Good Morning Everyone! My sincerest apologies for dropping the ball on keeping you updated! As always its been busy in the Scoville home and even though we have been back in Uganda since mid January I’ve had quite a few trips in between. I had a return trip back to my happy place at the end of January to visit some friends and my girls in Swaziland and then turned around on Valentines day for a girls trip to Istanbul and Athens! Finally back in the swing of things here and do not plan on leaving again until May!
So back in December for our Kids Club Christmas party some wonderful friends from back home with the help of an American Girl Scout troop sent us goodie bags and treats to give out to the children. Unfortunately, we didn’t realize what a pain it was going to be to work with the Ugandan Postal Service. Long story short, boxes didn’t show up in time for the Christmas Party and then didn’t even show up before I left to go home for Christmas (actually they did show up…. but were not released because they are being held hostage by the Ugandan Post Office) Anyway… without horrifying you with all the gory details on how the post office made me cry because they told me I was using my diplomatic immunity to sell all the donations for a profit instead of actually giving them away (what a concept right?) All 8 boxes eventually ended up in my possession thanks to all my mail room buddies at the Embassy!
The next few days were pretty hectic and my living room was taken over by candy and toys!
Even Charlie helped out!
After all the goodies were sorted it was time to stuff the bags!
It took 2 full days and a lot of work but I managed to stuff 500+ bags! The next part made it all worth it because it was time to deliver!!
Our first stop was the Kivulu Classroom (One of Kids Clubs Education Centers) There were about 40 children present and their bags consisted of leftover school supplies from our school supply fundraiser last fall!
Some of the students even showed off their reading skills!
The kids at Kivulu are always so sweet and calm… I don’t think any of us were prepared for what was to happen next at good ole Katanga. These kids went NUTS! so much that we had to leave the classroom because we were getting stampeded! But then I always have to think of course they are going to go crazy because it is a rare occasion they are given such a special treat! We had over 200 children show up for this giveaway!
One of the greatest rewards I have witnessed as a volunteer is seeing a really bright child receive a second chance at a real education and the opportunity to succeed and have a future. There are many of these children who will never see the inside of a real classroom due to the financial costs to receive an education in Uganda and the majority of African countries. I have been watching a young girl named Beatrice for the last 8 months lead her classmates and excel in her school work. She is a talented singer, dancer and artist and very bright when it comes to reading and writing. Thanks to a high school friend of my Mother’s it was with absolute joy I was able to tell Beatrice she was going to be able to attend school this semester and I was honored to deliver this special gift that was sent from Janet and Craig in America.
Such a beautiful soul and I am so proud of her for what she has overcome in life and what she is going to accomplish in her future! Thank You Janet and Craig for loving this little girl!
I had time for one last delivery before I took off to Swaziland so we packed up and traveled to Nomavundu, the site of our water well and many of our women’s Initiative programs. Here we ended up with 170+ children!
All in all this has been a very rewarding and humbling experience and proved to be worth the wait and hassle that preceded it. Last week I received word that my clearance came through and I am going to be starting work on Monday the 9th. It is exciting yet difficult at the same time as I am know going to have to cut back on my involvement with this wonderful organization. These kids have touched my heart and soul and I love them all with every ounce. Thank you to everyone who has been making a difference in these children’s lives even without ever meeting them, it means more than you could ever imagine.
The Traveling Scarf 