The Latest News
HEED Uganda


June 2014
Celebrate What We Are Accomplishing Together

As I attempt to convey how HEED is impacting the village and children via this newsletter, my heart overflows with gratitude for the many people who have equipped us to do the work. 

Thank you, thank you, thank you to all of you who have:
  • Prayed for us
  • Partnered in our work financially
  • Invited us to share and speak to your groups
  • Given of your time, talent and expertise 
  • Donated items to take to Uganda
  • Shared about HEED with friends and family
  • Encouraged and cheered us on
  • Donated items for our garage sales (My back still hurts from those!)
  • Traveled to Uganda with us to experience HEED first-hand
The news below is a credit to our combined efforts to put love into action. 
 
I hope it encourages you!
A(nother) BIG step!
A Village High School



Registration is OPEN!
In the area we serve, the nearest high school is over 20 kilometers away. This meant that graduates from our primary school had to go to boarding school outside of the village to continue their education- a luxury few can afford. Our new high school is the only high school in the sub county, and will serve a population base of 250,000 people. No longer will children have to leave Myaliiro and Kyakitanga to reach for their potential.

The catalyst for the high school began when our village Primary School graduated its first class of students last November. Their national exam results were exemplary, but few could continue on in school. Seeing the need, and motivated by the strong academic results of the recent primary graduates, a high school start-up was birthed from a small team within the village. They initiated this project and funded it almost entirely from Pastor Julius' limited personal resources. He drained his bank account and even borrowed against his future corn crop to fund the high school to the best of his ability.

With this grass-roots start, and after much prayer and consideration, we have decided to enfold the village start-up high school into the programs of HEED. It will become a combination academic high school and vocational training center which we hope will help bring sustainable change to the surrounding communities.

In addition to the required rigorous academic classes, we will offer tailoring, computer training, permaculture farming, carpentry, and craft making. As funds and classroom construction allows, we will add on additional subjects and even make training available to adults in the village who would like to develop marketable skills.
The temporary high school building- it's a humble beginning, but it's a start!
Homecoming for Full Care Sponsorship Kids
13 of 22 are now attending HEED schools in their home village

During the planning process for the high school, we realized that it was time for some of the Full Care Sponsorship children to attend our own village schools. They are the original children that HEED began helping in 2005 before the village schools were even a dream, and they had been attending boarding schools in the Kampala area. Now that we can offer quality education through our own schools, we are integrating the Full Care Program and the Village School Program. The two arms of the ministry are becoming one! 

The Full Care Sponsorship kids have had their world broadened by schooling in Kampala, and now they can be part of pulling the village up to a higher level.

 
Our 22 Full Care Sponsorship kids- the first "HEED Kids." 
Thank you, Shoreline Rotary!
An $86,000 Grant for water, solar and education projects

Much needed
New Desks
No more collecting water from the swamp!
A football field sized water reservoir  was dug and is filling!
A 100,000 liter water harvesting cistern collects rainwater
 from our roofs
An international grant coordinated by the Shoreline Breakfast Rotary club and the Mityana Rotary Club provided funds for a roof water harvesting cistern; a large water reservoir; bio-sand water purification filters; solar power for lights, computers and a pump for our well; 90 desks; cement flooring for 6 classrooms; a latrine with an emptiable tank; and sanitation training for our primary school students, parents and staff. 
 
THANK YOU, ROTARY!
 Poultry Project
 A step toward self-sustenance


200 chicks will soon be laying eggs!
In February, Chris Peterson joined a group of Ugandans to build a chicken coop which can house up to 500 laying hens. We started with 200 chicks, and at 6 months of age, they should begin to lay eggs. The eggs will sell for about 15 cents each. It's our first official business venture. A trained veterinarian is overseeing their care and involving our high school students so they can learn about chicken farming, too.  This project was funded from general donations. Thank you!!!
 
Thank You for the Milk Money!
Milk cows and goats for needed protein

Their milk is added to the porridge each day
Goats reproduce quickly &
 are a favorite meat

We now have Bob the billy goat and Leche the cow...

 Two women spent last summer in the village doing research and community service projects related to nutrition and health. They suggested that adding milk to the children's diet was the single biggest nutritional improvement we could make Thank you to the many people who helped us fund the purchase of our first three cows and 10 goats to get us started! Not only is this an improvement in nutrition, but the animals will provide vocational training opportunities for our new high school students.   

 
What is Next?
Continuing to move forward in faith!

We know that the high school is the next step for the ministry, but we have another long road ahead of us. The high school classes are held in temporary structures on borrowed land just like the primary school was when it began. A good parcel of land near the primary school is for sale. The plot adjoins our well, and would provide needed land for farming, grazing our goats and cows and for a future high school campus. We would also like to expand the vocational courses we are able to offer, and hire a school nurse who would care for children's medical needs at both schools. We know that in God's time, He will provide for the many needs as he has so faithfully done in the past.

 

15 acres we hope
to be able to purchase. 		For their future!

 


Julie Secrist
President 
 
HEED Uganda
555 Walnut #6
Edmonds, WA 98020 

www.heeduganda.org
Julie@heeduganda.org
 

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