Dear friends, family, and supporters,
We send you early, warm Christmas greetings from Uganda.
As Christmas quickly approaches so does a brand new year, which means now is the time for a Uganda update…
SOWETO YOUTH FELLOWSHIP ROLLING ON…
Back in Uganda, I returned to a very excited bunch of young people eagerly waiting for my return. It’s always sad to leave one side of the world with tears rolling down people’s cheeks, but its also great joy to arrive on the other side with bright smiles – I am truly blessed to have loving families wherever I go.
SYF continues to roll on without any huge hiccups. In August we successfully received our renewal permit for atleast three more years of operation in Masaka. (In Uganda, a renewal permit is required every 1, 3, 5, then 10 years). All SYF programs continue to be ongoing which include; Adult literacy classes, tailoring classes, Youth Fellowship, Music (praise and worship), and Dance. New programs added include weekly craft-making workshops, Movie days (with a message), and AA (Alcoholics Anonymous). We are indeed keeping busy with these programs amongst the everyday tasks, and not to mention accommodating and rehabilitating students in the home!
STUDENT UPDATES…
Mukasa Brown continues to do well in Primary School and has now completed P. 6 (equivalent to Grade 6), he will begin P. 7 in February 2016. He holds on to the top in his class. I don’t think we ever expected him to do so well after being on the streets for so many years, but he has shown us all his great potential.
Kisakye Stella has just completed and graduated from Primary Teacher’s College after spending two years in the heavy and intense course. We are very proud of her for sticking it out and are looking forward to seeing her achieve a high level of success. She is now waiting to hear from a variety of schools where she applied for a teaching job.
Brian Gonzaga first joined our Adult Literacy class earlier this year and showed high potential in doing well. As an opportunity came for him to jump ahead of the rest, he was able to join a Primary School and ease into a P. 7 class where he eventually wrote his P.L.E. (Primary Level Education) exams. As he awaits his results, we are now making plans for him to join a Secondary School (High School) so that he may achieve his goals in his education.
SYF Adult Literacy School
Our basic English, Math and Luganda classes continue to help youth who are unable to attend a certified school by equipping them with basic language and math skills. We have seen great improvements in English in the young men who attend regularly. Our temporary teacher, Lawrence, has been filling in until we are able to afford to pay a salary for fully trained and certified teacher, and even I fill in on occasion giving a good ol English lesson.
Tailoring Class
Our tailoring teacher, Doreen, is a detailed and talented teacher who has shown our students the benefits of learning and knowing the tailoring skill. They continue to learn and excel; they’re latest project was making shirts from traditional African prints. These shirts were timely as they were on sale at Masaka’s first-ever Christmas Market, which was held in our rented premises of Soweto Youth Fellowship earlier this month. We are proud of the students and continue to encourage them to keep on going with it!
Merry Christmas!
Don’t forget the real reason of the season is…Jesus. He was born on Christmas day, a day that we remember and celebrate because it is because of Jesus we can be saved.
Thank you all and Merry Christmas, from all of us at Soweto Youth Fellowship Uganda and Change 2 Change Canada!
Sincerely,
Kurt – kurt@sowetoyouthfellowship.org