Skills Development for Women Inmates

While the women in Bugembe Prison are allowed to join the men for worship, they’re generally separated from the men…which makes sense. But this separation means that these women do not have access to the skills development training programs the men have. They do, however, have one of the traditional skills handed down from their mothers – mat weaving. They can probably make paper beads and baskets too. Of course this work requires supplies and the competition is enormous for these items.

The trick with the women, particularly because the population is so small, is to find one of the women with a skilled trade to teach the others. Women here are less likely to have that kind of skill, but we do want to find a way to provide for their success and positive contribution to their communities too. Until then, we’d like to provide the supplies need to continue in their traditional crafts. Would you like to help?

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Skills Development Graduation Packages

The last time I was in Uganda, I’d spent much time visiting Bugembe Prison and working with Carpenter John to establish a skills development training program. He was surprised to learn that some of the prisoners had certificates in skilled trades and that they were willing and eager to teach others their trade. Prisoners teaching prisoners. They’ve been working in this program since I left them in September and have made quite a bit of progress.

Following our worship service together, the men were eager to show me the progress they’d made. Without an income, they continue to practice only on Torroro cement bags, but were so excited when I inspected each sample and praised their work. The cobras proudly paraded their shoes – shined and repaired – in front of me for inspection and praise as well.

I surprised Carpenter John – who will surprise the prisoners – with “graduation” packages for those having completed a skills training program. What this means is that a donor has provided funding for all the materials needed for the first five cobras and the first five tailors to have a small package of startup materials and equipment so that when they leave prison they have some way to earn a living for themselves. What a great way to surprise someone you love for Christmas – with a gift that gives to others.

 

Even Carpenter John got a little work out of the deal. He made the boxes to hold the cobra supplies. Carpenter John has no job and spends his days ministering in the prisons and with various other ministry groups – I’ve been introduced to many of them – so being hired for this small project was a gift to him as well.

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Bujagali Before and After

One day separated my trip to Kenya and my trip to Jinja. Any journey to Jinja would be incomplete without checking the water levels at Bujagali Falls. They’re flooding the falls to improve hydroelectric power in the country (really, they’re just selling the power to Kenya). I thought you might like to see the pre- and post-flood photos.

Notice the two big islands on the left and right?

Same exact location as the previous picture, the islands are under water exept for the tips of the trees.

Take a look at previous posts for more photos. Today, there’s nothing but smooth water sailing. The super duper sad part is that there’s no other place like it unless you travel to Murchison Falls, which is very far away and almost requires safari-like planning (sniffle).

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A Dolly for Esther from Amelia

Esther, the oldest of the three girls sequestered in the Jacaranda workshop for gift-giving, was all smiles after she received her gift. She could hardly keep her dolly away from her face for all the snuggling. I finally managed a photo with the doll just a little lower so that you could see that bright smile with her tongue sticking through where her two front teeth are coming in.



Esther, Beatrice, and Chico



Because she was a bit older and understood a smidge of English and because Jesus birthday is coming soon, I talked to Esther about Mary the mother of Jesus. I reminded Esther that Mary was the mother of Jesus. Jesus was God’s son, His child. I told her that she is his child too. I encouraged her to love this little dolly to remind her how much God loves all His children, especially her.

Thanks to my own momma for putting together this little story of love to share with the girls who get dollies.

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A Dolly for Beatrice from Nancy

It’s always hard to know which child should receive gifts among a group of children who receive a variety of necessities only occasionally. Do you give one food and not education because they got food? Do you give one education and not toys because they got education? Do you give clothing but not food because they got clothing? You see the problem? Luckily, our God is a god of abundance and we need not concern ourselves with equality but instead we can lavish gifts on our children and trust him to continue providing for their needs even after these first gifts run out.

Beatrice is perhaps five years old and she is part of the Jacaranda Kids system. She gets small gifts of food and clothing on occasion and she is eligible for school sponsorship. “But,” says Brenda, “she never gets a treat like this [doll].” This explains why Beatrice followed me around once she realized I had a bag of goodies. She had her eye on those dolls.

