More Grasshoppers ...

Wow it has been a busy few weeks jam packed full of people and activities round the community. Grasshoppers are in full season and off course we had to learn how to prepare and cook them in the school. Amazingly the students had eaten them but did not know how to prepare them ready for eating. So we asked one of the lovely ladies from the wellspring office, Jackie to teach us. We had bought a huge bag of them and were there for quite a while tearing off their wings and legs ready to be fried. Surprisingly they are very oily creatures and I’ve actually changed my mind on them; they are quite tasty with a bit of seasoning!

The bag full of Grasshoppers!

Preparing to fry

 

Last Saturday was Wellsprings Community Day and wow what a day! The community day is put on every year to bless and put back into the community.The day began by going round the streets in a van calling out on a big sound system what was going to take place that day. I was asked to call out on the mirciphone around the streets in Luganda, this was a challenge but was pleased to say after a little while got there and I hope people started to understand this ‘Mzungo’ calling;  ‘Abuntu Mwena, Lelo co Wellspring, no Longonso, Okekeebera Omusayi …’ It was fun and a great opportunity to practice the language in public! 

The van that we drove through the village telling people about the community day& what was being offered.  

Telling all the people in the village about the Free health care 

Then it was our go on the 'call out..!'

Once the call out had been completed a team of people went out to pick up litter from the streets for a couple of hours.Throughout the day the health centre was open for free HIV testing, blood testing, free vitamins and medicines given out to children, testing for heart conditions, stomach issues and dietary advice . The people came in the 100s and it was incredible to see the people line up and wait for treatment and care they could not otherwise afford. 

Litter picking around the streets of Bweyogerere

 

The team

Free medical tests, care, help and support

Waiting to be seen by a medical professional

Whilst this was going on the people who have been on various courses around the community graduated. Wellspring and the people here are having such an impact in the community here and there were countless stories of women who have learnt new skills over the course of the year they can use to work in their community. Some ladies learnt to read and write for the first time, some have learnt to create their own hairdressing and craft business thus helping them to have skills which will help them to gain employment in the future.

It was a really inspiring and moving day; in fact I found myself at the kitchen sink washing the pots crying and just so moved because of the impact and life transforming stuff that is happening – the Kingdom of God has defiantly gripped people, is in action and evident here!

The school has now closed for Christmas. The students were very ready for a break and looking forward to the Christmas holidays. As a celebration of the end of term,  we went swimming. Stupidly I completely took for granted being able to swim and realized quickly that a few of the students were scared of the water and could not swim. So was challenged to think back to being young, at swimming lessons and think about what could be done to teach the students that were before me! There was such a range of abilities between the students and so the excellent swimmers within the group banded together to help teach the students who could not. After a couple of hours the students were all in the water paddling at least.

Enjoying the pool!

Amazingly I just received a very generous gift of a flight home for Christmas! So I’m now looking forward to celebrating Christmas with friends and family in the UK. It’ll be nice to catch up with people face to face over the holidays, not sure how I will manage the cold however, It is 10:30pm here and it is still hot, hot, hot!