Wowee! What a busy and productive week for the SALVE team!

Last Saturday was visitation day for the children at Magwa school and so we all got up early and met there to see the children, their school and teachers and share some lunch. All the children are doing well. Tiff especially so, he’s a good head and a half taller than me… must be all the posho. The children getting along OK at school, Blessing especially so. She excels in science and would like to be a doctor. I certainly learnt a thing or two from her biology book so I think she has a good shot.

Tuesday took Imogen and I off to Kampala in search of materials to start the bead making project. We went to the enormous Owino market to pick up coloured paper. Its incredible. A huge warehouse full to bursting point with old paper for recycling- posters, newspapers, magazines books- it all gets bought a used for numerous different reasons from packaging to bead making. A lesson there to be learnt about effective recycling I think. Anyway, we were successful in getting all our beads, hocks, paper and strings and made it badly to calm Jinja in one piece with filthy black feet to tell the tale!

Bead making has started this week and has really taken off. Thirteen women are participating and are really keen to learn a skill. Rose, our trainer is hugely impressed with how quickly they’re learning. I think their enthusiasm and quiet concentration speaks volumes about the lack of opportunities for people in Mafubira to earn a living despite their ardent longing to do so. We hope to have some things to ship back before Christmas and would love to have the women making their own designs as soon as they are qualified so we hope the products will be diverse, personalised and made with love.

Tourist education has also hit the ground running (finally) this week. The leaflets have been printed and look great and I took them around to all the hotels, backpackers hostels and rafting companies at BUjagali Falls just outside Jinja. The reception was great. People were really interested in the project and lots offered to have collection boxes in their restaurants or bars. Next week, we’ll drop some leaflets around the cafes and shops in town and start getting some boxes made so we can collect loose change too. With any luck, this project will really raise awareness about both street children and SALVE in the community and among tourist who pass through and also collect some revenue.

So yes, a great week, lots of success and lots to work on next week.

Emma and Imogen