In the privacy of the Jacaranda workshop, Beatrice gratefully received her gift. Being a bit older than the usual adopted mommy, Beatrice knew exactly how to care for her dolly and was demonstrating to Esther and Chico (more on them soon) just exactly how to do so. Brenda commented about how much fun she’ll have seeing the dresses and dolls when she returns (as will I).

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A Dress for Julianna from Maddie

About a foot of space separates two outside walls between houses. The iron sheets are lined with barbed wire…perhaps used to keep the walls together or to rip the dresses of passers through. Dirty water trickles down the sloped and muddy pathway. We try to keep our feet on the edges but find them sliding into the center muck.

The “back yard” is filled with clothes on the line baking in the sun. We’re invited inside and darkness envelops us. A sheet separates the sleeping area from the living area – a love seat and chair in the corner take up the entire room. Her Kiswahili-speaking mother welcomes my offer of a pretty pink dress and, without her sweater, the dress slides easily over her head.

Outside, Julianna poses for a picture in her new dress and then follows us to rejoin with the rest of the children meandering through the town. She, like the others, receives a Now & Later sour taffy and she, like the others, soon has goo dripping off her elbows. A pretty little girl in her pretty little dress.

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A Dress for Euphresia from Jill

Tiny dresses fit tiny bodies. Euphresia was in her mother’s arms watching the parade of three muzungu followed by dozens of children pass by her home. Faith, Euphresia’s mother, paid little attention until we knocked at her door and asked if we could give her daughter a little red dress.

 

Euphresia didn’t follow us around, she didn’t beg for a piece of candy, and she didn’t have her shoes on the wrong feet – she didn’t have shoes on at all. Soon, though, she’ll gain her independence and roam the muddy streets alongside her soon-to-be friends the likes of Chico, Susan, and the many other children in the neighborhood.

What can we do for children like Euphresia today to help them have a bright future? People all over the world have been asking this question for ages and I don’t pretend to have an answer. I do know that the love we show a child like Euphresia today may have more impact on her life than any other gift. We need to show her the heart of Jesus…plain and simple…and we need to show her that Jesus is where that love comes from. Euphresia’s mother was given a Bible and we challenged her to read this Bible and share the love found between the covers with her children.

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A Dolly for Chico from Taylor

Chico is the second from the left, next to Susan.

Chico is a simple girl who just loves Brenda. Of course everyone loves Brenda, but she and Chico have something special going on and, for some reason, I hardly gave her a glance. Perhaps the reason is because she was already “taken” or perhaps the reason was because she’d not done anything in particular that made me take notice. As I reflect on this fact, I wonder how many children get overlooked because they don’t fuss for attention or fight for their food.

Yet toward the end of our visit, Chico somehow chose me. This is not to say that she favored me over Brenda, but she probably saw that Brenda was busy and that I was kind of hanging back taking it all in. This smart girl seized the moment by grabbing my hand. Enough of the taking my hand thing…I immediately swooped her up into my arms and kept her close. I knew she would get a dolly then but with all the children around I feared the dolly would be taken from this meek girl. I waited until we were alone to give her the new friend. She seemed so very interested in having a toy, a scarce commodity in places like this.

Back to the idea of being chosen. There’s something about it. Something wonderful and amazing. Of all the people there, why me? She and many others probably chose me because I’m white and I brought gifts. But still…think about that. God is like Chico in that he chose us. All we have to do is grab his hand and he’ll swoop us up. He has wonderful gifts for us…way better than dollies and dresses. Yet so often we hesitate to go to him and grab his hand. Why?

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Candy for the Children

A giant five-pound bag of candy was one of many of the heaviest things to fill my 70 pound carryon luggage. The pages of the Bibles, coloring books, and Berenstain Bear books that made up the rest of that bag now smell like Bazooka. The children love sweet treats, and while I don’t love handing out “food” that isn’t good for them, they seldom receive such frivolous goodies.

