were malnourished and they have blossomed under our care. Meet our babies!

Joviah was 18months when she joined us. She is originally from Masindi district, her mother and father died from HIV/AIDS at the beginning of this year. They had 2 children who were left behind as orphans. Jovia and Phiona were then brought to Jinja district to live with their grandmother who leaved close to the baby home. The grandmother was always struggling to feed the children .she works in a small restaurant which pays her 3000 shillings a day not enough to sustain the needs of both children and herself. Joviah is on daily medication for her health condition. The drugs require to eat well before taking them. Her grandmother could not afford all this and joviah’s health was being compromised. When she learned about the AASU children’s care home, she sought our help in taking care of Joviah. We took her in when she was 18months and now she is 2 yrs old, a healthy child.

                   Phiona    Is 4 years old her and her sister are happily blossoming under our care. She is a very smart caring girl. At her age , she is interested in helping out holding little babies! She is always asking if she can hold a baby if they were crying .Am always amazed by her. Am so sure she will make such a good mama one day! She is still finding her real self, very quick in switching from grumpiness to happiness and that is our major concern about her. But again, she is 4 and she has gone through a lot more than some of us have seen. She was older than Joviah when the parents died, taking care of them when they were sick and also looking after her little sister Joviah while her mom was sick. And the last blow of seeing her loved ones die, then moving into new homes one after another. She is adjusting well to the environment.

 Pross  is a twin sister to Rose and also sister to Joan and Peninah. Their mother is Faith Nakisuyi from kibuye village. Her husband separated with her after getting her disability. Faith has 8 children and she is a stay home mom who solely depends on subsistence farming. She had been struggling with feeding children the past few years and always living by the mercy of other people who brought food for her so she could have a meal during harder times. Finally AASU took over the care 4 of her twins and also supporting the rest of the other children who are currently attending school in the AASU Nursery and Primary school. AASU has found a job for faith; she makes paper beads and now hoping to have a sustainable income with that. Peninah and Joan will be reunited with the family and hope with her

income, faith will be able to take care of the girls.

Rose joined us when she was 18 months old and now she is 2 years and 3 months now. Rose will live with us for the next two years and together with Pross at 5 yrs will be reunited with their family and will be attending the AASU nursery and primary school.

Peninah is 5 years old, time has passed so fast! She is at the transition age and will be joining the AASU nursery and primary school next year. She has tried on the uniform so many times as they were being

made. She must be excited about starting school soon.

Joan is a twin with Peninah, very sweet kind girl. Sad she will also be leaving us at the beginning of next year as she will be reunited with her family as well. But it’s good for the children to live in the normal African setting were children learn daily responsibilities and chores.

Mariam is 12 months old, her father is 70 years old and her mom is 21 and mentally disabled. Her father is ill. At the moment he is hospitalized in Jinja main hospital .Mariam has a brother but was adopted by an English family long before she came to live with us. We never got the chance to meet the parents. Of late, she has been struggling with malnutrition .First she was admitted in jinja hospital children’s ward. But even when she was discharged, she still got fevers and it was so clear that she wasn’t well. Of recent she has started getting cold sores so at least we know what she has. And we know how to help her. She is getting better, has gained some weight and learning how to walk! Mariam is getting happier each day.

Ruth is about 11 months old, born to a teenager 14 yrs old. On her birth, the father denied being her father and the mother didn’t have any income to support her. She brought her to AASU children’s care home. Ruth is blossoming under our care and fortunately the mom found some sponsors to take her back to school, her parents stopped paying school fees because she had given birth. But now she is back in school and will be reunited with her daughter when she finishes her technical training. Ruth is such a beautiful happy beautiful girl!

Fiona is one of our first children, 3 yrs old and has been living with us for a year now.  Fiona is a healthy happy girl; she has grown more and healthier during her stay with us.  Unless she gets adopting parents, she will be moving to kibuye village with foster parents at the age of 5.

Niina and Sari are twins. They have been sick with malaria, but now they are all better. Niina had it first and it didn’t show for Sari, we had to take her back for another test and it eventually showed in the test. She got treatment and now both of them are all better. Exciting news about the girls is that they have started making a few sentences! It is hard work to understand what they are saying but the sound brings joy to the ear listening! And I am so excited to announce that they are getting a family very soon!  I don’t have much to share about this, but will keep you all updated on how everything is going. For now please pray with us for God’s will to be done.

  

Venekent Is 4 years old now. He originally comes from Kamuli district around Namasagali village. His mother and father died a year ago. He has a sister who is disabled and lives in a different children’s home. We are planning their reunion every once in a while. He has lived with us for about 4 months and doing great so far!

Sharif   joined us 5 months ago; he is about 11 months old now. Sharif was brought to us by his dad, claiming his mother had abandoned him in the house after a disagreement with her husband. He came as a severely malnourished child and now his all getting better under our care; his been able to put on a few kilograms since then and  looking more like a healthy boy each day that goes by.

 Reagan : according to his mom, his father died in February this year. As a stay home mom, Reagan’s mom found it really hard to provide for Reagan. He joined us mid February with edema. He was so big we simply thought he was a fat baby. Little did we know that it was a buildup of excess  fluid between his tissue cells! A month later he started getting sick, after taking him to the doctor, we were educated about his condition. He was flashed down and in two weeks he went from fat to “too skinny”

That was a scary time but he is now getting so much better. He has started playing and gaining normal weight at the moment. Reagan is also trying to walk now!

Pia :  is 3 years now and she has the warmest personality one would ever see in a child! She welcomes everyone that comes to the baby’s home, always ready to hug them all! Her cheerful smiles keep the home very warm. She has lived with us for seven months now.

 Stella : Is one of the kids with a  disability, also supported by Bulungi Uganda. She will be turning 4 very soon. 

Stella seems to be growing taller and taller each day. She is also working out her way of getting around different things in her environment. Her muscles are noticeably growing bigger as she uses them often while crawling. We hope she can be able to walk some day.

Fahad:

 

is also one of our disabled children who was rescued by Renate (from Bulungi Uganda) one of AASU partner s that sponsors disabled children. Fahad was found in extreme vulnerable situations. He was severely malnourished and we all thought he would never make it. He joined us February this year.He

has become much healthier .He is our biggest miracle!

Hussein  : Unlike all the other normal babies, Hussein is a microsophalus baby and was born with his legs stack to his head. The whole of his infancy, Hussein was hospitalized and his legs were broken and put in a cast each month that went by during his first 5 months. I found out that no matter what we do to change his appearance, he would never be able to use his legs. So we have decided to leave him just as he is. He will be seeing a specialist to see if he needs any medication. Hussein is now 8 months and looks perfectly happy

.

Josephine: is 6 years old, both her mom and dad died this year from AIDS. She is our newest addition to the home. Josephine is disabled, cannt walk or do any of the fun things that other kids often do but she is always a happy girl. Thanks again to bulungi Uganda, we can reach out to the children with disabilities. Especially in a community where they don’t have so much support due to different cultural beliefs.