Provide education for 80 Pygmy children in Uganda

On a recent visit to AICM projects, two trustees, Lawrance and Monica Titterton, and another supporter, Rupert Davis, all from Kent, spent a night in the Batwa community at Rwamahano. They were the first UK supporters ever to do so.Their welcome included singing all night long by the Batwa as a means of warning others that friends were staying in their midst,and no one was to harm them!Little sleep possible , but their warmth and gratitude was overwhelming.

This community is the one that Nichodemus,salaried by AICM, lives and ministers in, and he teaches the children in the primary school by day, along with two government techers.Benches for the class rooms are now on order, and meals, in the form of posho breakfast, are given daily. Furniture is also on order for the school at Muribindi, and breakfasts also given.

The furniture provision is a one off cost, and it is thanks to fuding received through Global giving, that this has been possible.However to maintain the provision of posho breakfasts and salaries for the AICM teacher/workers is an ongoing challenge.If we can get nearer to our stated total these needs can be assured for the forseeable future.

AICM is beginning to see promising Batwa students coming through into secondary education. We run a sponsorship scheme whereby friends in UK help these students. One or two also attend the AICM Vocational Training College in Kabale. One secondary student talking to a friend visiting in July, said he wished to become a doctor and return to minister to his people.What a wonderful reward for our generosity that would be!

"Thank you so much for coming to see us and for all you are doing to help us!" This was Nichodemus, the extension worker and teacher ,who lives among the Batwa in the community at Rwamahano, greeting my wife Sue and myself and 3 other trustees plus 8 new visitors on our recent trip to visit AICM projects in South West Uganda. Our three vehicles made the dusty and somewhat treacherous journey way up the hills above Lake Bunyoni to be greeted first by children who led us to the two small school buildings , outside whuch we were delighted to find it was lunch time and ,as a result of funding generously received,plates of posho and beans were being handed out and hungrily eaten.What an improvement from the last time we visited, where "cold and hungry " would have been a good description.This time there were smiles.Richard, the AICM field coordinator, introduced us to Nichodemus, whom we already knew, and to two government teachers, Edward and Grace, who have recently been attached to the school, as it now has sufficient numbers to qualify for them. Because of the inaccessibility of the village ,AICM , thanks to funding received through Global Giving, can top up these two teachers salaries to encourage them to keep making the daily journey up to the school. AICM fully funds Nichodemus, who lives in the village Monday to Fridays, despite having a wife and family living nearer to Kabale town.What a lovely man! We looked inthe school rooms--still almost bare, but evidence ,on a black board of sorts and one or two posters, of studies under way. Richard told us that Global Giving funds received will now mean the rooms can be furnished with benches and desks. He will also be able to make the very barelooking staff room, apart from a load of books ready for marking, a little more comfortable for the staff. The school now goes up to Primary 4 and the good news is that children then transfer down the hill to the local primary school--and AICM already have at secondary school, or at their Vocational Training College in Kabale, two or three students from one of the Batwa settlements. Progress indeed for these marginalised communities. We were visited by other representatives from other Batwa communities, two of which have schools attached which AICM seeks to fund--your funds have a lot to do, but they are making a difference, for which we thank God. Do please continue to give to these needy and very thankful people. You can make such a difference. Thank you.