De Bremders, a beautiful garden

(news 2017 -2)

Romantic gardens

Every year in June Paul and Erna open their garden for visitors. And for 4 consecutive years they invited us to serve drinks and snacks to the visitors. It is great: raising funds in a beautiful garden. Find some pictures of the place.

Jakob representing Uganda

This year there were many visitors. Belgian television came to shoot images on Saturday and many people decided to come to take a look on Sunday. Pele was washing plates, cups and glasses the whole day, without any interruption. So the team from The village, for this activity guided by Annie, gathered a good amount for the project! Thanks a lot, Paul and Erna for the opportunity.

De Bremders gardens

Paul, the boss

Annual report

(news 2017 -1)

On 12th of July we organised the annual meeting of The village. Pele prepared the annual report. It gives an overview of activities in Flanders and in Uganda. In Uganda activities are through PROUD UG. An annual report is as well a narrative report as a financial report. So bills of 2016 were approved by the 'general assembly' and we presented a budget for 2017.

In 2016 the PROUD project spent € 3.154,25 for functioning (main items of expenditure were school fees plus rent of rooms and workshops curriculum development) and 4.197,02 for personnel. So main activities in 2016 in Uganda were teaching the children and starting up the curriculum development project.

Board members Herman, Stefaan (vice president) and Martin (finances) enjoying Devils beer

A lot of money was invested in construction of a facility for children and youngsters with intellectual disabilities. The finishing of class rooms and sanitation cost €11.386,04 and we started building the kitchen and administration block (€6.504,74). Those efforts made it possible to open PROUD Village at the start of school year 2017.

Kiki handed over the Annual Report 2016 to development cooperation section in the Belgian Embassy in Kampala. We hope to continue to develop the project and in the middle long term to become an example of good practice for Uganda. The focus is more and more on skills training and in the coming years we want to organize suitable employment for young adults.

Our animals

Rats are everywhere in Kabale. One day a rat came to sleep in my suitcase. In the middle of the night I decided to escape: the rat had taken over my room. The hotel manager was astonished: leaving the place for a rat? Why can't you fight rats? I asked him. But we do he said, but just this time the director has taken the traps to his home...

Another day I visited a restaurant and rats where running up and down. The girl who welcomed the customers saw that I was astonished, but she quickly tried to put me at ease: "these are our animals" she explained. As the rats wanted to confirm what she was telling me they came to look another time. In the mean time I saw a man sitting on a table calmly enjoying his meal.

Was it me who was the problem? Or the rats? I asked Kiki for an explanation. She started telling me that rats are common in Kabale, but it does not mean that everyone likes them. At night they come to eat the white part of your feet when you are asleep. They keep on blowing so that you cannot feel pain. But in the morning when you wake up you feel pain when you start walking. To avoid this situation some people decide to sleep with shoes on.

Our animals

End of 2nd term reports

Ignatious and his grandmother

The second term ended on 18/09/2017. The manager welcomed the parents for having come to receive the reports with their children. Each child was happy to receive the report with the parents. Bridget came to receive the report alone because she is able to take herself to PROUD Village.

Bridget 

Written by Kiki

Washing utensils (learning activities)

Praise, Joseph and Elizabeth washing utensils

Group 1 children washing utensils

The children in group 1 has made great improvement in this term. Everybody now is able to wash and wipe the utensils.

Among the children in group one Musasizi Elizabeth prefers washing utensils and she feels happy during washing utensils.

Musasizi is at the right hand side, Joseph at the middle and Praise at he left side.

Their teacher makes a group of three people to wash every day; they keep changing the groups to avoid being congested while washing.

Sinks at PROUD UG

Elizabeth (foreground), Arinda (middle), Bridget and teacher Patience (background) washing utensils

The first time for the children to wash utensils in the sinks.

All the children at PROUD Village were happy to use the sinks to wash utensils.

They started to use the sinks on 28/06/2017. Everybody was happy to wash the utensils while standing.

Bridget, one of the youngsters for group 2, said that it is better to wash while standing using the sinks than bending while washing from the saucepans.

Bridget is the one near teacher Patience and at the middle is Arinda followed by Elizabeth.

By Kiki

Caring for flowers (learning activities)

Joseph and teacher Patience

The PROUD Village has grown flowers. The flowers are growing well. The children in group one take care of them together with their teacher. They water them the days that is indicated on their time table so that they grow well.

Every child has a wateringcan to water the flowers.

By Kiki

President's visitation to the project

Brenda Mwesigwa (left) with children and staff members of PROUD UG

The president of the project madam Mwesigwa Brenda visited the project on 10thApril 2017. After reaching at the project all children and staff members became happy. 

Bridget (middle) and teacher Doreen (right) show their work to Brenda (left)

She visited the shop at the project, she also posed with the girls when making table clothes. She brought many things for the children and started explaining to Kiki the manager how to use them and how to handle them, brought other things also for the teachers. 

She had good time with the teachers and children and appreciated the work being done in PROUD Uganda.

How Sarah loved Patricia

Joseph, Sarah and Elizabeth with Patricia

Sarah one of the pupils for PROUD Uganda told the sister of the president, madam Patricia, that she is the most beautiful person. She asked her to pose with her in a photo and was very happy to pose with Patricia. She started asking manager to let her go with Patricia but manager promised her that she will go with her to see Patricia in future.

By Kiki