Elaine Durie, Nicola Pattison and I are visiting Uganda from 11-19 May 2019 to volunteer at a children's home and in the surrounding community. Uganda is, of course, home to countless problems. It has been effected by war, HIV and poverty and it has one of the highest orphan rates in the world. Many Ugandans lack access to the most basic necessities such as healthcare facilities, basic education and charitable HIV counselling and testing. These are all things that we here in the UK take for granted. The need in Uganda is simply overwhelming.

We will be volunteering with a charity called Isaac’s House. It runs an children's home in Uganda to provide children who have lost parents, and who may have witnessed and been subject to the most shocking acts of violence, with a safe place to live. The charity makes sure that the children have regular nutritional meals, clothing and access to healthcare and education etc. but, most importantly, that they have a place to call home. Isaac's House also supports many children, adults and family in the community. It funds the education for 20 children whose parents are unable to afford it. It even assists single mothers with their rent to ensure that they can provide a home for their children and that the family stay together. It funds essential diabetes medication for another single mother and her son, which was an impossible task for her. Isaac's House also provide an informal education for many children living in the local area. It believes that every child has a right to learn and it sees first-hand what a difference a good education can make to the children that they support.

While we are in Uganda we will be spending most of our time in a small village in
Entebbe called Namulanda where the Isaac’s House children's home resides. We will get to the know the locals and turn our hand to any maintenance jobs that need doing. We will also visit a baby children's home which Isaac’s House helps to support. Most importantly, we will be spending time with the 25 children that Isaac’s House currently looks after. We will be spending quality time with these children, teaching them to read and write. We will also be entertaining them with crafts and games and, most importantly, offering these children our love, care and attention. It is so easy to get wrapped up in life on a day to day basis and to lose sight of what is around us and just how lucky we are. The children in Uganda have experienced events much worse than anything we can imagine; they have next to nothing but we are told that they are so happy and positive. It really puts things in perspective.

In order to raise money for what can only be described as an excellent cause, Elaine, Nicola, Laura and I (Laura is not joining us on our trip to Uganda but has kindly offered to come along and offer us some moral support!) are walking up Easedale Tarn, located in the Lake District, on Saturday 30 March. This is a 6 mile walk and we have pledged to have a dip in the tarn before we start the journey back! In case you wonder if we will shy way from this, we will be sure to get some photographic evidence! 

We would really appreciate your support so that we can help to ensure that Isaac’s
House can continue the excellent work that it does and make a real difference to so many lives. Please donate generously!