Hello and a special warm welcome to all our new readers,
On behalf of the villagers in Ruhanga we would like to thank you for all the donations that have recently been received by our charity, which are enabling us to:
a) Continue building the massive 91ft x 45ft Scouts/School hall that Daviot & Old Meldrum Explorer Scouts in Scotland have been fundraising for and helping to build all this year. Special thanks to Viktoria, the Scott Bader Trust and others for their additional contributions to this great resource for our school.
b) Purchase a Thermal Printer (Thankyou Fiona) so we can more fully utilise the Ultrasound Scan Machine in our Medical Centre donated by Dr Amna some months ago.
c) Purchase 2 new sewing machines and make reusable pads for girls plus school uniforms in our tailoring section
d) Start thinking about completing the Training Restaurant that was started sometime ago. This was given a massive boost by our dear friend Suresh who is unfortunately no longer with us. Thanks Karen for taking this up again.
e) Take our P7 Students on a very important School Study Trip – see more info below
RUHANGA DEVELOPMENT SCHOOL The students at our school have returned to begin the last term of the school year and are now working hard towards their exams. In Uganda we tend to get 7 and 10 year olds or 13 and 18 year olds in the same class because they have to pass the previous End of Year Exams before they can move up to the next class. Frequently they fail due to missed time at school for a multitude of different reasons. This is especially true for those children coming from the poorest families. The yearly school trip for P7 (see above) helps them to pass their Primary Leaving Exam with a good grade and we have found that during those two days they experience more than they do in a month in the classroom. We still need some more money donated to properly fund this trip as we have over 50 students so it’s much appreciated if you can help https://mydonate.bt.com/fundraisers/study-trip
UGANDA MARATHON The 5th Uganda Marathon (A Race Like No Other) is being held again in Masaka on 2nd June 2019 and I have been offered special rates for our volunteers. By registering through myself, all the fundraising that our runners undertake would be for our own project. This money could go towards completing our Training Restaurant. A potential participant would have the experience of joining hundreds of others in Africa to run either a full or half marathon or a less energetic 10 kms, spend two weeks in Ugandawith full board, help at our school or on other community projects, and join a 3 day safari. The total cost including the safari, race fees & airport transfers is just £695.Including flights from London this is well under £1,100 to run in a magnificent race in Africa. Are you Interested?
See www.ugandamarathon.co.ug Do you belong to a running or other sports club and would you be willing to promote this amongst others who may like to come out and support us? Maybe make a group up? Can you design a poster, and put it up on sports clubs and uni walls. We would love someone to offer to research and send out an email out to other suitable establishments. Same for Medical Electives – I have the ideas but cannot do all the advertising and promotional admin single-handed.
EASY FUNDRAISING We have now received over £600 from supporters simply clicking the link below each time they buy anything online so please will you join in… it doesn’t cost you anything but benefits our children in Ruhanga. You can even download a reminder Buddy so you don’t forget. Click here for the link to join now, and our charity receives an extra £5 when you make your first order.
YOUR SCHOOL LOTTERY Do you spend £1 a week or more in your local shop buying lottery tickets? If so please instead consider joining OUR SCHOOL LOTTERY For just £1 per week someone within our school community will win a guaranteed weekly prize. The more people that participate, the bigger this guaranteed prize becomes and the more money raised for our school. 40% of your stake is returned to the charity & so far over £400 has been added to our school funds. On top of this, you will also be entered into a separate draw with a chance to match 6 numbers and win an amazing £25,000 EVERY WEEK! Join now and you may also win a £50 Virgin Voucher. www.yourschoollottery.co.uk/lottery/school/ruhangadevelopmentschool
McNEIL MEDICAL CENTRE Despite losing the funding from ASE Consulting to run our village Medical Centre earlier this year we have been able to keep it open, albeit with a reduced service. By asking for a small extra fee each term from the 500+ children at our school we manage to give them all a free early diagnosis and initial treatment when they are feeling sick. Frequently it’s simply a headache or common cold, but it could be malaria or typhoid and the early administration of the correct remedy means most get better within a couple of days or so. If we simply sent them home many parents play a ‘ wait and see’ game and then the child often ends up in hospital on a drip with a far more serious illness. Other villagers from nearby make use of the centre especially on the regular ‘Baby Days’ We were kindly donated a Combison 401 ultrasound machine by one of our past volunteers, and finally this week, thanks to fundraising by Fiona, Denis has travelled to Kampala with one of our staff to purchase a brand new latest model Thermal Printer.
