kingsland members around the world

Kasaka School told to close!

Hi everyone

We are writing today with news of one of the schools we are involved with in a village called Kasaka. This school (Christ’s Embassy Primary School) is in a village deep in the forest near Lake Victoria

. It is a very poor village and the nearest school is over 7 miles away. The school was started by a young man called Isaac and we got involved with the school about a year ago when we were invited to their speech day. The school has over 100 pupils. Isaac is a brother of Joshua who has worked for us for 3 years.

Recently the school was visited by the government school inspectors who immediately ordered Isaac to close the school. They quoted 3 reasons

1. The school does not have a licence
2. The school does not have qualified teachers
3. The buildings are very poor.

All these things are true, yet the children need to be educated!

Additionally last week the Matron left, and Isaac is not qualified to teach in the school, he dropped out of school during his 3^rd year of secondary education because there was nobody to pay his fees.

So what do we do? Isaac has no resources, and we have 5 children sponsored at the school. Alan, Isaac and Noah met with the school inspector and she reluctantly agreed that the school could continue in the very short term, on the condition that there is a quick improvement and she will make another visit in 4 weeks.

What we believe is the right way forward for this school is for Love in Action to take a big step of faith and assume responsibility for this school, with Isaacs support and the intention to hand over to him in 6-7 years.

What does this mean for Love in Action?

1. Employing 2 qualified teachers, one for Primary 1 and 2, one to teach Primary 3 and 4. We would close the Nursery class for the time being. The cost of these teachers would be about £60 each per month. One of these teachers will be appointed as acting head teacher
2. Supply a small house to house the teachers – cost about £500
3. Bring forward the building program to build 2 classrooms immediately; we have about £1000 towards the cost of about £1500. Further classrooms will be added later.
4. Employ a matron to care for the children who are the responsibility of the school (about 9 children who are orphans)
5. Appointing a board of Governors, and school management committee most of whom will be from Love in Action, with Isaac and 1 outside advisor.
6. Help Isaac complete his education to O Level standard, (2 years) and then do his 2 years of teacher training. (costs yet to be determined) He will have to live and study in Masaka returning to Kasaka each weekend
7. Providing food for the children each day together with the school supplies.
8. Write a school code of conduct and work on the thick file of paperwork needed to get a licence for the school
9. Obtain a full Land Title for the land the school is on and also purchase a large plot (about 1 acre) behind the school to grow crops on to feed the children. (Costs around £750). We need the full Land Title to be able to register the school. Land purchase and ownership here is complicated, we have to pay 2 different people and the government for the right to use the land, one is the current title holder the other is the person who has a lease and has crops and a small derelict mud house on the land. Negotiations, surveying and transfer is in progress at this time.
10. Find willing people to sponsor children at the school and pay the school fees and requirements. At the present time none of the children’s parents are able to pay the school fees even though they are very low.

We believe that the bulk of the work will fall on Noah, who has just joined us (at exactly the right time!) so please pray for him.

So we are asking you to please pray about this school, and to help publicise this project wherever you can. Thanks.

There are some pictures of the school, the village and some children on our web site, please have a look. We will be updating the site as often as we can as the project progresses. (see www.loveuganda.org)

Thanks for reading this.

Alan & Beryl.
Love in Action, Masaka, Uganda
www.loveuganda.org

Kyetume Parents Secondary School - Open!!

On Monday 4th September 2006 Kyetume Parents Senior Secondary School (KPSSS) started the new term in their new buildings!! "This is wonderful!! Praise God" said Samuel, the headmaster and Director! "Please send our thanks to everyone who have given for this great day".

It is a dream come true for him and us - On opening day 2 classrooms were ready for use, with the 3rd under construction, so 2 classes are sharing each room at present.

Everyone was smiling, the pupils were pleased to have room to move and the teachers pleased to have blackboards to write on, and Samuel - he sat in in new office with a huge smile!!

Thanks to everyone.

Alan & Beryl.

Name Dropping!

Recently we received an invitation in the post. It was to a reception to celebrate the Queen's Birthday at the residence of the UK Ambassador in Kampala! What an honour!
Business Dress it said! But what shall I wear? I didn't have a suit here, business dress for me is a short sleve shirt and sometimes a tie, That's not suitable says Beryl! So Louise was despatched to Kampala to find me a suit! She found one - so on the morning of the reception we went to Kampala to the shop with these suits - in my size! That's a first for many years, an off the peg suit, but wait, the arms and legs are too long - no problem come back in two hours it will be ready - so off to get Beryl's hair cut, but wait, what is that on our car? - A wheel clamp - for illegal parking, the only car in the line of cars that was clamped! I am sorry to say at that point this missionary lost it! Perhaps I should draw a veil over the next 40 mins, but the car got unclamped and I was £8 lighter! When we got back the suit was ready so I changed into it in the shop, Beryl changed in the car!
The reception was interesting, we mixed with Ambassadors, (The picture shows us meeting the UK Ambassador Mr. Francois Gordon, and his wife) cabinet ministers - the great and the good of Kampala Society - am still not sure where we fitted in!
Then that night Beryl flew back to the UK for 4 weeks, me? I'm still here working too many hours and looking forwward to Beryl's return.