I handed two adorable boys a couple pieces of gum. The littler one stuffed the whole thing in his mouth and chewed, the giant wad struggling to stay concealed. I decided I’d better put Katelynn, the beautiful intern working with Jacaranda for the past month, in charge of distribution. She began handing out this candy discretely with some success but soon the children came from all around. The girls had enough sense not to stick the Now & Later in their mouths all at once and decided to lick them from their wrappers…sticky goo dripping off their elbows.

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A Dress for Susan from Donna

Susan, among her little pile of friends, was the first to adorn a new dress. Blue checks with a blue and green birdie ribbon running along the bottom…cute. Over the top of her clothes the dress slid until it rested just at her knees. Beneath her checkerboard, her dingy pinkish dress poked out and just below that…her galoshes. Wearing galoshes in dry Africa may seem a little funny – never mind the fact that she has them on the wrong feet. Yet when it rains here everything turns to muck and we’re just coming out of the rainy season. Her tiny feet stay dry and clean…well, I doubt that but they’re covered anyhow.

Little Susan hung around with a few others who gathered and then tailed us through their village homes. At one point this tiny girl began bawling. No one knew why…perhaps it was nap time. As we approached an area where we were to jump the slime trench, Susan simply reached up and grabbed my finger. Well…nothing doing. I scooped her up in my arms and hopped across (secretly hoping I’d not land in the muck myself). Her boots did a number on my dress but it was TOTALLY worth it.

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Jacaranda Maururi Branch

 

No trip to Maururi is complete without checking in on the ladies working in the branch office. The beautiful purple painted walls of the two room office boast a hand painted jacaranda tree. Four sewing machines fill the back room and a worktable with an iron and other implements complete the front room. This is the place the microfinance workshop was held during my last visit.

Inside we found the ladies working hard on our orders. Charity is making the aprons you love. I enjoy seeing these ladies working. That means business is good and they’re getting money for their families. It’s also kind of neat to watch them making things for my order. That means I will have actually watched the ladies at work making some of the things I bring home for you. Exciting!

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Maururi Slums

The wide lane narrows as we enter the slum area. Dust covers everything. Houses are made of rusty iron sheets, crooked wood stakes, torn canvas. Electrical poles support a wire or two. Flowers poke up here and there. Adorable children swarm all around.

Brenda is a beautiful woman who cares so much for the people in the slums of Kenya. During our hectic day of business development work, we took a break to visit the Maururi Slums. We got no more than 10 meters into that area before she began greeting people by name…dozens of them. She knows almost everyone in that ramshackle town and as she greets them she cups their faces in her hands, looks into their eyes, and tells them how much she believes in them and that she loves them. I’m so honored to be part of this experience alongside a Godly, compassionate woman like Brenda.

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A Dolly for Miriam from Emily and Elizabeth

Miriam’s cute little braids flounced around that joyful child as she watched us park just past her grandmothers food stand. Brenda greeted this old lady, which gave me time to meet Miriam. Miriam’s parents – her father at least – no longer live…killed in war. She now lives with her grandmother who makes her living by selling the few fruits and vegetables she manages to grow. Brenda bought two avocado from the grandmother to give to her grandchildren for dinner that evening. Will that be all they eat?

Receiving a dolly never seems to be a hopping up and down event for these children; as it might be for a girl of the same age in America. What does a child perceive about this small gift? Does she wonder about its purpose? Grandmothers always recognize the crude replica of their own children as babies and begin to instruct these new mommies about how to care for their new charge, often wrapping them securely to their back. Does Miriam wonder how to push the dolly around at the end of a stick like the coke bottle toys? Does she wonder about the realistic (or unrealistic) nature of this new thing? She certainly seems to know that a hug is in order (for the dolly) and if that’s what she learns well from hugging her own dolly, I will be quite satisfied.

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A Dress for Sarah from Jack

Sarah was one of the first children to greet us upon arrival at the Maururi branch of Jacaranda Creations, probably because she lived across the street. Her shock of black hair stuck out every which way and sliding a dress on over that mop probably didn’t help. I’m always surprised when I find children in Africa covered from head to toe with warm clothing and Sarah was no exception. Pauline helped ask if Sarah liked this dress and if she would like to wear it. Clutching her sandwich bag with a few small shillings, she simply allowed us to pull the dress on over her head. A perfect fit.