SCHOOL-SCOUTS NEW HALL This started life by being opened up for a parents day at the end of last term and there were several hundred parents seated, but still lots of space. Then the beginning of term exams were held in there allowing all the students the space to spread out and avoid cheating. At this time of year it tends to rain in the afternoons so during the late afternoon break students can go into the hall rather than be confined to their classrooms. Over the coming weeks we hope to get glass in the windows and make a start on a veranda around the outside, which will help protect the foundations from being flooded in the wettest months. If you would like to make any further donations towards continuing with the build please go to https://mydonate.bt.com/charities/ugandalodgecommunityprojects (and add Scouts Hall when you donate)
SCHOOL UPDATES In Uganda many children change schools frequently but 500 have already returned from last term with only about 50 missing. This is pretty good as some children don’t come back for 2 or 3 weeks after term has started, plus we have 19 new ones. The little ones are getting their regular protein enhanced porridge each morning – thanks to Eva.
CHILD SPONSORSHIP A note to clarify our Sponsorship or Support Scheme. All the donations go into the school fund and are used to benefit all the children equally, regardless of whether they have a sponsors name against them or not … see www.sponsorachild.co.uk . All of your money goes out to Uganda is used towards the general school running expenses, free breakfasts, subsidised boarding, maintenance and new build.We want to ensure that no child gets preferential treatment and all have the same opportunity for a good education. Like the children, sponsors come and go, so we always need more new people willing to donate £5 a month for a child. New sponsors receive an emailed certificate with a photo of their child. Many of our long term supporters have raised their contributions from our initial £3.50 to £5 per month to help us cover rising costs. Thank you. For many of you who have been with us some years your child may now be in their final school year or may have moved on. We are gradually allocating you a newer child and in time will let you know the new number and send you a new certificate. Please bear with us as this is a big ongoing admin task and we never seem to have enough time or admin help. We welcome feedback from you, and my colleague Jan will answer and update individual emails, but without any paid employees in the UK we cannot keep changing all the children over every time one leaves for a term then returns.
Currently there are dozens of new children and £60 a year towards educating an African Child makes a good Christmas or Birthday present for a child in the west who already has too many toys or a Grandparent or Aunt who really doesn’t need any more clothes etc. You can print and laminate the certificate and it really is ‘something different’
VOLUNTEERING Even volunteers staying with us for just two weeks all ‘Make a Difference’ and you would not believe how many times I am asked ‘When is xxx coming back again?’ You are all remembered by our adorable children and whether you read a story, build or paint a classroom, make masks or bracelets, play football, or help with registration, marking exams & extra lessons…. well we really do need more of you. Can you please make a poster (email me a copy please) and put it up on your Uni or Office wall or promote it amongst your friends?
VIDEOS Did you make a video of your trip? If you email it to me ‘What Charity’ is offering to put them on its website together with some info about our volunteer centre which will be good free advertising. I have seen a few on facebook & youtube so if anyone doesn’t want theirs shown any further please tell me.
HOLIDAYS IN UGANDA Just like the Child Sponsorship, so many people in UK & the west have never thought about ‘A Holiday with a Difference’ and if they have they certainly don’t realise that they can spend a couple of weeks in rural Uganda, enjoy a 3-day safari and have £1,000 fully cover their flights meals accommodation and the safari. When I ask them – most people are guessing around £3,000 – £5,000. Same for youngsters wanting to volunteer – many think a month will cost at least a couple of thousand pounds. Not with us…ok its budget accommodation but its comfortable (with HOT showers & Western FLUSHToilets) and all the profits are put back into helping the community, with no paid middle-man.