Alan

NEWSLETTER & FOOTBALL

Hi all

We have produced a newsletter telling all about Love in Action and what we are doing.
You can download a copy here - Get me the newsletter!

Why would someone like me who is a self confessed football avoider offer to show all the matches in the world cup??? Because that is what I did a few weeks ago, Pastor Sam from Masaka Pentecostal Church where we are members, said in a service that he wanted to show all the matches on a big screen! And well, we have the equipment and in a mad moment I said I would do it! That was a few weeks ago and now the World Cup is starting - so - I suppose I will be watching.
But why? Because at half time there will be a gospel message and an appeal. We are not charging for admission so loads of people will turn up. (it has been advertised on the radio)
So as you are watching - enthusastically - remember to pray for us and for all the people who will be watching here, then at half time turn off the volume on your TV and pray for people to be saved here in Masaka!

Thanks

Alan

kyteme secondary school

work started today on a classroom and library at the secondary school in kyteme!!!!!!!

Alan and Beryl are in Kampala this wek for a bit of a break, so more news and pictures next week

Jesus Film

Last night we loaded up the car and drove to Susan's Aunt & Uncle's home about 4 miles off the main road, my mum who is staying with us at the moment shut her eyes as we drove along what seemed to be a footpath! Arriving at the home we set up a bed sheet as a screen and started our small generator in the Banana Plantation and with a video projector and small sound system we showed the Jesus Film, in Luganda (the local language), to a group of about 60 adults and children.
It was an amazing experience, as people laughed and then cheered as Jairus daughter was raised from the dead! Everyone was enthralled! At the end of the film, Noah spoke for a while then gave an appeal to which about 30 people responded!
That was an experience which we will be repeating, we are already planning to take the film to Kasaka and a few other places.

Prayers Please Update 2

Tuesday 16th May. The children have made a remarkable recovery and today I drove them, with their mother, back to the village. The youg lad's legs are almost healed and Prossy's legs are much better, although they still have dressings on them and she has to go to a clinic on Monday to have the dressings changed. Prossy walked out of the hospital carring her mattress with a huge smile on her face! They are very grateful for all the prayers and support. Thanks. Alan

prayers please - update

Update - Sunday 14th May - The children have now had their operations and are doing very well. Baby David's burns are almost better now and Prossy is also healing very well. When I visited today she had a huge smile on her face and is so happy! Joshua says that she has been like that right since she came out of the operation. They both seem to be healing amazingly quickly. Thank you for your prayers.

Prayers Please

Please pray for the little girl from Kasaka seen here holding Maggies hand. Last week she had an accident with a local paraffin lamp and has badly burnt her legs. Today Wed 10th May she is to have an operation in the local hospital. Her younger brother was burned in the accident and is also in hospital.
Will post updated news here as we have it.

Thanks

Alan & Beryl

Expansion

Greetings from a quiet Alan & Beryl - well it seems that way now Neil and Maggie, Seven, Esme and Rosh have departed for colder climes!!!

The Directors of Love in Action (a grand title for Susan, Beryl & Alan) met yesterday and we made a number of exciting decisions which will be revealled over the next few weeks - but I can tell you that Angel is going to start building again - but where and what? You will have to keep watching the web site! (www.loveuganda.org)

Love in Action is expanding, we had now decided to open a 'Love In Action Resource Centre' in the unit next door to the Internet Cafe. We have so many books, tapes and teaching materials that it seemed a shame to keep them at home when we could share them with others. So Rebecca has agreed to manage the centre which will include an office for Love in Action and a counselling room for Beryl.

Penny (the trainee social worker) will be based there rather than from our home. We will also be offering Luganda for Expats courses and well who knows what else will happen in there!!! We are really excited.

In another development while we were in Queen Elizabeth National Park recently we met a couple from the UK who are advisors to the Archbishop of Uganda, This has led to an invitation for Noah & Rebecca to join an Alpha, Train the Trainers course, in Kampala on Friday and Saturday this week. We then hope to be able to encourage Pastors here in Masaka to investigate and run Alpha courses. Please pray for them.

Must go now - more work to do - and I want to stop before the internet fails again!!

Alan & Beryl

PS The picture is of a crested crane, Uganda's national symbol.