She took off running and we weren’t sure if this was a good sign or bad. A few minutes later, Sarah appeared with the dress neatly folded as she handed that dress back to Pauline. Her mother sent her to give the dress back, perhaps for fear that she’d be asked to pay for the tiny treasure. We signaled that the dress was a gift and her mother waved thankfully. Children swarmed around us all morning, but we never saw Sarah again.

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Jacaranda Creations Leaders



Linda, Brenda, Sarah, Gertrude, Leslie, Pauline, Lucy (not shown)



Linda assists Sarah with production and in ensuring orders are organized and shipped on time. This is the first time I met Linda and she seems very smart and quick in all she does. She flitted from task to task getting many things done during an open house tea Jacaranda hosted. I look forward to getting to know her more on future visits.

Brenda is the founder and director of Jacaranda Creations. She manages not only the business but also the ministry of Jacaranda...and Jacaranda is a ministry. Brenda spends time getting to know each individual, she prays for them, she finds creative ways to meet unusual needs, and she's always being a wonderful model for all those growing through this ministry. I love learning from her about the realities of business as mission as well as keeping ministry the main thing. 

Sarah is the “one woman” who joined with Brenda to begin helping the people living in the slums of Kenya and I had the opportunity to spend some time learning more about her work. She functions like a production manager for Jacaranda and Sarah taught me about the processes she uses to get orders sewn and prepared for shipping by the various branches throughout the many slums in Kenya. (Sarah also speaks Luganda so I feel a little bit of home when I can great her in this way.) We put a few simple systems in place to help her be more effective.

Gertrude is the office manager and she really has a passion for learning, particularly office skills. Gertrude manages the cash flow, inventory, and a host of other administrative functions. She’s quite proficient on the computer using QuickBooks as well. Yet all of the women need more training to see how the whole system works, what happens when one piece breaks, and how to anticipate the consequences. I love the opportunities God puts in front of me to use my particular skills to help others learn.

Pauline is the women who struggled with me to get access to an online database where child sponsorships are recorded. As soon as we got access the power would go out or the internet would go out and we’d have to start at the very beginning again. We must have done that at least 10 times on Thursday. Pauline picked up on how to use this new system very quickly. For now we’re doing a bit of debugging on the tool created specifically for Jacaranda but I’m very confident that Pauline will have everything ship shape in no time. Pauline also speaks Luganda (yea).

Lucy (Not Shown) works part time for New Song church and Jacaranda Creations. She was only in on Monday this week so I didn’t get to spend much time with her during this visit.

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A Dolly for Martha from Judith P

The dolls, dresses, and Bibles got pulled out of the giant duffle in preparation for visiting the Maruri Slums. Gertrude began examining and admiring those dollies, which I found very odd. Here is a woman who sews for Jacaranda Creations, she is quite capable of finding a pattern and making such things with her own hands…she even did ask for the pattern. Jacaranda makes African style dolls too…yet Gertrude liked these dollies.

In a soft voice she asked to have one of these dollies. She told me about her niece and her grand-niece and well…I couldn’t resist. I was so flattered that this capable woman would fall head over heels for such a thing. Here’s the letter Gertrude wrote in thanks for this small gift.

“My name is Gertrude Muhando. I love your doll. I have taken your doll to give to my niece called Jackline. She is 25 years old and has a child of 2 1/2 years called Martha. She lives upcountry in the village called Karia, near Kiambu. She lives with her mother as my brother, her dad, passed away in 2000. The man who made her pregnant had promised to marry her and did not. She is at home without a job and has no livelihood. She depends on her mother and elder siblings. She is 3^rd born in the family. I will give Martha the doll for Christmas. Thank you very much and God bless you.”