You are most welcome to join me out there either now til early Dec or Feb/March & May/June 2019 Denis is waiting to receive you if I am not out in Uganda – so what are you waiting for?
Continue building the massive 91ft x 45ft Scouts/School hall that Daviot & Old Meldrum Explorer Scouts in Scotland have been fundraising for and helping to build all this year. Special thanks to Viktoria, the Scott Bader Trust and others for their additional contributions to this great resource for our school. 
Purchase a Thermal Printer (Thankyou Fiona) so we can more fully utilise the Ultrasound Scan Machine in our Medical Centre donated by Dr Amna some months ago.
Purchase 2 new sewing machines and make reusable pads for girls plus school uniforms in our tailoring section
Start thinking about completing the Training Restaurant that was started sometime ago. This was given a massive boost by our dear friend Suresh who is unfortunately no longer with us. Thanks Karen for taking this up again.
The students at our 
of the school year and are now working hard towards their exams. In Uganda we tend to get 7 and 10 year olds or 13 and 18 year olds in the same class because they have to pass the previous End of Year Exams before they can move up to the next class. Frequently they fail due to missed time at school for a multitude of different reasons. This is especially true for those children coming from the poorest families. The yearly school trip for P7 (see above) helps them to pass their Primary Leaving Exam with a good grade and we have found that during those two days they experience more than they do in a month in the classroom. We still need some more money donated to properly fund this trip as we have over 50 students so it’s much appreciated if you can help 
By registering through myself, all the fundraising that our runners undertake would be for our own project. This money could go towards completing our Training Restaurant. A potential participant would have the experience of joining hundreds of others in Africa to run either a full or half marathon or a less energetic 10 kms, spend 
See 
Do you spend £1 a week or more in your local shop buying lottery tickets? If so please instead consider joining 
McNEIL MEDICAL CENTRE
Frequently it’s simply a headache or common cold, but it could be malaria or typhoid and the early administration of the correct remedy means most get better within a couple of days or so. 
If we simply sent them home many parents play a ‘ wait and see’ game and then the child often ends up in hospital on a drip with a far more serious illness. Other villagers from nearby make use of the centre especially on the regular ‘Baby Days’ 
We were kindly donated a Combison 401 ultrasound machine by one of our past volunteers, and finally this week, thanks to fundraising by Fiona, Denis has travelled to Kampala with one of our staff to purchase a brand new latest model Thermal Printer. 
SCHOOL-SCOUTS NEW HALL
At this time of year it tends to rain in the afternoons so during the late afternoon break students can go into the hall rather than be confined to their classrooms. Over the coming weeks we hope to get glass in the windows and make a start on a veranda around the outside, which will help protect the foundations from being flooded in the wettest months. If you would like to make any further donations towards continuing with the build please go to 
In Uganda many children change schools frequently but 500 have already returned from last term with only about 50 missing. 
This is pretty good as some children don’t come back for 2 or 3 weeks after term has started, plus we have 19 new ones. The little ones are getting their regular protein enhanced porridge each morning – thanks to Eva.
New sponsors receive an emailed certificate with a photo of their child. Many of our long term supporters have raised their contributions from our initial £3.50 to £5 per month to help us cover rising costs. Thank you. For many of you who have been with us some years your child may now be in their final school year or may have moved on. We are gradually allocating you a newer child and in time will let you know the new number and send you a new certificate. Please bear with us as this is a big ongoing admin task and we never seem to have enough time or admin help. 
We welcome feedback from you, and my colleague Jan will answer and update individual emails, but without any paid employees in the UK we cannot keep changing all the children over every time one leaves for a term then returns.
HOLIDAYS IN UGANDA
When I ask them – most people are guessing around £3,000 – £5,000. Same for youngsters wanting to volunteer – many think a month will cost at least a couple of thousand pounds. 
Not with us…ok its budget accommodation but its comfortable (with HOT showers & Western FLUSHToilets) and all the profits are put back into helping the community, with no paid middle-man.
