Dear our Friends and Supporters,
Happy New Year 2025!
Although it’s very early in 2025, we’d like to give you a glance of how the new year has started.
Here is a brief review of activities that have taken shape and those that need immediate action:
Cultural Exchange Program
On January 4, the people of Tororo came to Jinja to visit with their Friends of Jinja. The Jinja-Tororo Friendship Association is a community cultural exchange between the people of Busoga (Jinja) and the people of Jopadhola (Tororo). It was the last visit of phase II of this program Besides learning from each other, celebrating life and exchanging gifts among the paired members, they made progress on the establishment of a Savings and Credit Cooperative (SACCO) which is a special type of co-operative which offers financial services with a primary focus on mobilisation of funds and provision of affordable credit to its members who are both the owners and users. Both Tororo and Jinja communities have started saving and are advancing a unified SACCO with leaders coming from both communities. Two of our Advisory board members- Scovia Kagulo (Tororo) and Ahumuza Caroline Careen (Jinja) – are directly involved in advancing this program and are seeking seed funding for the SACCO.
On Sunday January 5, the Little Africa Tour Company returned to Amor village (Tororo) for the 6th time. The two wonderful women behind Little Africa Tour Company, Patti Hita and Susie Sleswick, bring six (6) women clients to our support community of Amor village every January. They directly impacted 283 children and adults while with us from January 5-7. Among the gifts the community received were 14 piglets for 14 households, basic household items, underwear, eyeglasses, pencils, candies and toys. Their continued collaboration with us gives the experience of true African lifestyles and natural community dwellings to people who have never been to this part of the world. The experiences are enriching, heartwarming and memorable for both sides. Over the last 13 years, PCEF has gained experience and expertise in hosting international/cross culture guests. ; We are well placed to host guests within Amor village guest house and our guests enjoy living within the village. We are open to hosting individuals or groups of people who would like to support our work, carry out research/internships or participate in community tourism.
Urgent needs at Portland Schools (Tororo) and Titan Schools (Jinja)
We have in the past posted needs and wish lists, but there are currently many unfulfilled needs that we must address urgently in both our support schools prior to the February 3rd opening date. .
Portland Schools needs renovations of the classroom floors, chalkboards/blackboards, kitchen, toilets,, wall fence, painting and artworks, as well as completion of the three room high school teacher housing. The budget for all these renovations is USD $12,586.
Titan Schools are urgently in need of furniture for learners of primary one to primary three, furniture for staff, compound renovations, an incinerator for elimination of plastics, and a school van. A budget of USD $14,511 is needed to cover all these costs.
We are kindly seeking your help and are hoping that with combined efforts and donations of any amount from each of you, we can cover these needs.
We appreciate you all very much, and encourage you to continue to walk with us on this journey through 2025 as we work to make the world a better place.