Care and Share Bread Basket

Written by Lori Acton, Fount of Mercy's International Development Director

Over the past few months Fount of Mercy has been working to develop a relationship with and organization called Care and Share. One program within this organization is a women’s group, which involves about 100 women in total. These women have been working on such an interesting project in recent months called the Bread Basket. The women make small cakes and scones with the small wood-burning stove they have and sell their products to surrounding markets and schools. Almost entirely on their own initiative, this women’s group has organized and implemented a successful business, and it is now benefiting numerous people in their community – directly and indirectly. Right now we are working with Care and Share to develop this specific program, and hopefully see the impact of this program spread even further.

ORM Sweaters

Written by Lori Acton, Fount of Mercy's International Development Director
Orphan Rescue Ministry has started on a new project – they are making a variety of products with yarn! They have been making so many things, including sweaters, skirts, bags, and blankets. Even though this is Uganda, East Africa, and those that aren’t familiar with this part of the world expects it to very hot, there is a market for items like sweaters here. Sweaters and other items have already sold. For several reasons this is such an exciting project to me, partially because it is relatively unique when it comes to vocational training/ income generating projects and also because it has such potential for growth.

TAOST Library

Written by Lori Acton, Fount of Mercy's International Development Director

Last Tuesday I visited TAOST JR, Academy. Over the past few months, this school has worked very hard to create a proposal to develop a library for their school. Most Recently they put together a space for their library.

This includes converting two small rooms into one larger room and getting shelves, tables, and chairs. The nest step for this project will be buying the books.
The TAOST Organization leaders say that they want this library so they can encourage their Students to have a culture of reading. The headmaster of this school, Francis, is so excited about the library, he is already planning how the teachers can make use of it and creating reading challenges for the children.

NGO status

I turned in our paper work for NGO status again today and most likely we will be approved next Friday! I'm pretty happy about it.- Lori, Feb 5

Adventures in researching health care

I attempted a visit in the childrens wing at Jinja Hospital and ended up being the pharmacist an hour and a half later. - Vanessa, Community Health Initiative Director

"Did he just hit on me"?

Random guy outside the Department of Health in Jinja, "You are looking very good! What have you been feeding on?" ahahaaha! I give him 2 points for originality. - Vanessa

Rain

The rain visits Jinja in sporadic torrents, at times as briefly as the flash of lightning that streaks across the skies. Feverish, this parched earth waits, beckoning the dust settling, life giving showers, "please, you are most welcome."- Rini

Sick=No Fun

Uganda. flu. bed. week. weak. fog. not functioning. sucks...After 2 bedded weeks, back in the land of the living and back to development in Uganda ; ) -Rini

I love my work!

"I love my work! One day, I'm teaching the most beautiful children, later developing a project, capacity building, and today, evaluating programs on the ground, working with deaf children. Best part: all the hugs I get, then, all the things I learn. It is going to be very hard to get me out of Uganda."

"Grateful to be working with the most compassionate and humblest of people who respond to poverty, scarcity and injustice by empowering their communities."

"How can I explain the joy that fills my heart when the beautiful orphans rush to welcome and embrace me? "Come share our food. Come let me show u... " They say. If only I could find a way to fit 1, 2 or 10 of u sweethearts into my pocket, bring u home and love u forever."

- Rini

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving-atop an opulent hill overlooking the indescribable beauty that is Lake Victoria and its verdant surroundings. Humbly thankful for being privy to wonders that never cease.

Need a Break

By the time this week is over, we deserve some candle light, a glass of wine, the rain for music, a cheesy movie & possibly a little time to read for fun.

"The greatest use of life is to spend it for something that will outlast it." William James

"How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world." Anne Frank

FOM is thinking about working with this Org!!

Among things that make me happy: a Ugandan CBO's new year initiative to take chronically excluded (from the regular school outings) disabled students on field trips=)

New Years Day

How did we start our new year? White water rafting all day thru the rapids of the Nile River! That's right, nothing we can't do now!

observation

Poverty & vulnerability of internally/externally displaced persons residing in swampy slums: Sharing a hole of a room with 9; working for a $.25 a day; cooking/washing/playing/expelling bodily waste in the same area; feeding ur starving siblings from trash bins. Barely describes the destitution of those fleeing conflict ridden zones looking for security and survival opportunities, & instead find depravity & disease...observation by Rini

Child headed household

The sweet girl in the pink is 14, in 3rd grade and is the head of this child headed slum household taking care of 2 little brothers. They hadn't eaten that day or the previous day. Smiling takes work in urban poverty.... reflection from Rini

Coming Together

Extremely satisfying to watch a development project (where much time & effort was spent) unfold into its final stages of completion before my eyes.... Thoughts from Rini

Transportation

Today, I rode on a coaster from one of the villages back into town. 3 men tried to make room on the overflowing bus by standing with one foot in the vehicle and most of their body out. I only had to change places about 5 times: Tara's lap being one of them. It was almost as much fun as sharing a broken down matatu....thoughts from Rini

Christmas in Uganda

Cooking in Uganda

When people ask me about Lori and how she is doing in Uganda, everyone wants to know where she goes grocery shopping and what she eats. :) Here are some pics to satisfy your curiosity. -Michelle

According to Lori everything she eats is fresh and takes a long time to prepare.

Rini's thoughts " Maybe the novelty of being beginner, but making skim milk from whole milk is quite interesting."

Vanessa's thoughts "I loves that Lori, Rini and I have homemade dinner and a movie almost every night here in our Uganda home. Life is gooooood!"

pics: Grocery Store, Market, Dinner, Rini and Lori cooking cake in their kitchen, Dinner, Dinner, remains of dinner, kitchen, homemade muffins, fish market

Indulge

If you traveled with Fount of Mercy last summer you most defiantly ate at Indulge, Jinja's new hot spot. Indulge has become one of Lori's favorite places to spend time. Not only has she become friends with the staff but she is able to find comforts at Indulge that we daily take for granted. Wifi, mochas, tomato soup, lasagna, ice cream, cheese, smoothies and a book exchange. Next time you are in Uganda, check out Indulge.

Lori's Home away from Home

Lori's new home in Jinja, Uganda. Lori is renting the bottom floor of this building. Very quickly Lori had gotten to know her neighbors. She even spent Christmas with them. In a recent email Lori told me that her neighbors dog just had puppies. Doesn't get cuter than that.