Today the plan is to spend the day at Soroti Centre, a gathering of Children.
We arrive at the centre and there are already children are gathering. Three sponsored children are also waiting: Gilbert, Mercy and Pampass. Cath and I meet with Gilbert, his sister & guardian and then Mercy and her mother Anna Rose as we represent their sponsors and have gifts for them. Sue meets with Pampass. These meetings are very emotional and worthwhile.
At mid-morning I head to Soroti Town with Michael to buy the equipment that they will need to harvest the honey from the beehives, they also need better personal protection, so we must get wellingtons. This shopping trip is very successful and we return on the motor bike with buckets, wellingtons and rubber gloves.
When we get back Cath and I give a very quick ‘Honey Harvesting’ training course to Michael, Sam and David. They quickly understand what they will need to do, we also agree that they should contact Stephen, a local beekeeper, and get him to come and help them with the harvest.
Gertrude has a stock of items for sale, these have all been beautifully made by the girls. We set about them with gusto and soon we have purchased lots of them, everybody is happy. Gertrude can use the money to put back into the training.
By now about 100 children have gathered, some are playing football, others are singing and dancing, others are playing with craft materials. They are all having a great time, laughing and smiling. The afternoon flies by and all too soon it is over.
The children leave the site and we head back to the Guest House to freshen up before coming back to the centre for a ‘farewell’ team meal.
Ann and the team have put on a wonderful buffet meal for us all. We sit outside, in the warm air with not too many flying insects around to bother us. David’s wife, Mary and his son Michael Timothy have also come to the centre to meet us. They give Cath a lovely, traditional African dress as a gift.
We have a lovely meal, chat and exchange gifts. The staff at the centre have worked extremely hard to ensure our visit if a success and that we are well looked after. By the time we come to say Goodbye it is dark and the sky is filled with stars.
We say Goodbye to our friends, an emotional affair, get on the bus and will some last waves head back to the guest house. The day has been a wonderful experience and we are in high spirits.
Most of us will be travelling home with suitcases that are nearly empty have left most of our clothes behind to help the people at Soroti or to leave with Gertrude when we meet her again in Kampala tomorrow.
We pack our bags and get to bed. The plan is to meet for breakfast at 5am and be on the road to Kampala by 6am. The building team are already there, having travelled safely from Rukinigiri, we are looking forward to seeing them again.
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