School back in session. Lighting urgently needed!

[Martin Becktell]

Dear friends,

Greetings from St. John Chrysostom School and Annunciation Church, Nakyaka, Uganda! May God bless you!

Donations from our “Giving Tuesday” campaign benefitted our secondary school with PAINT! Here it is BEFORE. Most of it had never been painted:

And AFTER:

Much more cheerful! Thank you so much for your support. Glory be to God!

Here’s how the primary gate is looking now:

Even outhouses were also painted. This is just the undercoat I believe:

Imagine 20 five gallon buckets of undercoat and 16 five gallon buckets of WeatherGuard paint. Thank you very much!

 This project would have been impossible without your donations!

Painting inside:

And we have been purchasing uniforms. I have advised Fr. Stephen to give uniforms to only those who have paid the tuition for the term. Also, only those students who have paid tuition will receive their grades. It’s important for parents to pay tuition so that they will be interested in and involved in their child’s education and so that the school has hope of becoming a self sustaining enterprise. The tuition is very small. I think Fr. Stephen said it is just 50,000 per child per term, which is about $15. That makes tuition $45 per year, per child.

And if a family cannot afford this tuition, we are willing to talk to them to understand their situation. Perhaps they can be connected with employment or enterprise. Also, all are welcome to worship with us in the church and help with projects around the school and farm.

At EcoMercy we are doing something different. We are inventing a different charity model for Africa. A recent conversation between Fr. Stephen and myself really illustrated the difference.

He said he had been meeting with parents:

And he asked whether some children could be fully "sponsored" to attend school. I confirmed that I believe that EcoMercy International should support specific needs, such as facilities, uniforms, agricultural projects and training, rather than sending undesignated regular subsidies. This makes Fr. Stephen’s administrative duties much more entrepreneurial and therefore more difficult humanly speaking, but what other path is there to build local support for the school and ministry? With God all things are possible. We must trust that God will provide trustworthy people to help us with the vision.

Then later he asked me to confirm what wording should go on the gated entry under the name of the school. At first I said “sponsored by” EcoMercy International, but he said, “Don’t you mean to say, in partnership with.” I immediately agreed. I’m really thankful for Fr. Stephen’s partnership in faith, in the gospel of Jesus Christ, and in practical stewardship.

Here, Maria Babingaisadha, one of the founders of the church in Nakyaka, comes for a service:

Fr. Stephen’s wife Elizabeth with her:

And here is snack time for one of the primary glasses:

Mark (Makarios) Lunagula has been helping a lot lately. And you already know Annah, who is holding Mark’s boy:

Again at primary:

 

Girls and boys trying on uniforms:

There are many struggles, please pray for our dean, Stephen Lunagula, and the teachers and students and pray also for me.

Current needs:

Fr. Stephen had to give up all the apartments for teachers, so there is no room for him and his wife and grandchildren at present and he is commuting from Nawango. Therefore we would like to transform the recently built utility building into living quarters. This requires 50 bags of cement at 36,000 each (about $550.) Using our Interlocking Stabilized Soil Bricks (ISSBs), no trees have to be cut down to fire the bricks!

Also the classrooms which are being used as dormitories do not have adequate light for studying. Fr. Stephen writes:

"Hello Martin. We having an acute problem of light. The students have increased. The number is encouraging. But parents haven't yet paid tuition. Some hesitating in case of another lockdown that may occur unexpectedly. The girls' dormitory has 27 students, and the boys' dormitory has 22 students.  The small solar panel we have can't serve both. When switched on they give deem light. And the security lights can't give enough light. Please. Having a new solar panel system would serve the purpose. This is very urgent.” Total cost: $400 including installation.

Finally we would like to plaster and paint the primary kitchen and purchasing stationary for both schools. About $800 and $200 respectively. 

Please make a one time donation today or set up a regular monthly donation at EcoMercy.org.

May God bless you!

Martin Becktell, director

EcoMercy International

ecomercy.org

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