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Jacaranda Creations

 



Coaching people from another culture about work ethic is challenging, especially in a part of the world where work is so often unavailable. Yet Brenda persists in modeling and teaching the women who work as part of the leadership team of Jacaranda Creations so that they can grow and become positive influencers on people in their own communities…usually the slums.

The main office is located in a few tiny rooms just outside her home where two sewing machines are always on the move, their rythmic hum soothing. The walls are lined with shelves, which are typically overloaded with products made in the office or delivered from one of the many branches around Kenya. The floors hold baskets filled to the brim with an array of in-progress products.

You never know what new goodie you’ll find awaiting unsuspecting visitors but you can be sure you’ll always find a warm greeting and maybe even some tea.

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Back Roads Restaurants

Other than one more table, this is the entire restaurant.
The rush has just passed.

While Kampala does boast restaurants designed for the Western tourist, restaurants also exist for the local people. Just down the road from Entebbe Stage where I typically get a taxi from Kampala to home, one of dozens (maybe even hundreds) of restaurants is tucked into a building that houses small commercial printers. While the rain released its normal afternoon gush, I stepped inside to have some copies made and decided to eat while waiting.

Cleanliness and food preparation standards are always questionable but you must get over such things to live here without starving (or going broke). Rice, matoke (boiled banana), gee nut sauce (peanut sauce), and sweet potato that was white and not red completed my meal all for 3,500 UGX (about $1.75).

Under that pile of banana leaves is matoke (boiled banana).

I learned that rent on this 8x10 room was 500,000 UGX ($250) monthly. You might be thinking that’s a great price. Yet this amount requires 142 meals to be sold in one month just to cover rent. While the number may not seem staggering, remember the cost of supplies and employee wages too. This combination of business venture, like so many others, necessitates working six days each week from dawn till dusk to get only enough month to start the next day and perhaps pay for a modest room in one of the nearby slum areas.

Women work for these kinds of restaurant owners and they go out into the city taking orders for food from workers, construction and otherwise, and then deliver that food when ready. Wouldn’t you love having someone come to your office and ask you what you want to eat and then return with a hot plate mounded with food?

These ladies, I’m told, earn about 5,000 each day or 150,000 each month. From that they must pay transportation to get into the city each day, probably 2,000. This leaves 90,000 for rent, food, clothing, medical care, and the like. I’ve not seen a place to rent for less than 90,000 but they must be there. When people say life is hard in Uganda, I can see what they mean.

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A Dolly for Mary from Heidi

Slums surround the capital city of Uganda. Dust covers the wood shack houses and everything in its vicinity. Sewage runs through the trench that separates the “road” from the storefronts. Yet a few small businesses line the crooked, bumpy lanes – barbers, repairmen, tailors. One wonders where exactly the fruits and vegetables come from.

People live in these conditions in order to be closer to the city center, which brings hope for more income. They travel back and forth each day, often by foot and often after 14 or 16 hour days. Some people, though, live here because this is all they can afford. Can you imagine paying rent to live in such conditions?

We stopped as this tiny girl appeared with her father…or her uncle. She peered at me as if I were a ghost and when offered a dolly tucked her hands neatly into her chest. Just shy of screaming, she was not interested. Yet another young one, watching the event unfold, decided to take her chances. She approached and, when offered the doll, gladly received her.

I asked this all-but-three-year-old in my very best Luganda, “Errinya lyo gwani?” What is your name? She understood and quietly replied, “Mary.” Mary is the woman’s name in the software program I’ve been using to help learn Luganda, but instead of telling this little girl about that, I asked her if she knew that Mary was Jesus’ mother (this time in English). She responded that she did – whether she really understood the question or not we’ll never know – and she thanked me for that doll while a string of ladies sitting on a stoop watched on. After allowing me to take her picture, Mary ran off to these ladies clutching her new treasure and wearing a smile bigger than any she’d produce for the photo.

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Baby Ricky is 5 Months Old

 

First on my agenda post arrival was to visit my husband’s namesake. This tiny boy doesn’t recognize me…yet…but he’s not afraid of me either, which is better than most babies given my brightness. He even allowed me to hug and kiss all over him – a must when it comes to these tiny things.

