What an amazing week! We have traveled around Kampala and north of the city to deliver kits and health education to over 900 girls. Between us, we have done 28 presentations to girls and boys from P4 to S6 (about 8 years to 21)! The team has done a super job delivering the information about hygiene, puberty, menstruation, unsafe touches, and the importance of staying in school. Andrew has also been presenting the same topics to the boys at the schools as it is important for them to learn about menstruation as well. I hope the team feels that they are making a difference. The students and teachers are very appreciative of the work they have done.

While I have not done so many presentations this week, I have had the opportunity to meet and talk with some amazing head teachers and administrators who have far reaching dreams and goals for their students and schools.

Madam Joyce at Nakifuma Primary School is teaching her students how to make charcoal briquettes using waste material so that the students can make them for home as well as sell them. Already some parents have told her that their children are coming home and making them which saves the family money in cooking fuel. She is in the process of constructing a new building to house an area for paving-stone making and eventually tailoring. She realizes that some of these students may not go further in their studies but they should have a skill so she wants to offer them some basic training. She also feels that the tailoring will allow someone to make the uniforms at the school so this will save the parents money. I was very inspired by her vision and am mulling over how ISEE could help her with her tailoring vision by providing sewing machines for the school.

Miss Rose at Bukoto Primary really wants to continue the education of her students in this subject and hopes that we can return each term to teach about puberty and hygiene to both the boys and the girls. Andrew and Anna will be looking at how they can make that work. Certainly some follow-up education would be great to support what they have learned from the presentation they received.

Mr Geoffrey at Alpha and Omega Primary and I had a long conversation about the importance of this type of education as parents do not answer these questions for the students and many of the students at his school live with grand-parents who have no answers to give. He then spoke about how much he would like to have me return to teach our presentation to the teachers as the teachers spend more time with the children than many parents do. I told him that I would be happy to present to the teachers as that makes it more sustainable as they can then share the information with their pupils in future years. He is going to see if he can arrange for teachers from other schools to come as well so that Andrew can present to the men and I can present to the women. We are looking at the 27th of July as the possible date as the students are not in class. Mr Geoffrey will confirm the number of teachers so that we can print enough manuals and then we will spend time teaching the teachers. I love that and would like to do more of it. I had thought I could maybe do it when the team is presenting but the classes are full of teachers listening or interpreting so doing it simultaneously is not really possible. This is something that I could foresee doing more when I come on my own and don’t have so many kits to distribute.

Over the course of the week, I have also had the opportunity to reconnect with many friends which is always incredible. This weekend we are off to meet some Mamas and learn more about their journey with their business. One more day of presentations on Monday and then safari, How quickly time passes.

I wish you all a wonderful Friday.

In friendship,

Erika