I delivered a gift from my mother and a few of her friends – a mom-made diaper tote, some clothes, and a few adorable baby goodies. After Baby Ricky examined every item for its brightest color, I stuffed him into the tote and tried to sneak out the front door. He was quite content peeking over the top edge of that tote, which is what gave us away.

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A Dress for Fahrid and Sharon from Sally and Barb



Fahrid



Sharon



Fahrid listened from her yard as the sound of heavy metal locks clanking against steel doorframes echoed throughout the house and down the street. At the sight of the front door opening from the inside, she began her approach. This little darling and all her siblings enjoy watching her mzungu neighbor’s every move and I’d like to think she was happy to see me home. Alone this time, Fahrid cautiously approached the house.



I stepped onto the veranda to greet my little friend in Luganda. She welcomed me home in the loudest voice she could muster. Still mindful of the cultural boundaries guiding public displays of affection, I tossed them aside and enveloped Fahrid in a big hug (I said mindful, not obedient). I told her, in English this time, how very happy I was to see her and how glad I was that she appeared to be well.

We chatted, as much as Ugandan children do, and then I invited her into the house for a dress sizing. She gladly removed her raggedy sweatshirt and found the soft comfort of her new yellow dress. I sent her away with a big smile and put the other dresses away…until Fahrid arrived pushing her sister ahead of her while her brothers trailed behind.

Sharon had been prepared for the strange mzungu gift by her big sister, who was holding her raggedy red sweatshirt to allow the ease of dress fitting. A perfect match, blue checks and birdies.

Toward evening, the girls were spotted in their birthday suits washing in the small basin placed in the front yard. After deemed clean by their mother, they put their new little dresses on and waved from the safety of the dirt mound in their front yard. Good night little darlings.

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Welcome to the Family

 Stocks. That’s where I found the dollies-in-waiting upon arriving at my mother’s house. A little rack above the laundry tub – doesn’t she know they could drown in that tub – held the newest members of the family firmly in their grip. The next surprise…boys! (Of course they were held in separate cells.)

She saw that it was not good for girlies to be alone so while they were asleep she took some fabric and made boys from the remnants of the girls. Girls and boys she stitched them.

Some ladies came for a party and agreed to foster parent a few of these darlings, but the rest were so jealous…look what I found in my suitcase this morning. Soon they will join their sisters in Michigan. Would you like to help them find their new mommies and daddies in East Africa? Click on the “donate” button under One Time Giving and send $25. Then watch the blog to find out what little child gets your foster dolly.

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Obscene Generosity

What does it mean to be “obscenely generous?” I remember sitting in a money management workshop at church and hearing this phrase for the first time. Kind of catchy, I thought. But as I watch an increasing number of people engaging in the ministry of Surprised by Hope for the benefit of East African people, I begin to get a glimpse of what that phrase really means.

Individuals joined together to lift up a women’s group in the slums of Uganda by sponsoring girly dresses – sometimes on behalf of children or grandchildren and sometimes just for the girls and women of East Africa. These girly dresses – 15 of 40 are sponsored – provide a girl with a dress and tailor graduate with startup materials. We may even be able to get another sewing machine.

A couple who had triplets experienced the generosity of their church family and then gave all their like-new clothing for the babies in East Africa. Clothing that could easily have been sold – more than 250 adorable and complete outfits make up 55 pounds of luggage. This couple chose to pay them forward.

A lady preparing to go Home hopes those who are learning a skilled trade will find as much use from her sewing notions as she once did. Scissors, buttons, snaps, elastic, and piles of other unique notions fill a giant box.

To acknowledge the tough American economy is tempting. We could say, “I barely have enough for my own family.” Instead these people are choosing to live the obscenely generous life. Their hearts are giving all they have so that others may have hope. Remembering that we live in a God’s economy and not the world’s economy makes all the difference. I teach East Africans that God’s economy is one of abundance not scarcity. God’s economy is counterintuitive. Give it all away and he’ll give you even more. What about you? Do you trust God enough to be obscenely generous?

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