Quarterly Update: School Children Help Harvest Supper! 24 photos.

[EcoMercy International]

Dear Friends,

We would like to encourage you to give or continue to give to the needs of the poor! Many Christians try to give at least 10 percent of their income, a practice known as tithing. A good saying is that it is better to live on 90 percent of one’s income which is blessed than 100 percent, which is unblessed!

EcoMercy International is offered as a way to give with a practical, environmental focus, while remaining under the guidance of the Jesus the good shepherd, not giving through the "hired hand” (John 10:12). Learn more and donate at EcoMercy.org.

This past quarter we have continued building and planting and meeting occasional emergency needs of the St. John Chrysostom School staff. School Dean, Stephen Lunagula, reported that school began on September 5th. 113 pupils were in attendance in the primary section and 69 at secondary. Those numbers tend to increase as the term goes on.

Soon Fr. Stephen will be moving into the newly constructed living quarters at the school with his family, where he will be better able to guide the instruction and agricultural projects. Please see our 24 photos below for more news:

Below: Teacher, Alex Kiwanuka, Cook Ms. Jane, and pupils collect potatoes for supper. This is what EcoMercy is all about, helping the school become as self sufficient as possible through agricultural projects. Please pray that more individuals would volunteer to help with these projects. (It should be noted that this crop is a common Ugandan crop and not something that we as an organization or our permaculture partners have taught, but it is nevertheless an effective project we wish to facilitate for the benefit of the school.)

 

Tonight’s supper!

 

"Children are indeed a heritage from the LORD, and the fruit of the womb is His reward.” Psalm 127:3

 

Below: The primary school teacher's living quarters are finally receiving a coat of plaster:

 

One of the workers uses a string line to build an improved foundation for the same building:

 

Below: The primary school teacher’s quarters with the primary school in the background:

 

Below: Workers improving the foundation. See the primary school kitchen in the background, one of the buildings built through your support.

  

The first coat of primer paint is added:

 

Again, the first coat of primer paint being added:

 

Below: Here we see the location chosen for the new latrine / bathing house, which will be for secondary teachers and the Lunagula family. In the background is the secondary school. The two buildings on the right were built through your support, the secondary teacher’s quarters and secondary kitchen.

 

Beginning to dig. The latrine was dug to a depth of 35 feet. You may have seen the video I posted of it on Facebook. Digging these latrines is one of the more dangerous jobs in Africa.

  

The latrine is constructed using mostly interlocking, stabilized soil bricks (ISSBs). Some other bricks which happened to be available were also used for part of the structure.

 

Trusses ready:

  

The white building on the right below is the living quarters for Fr. Stephen and Elizabeth Lunagula and the grandchildren whom they take care of on the campus:

 

Cutting facia boards:

 

Installing facia boards:

 

And here are the doors for the latrine waiting to be painted after the rain stops. Workers were frequently disturbed by rains. The second dry season starts about now and lasts through February or so.

 

One of the needs we have is for strong materials to keep pigs penned up. Expect this in a fundraiser in the future.

 

Father Stephen with his grandson, Ephraim, who is Markarios Lunagula’s boy:

 

We were saddened recently when it seemed that Maria Babingaisadha (who with her late husband was a founder of the mission) had died or perhaps she did die. But, glory be to God, she recovered. Maria has born a great number of children, most of whom sadly have passed on before her.

 

Below: Maria with catechist, Samuel Kirunda, who leads services in Nawango village when Fr. Stephen is at St. John Chrysostom School in Nakyaka:

  

Below: Fr. Stephen writes: “Two friends collecting Konzikonz grass to make brooms. They do it lovingly."

  

Below: Jackline Kyaabwe the nursery school teacher leads the children in a song. The building behind with the shaded porch was finished through your support.

  

You can see some of the students are wearing uniforms with the patches we designed and funded. How to get all the students in uniform is an ongoing discussion.

  

We are now building a water tank for the dean’s living quarters, which is fully funded. I hope to provide photos of the progress soon.

Current needs:

• The small passenger van belonging to our school dean, Stephen Lunagula, has had many problems. I know because I’ve seen many photos of it being repaired over the last 5 years since I met Fr. Stephen. For one thing the frame is so rusted that dust comes into the cabin area. Most vehicles which reach Uganda already have higher miles and this one has driven for years on the bumpy unpaved roads of the Busoga Region. A decent new one will cost about 4000-5000 US dollars.

• Permaculture training: I would like to hire the director of the Permaculture Research Institute of Uganda to come give a training session at St. John Chrysostom School and if possible I would like to attend this training myself. No firm cost on this yet.

• Farm animals: We’ve been trying to get to the point where we can keep animals for the benefit of the school. Fr. Stephen has proposed the following budget for the purchase of two pregnant dairy cows, one bull, and two goats (pregnant). The cost is about $3300. There may also be a need for further fencing materials. I’ll keep you updated.

I’m very proud of how Fr. Stephen is requesting and using the funds provided. Emergency needs are low. It’s hard to imagine a more impactful way to help children in rural Africa than through Fr. Stephen Lunagula and St. John Chrysostom School. If you become a sustaining monthly donor at EcoMercy.org or Facebook.com/ecomercy.org, I will provide our expense reports which show you line item by line item exactly how the money is spent. Please set up a recurring donation today!

Please also pray that God would soften hearts and minds so that teachers, parents, and students would give their labors as unto the Lord.

Thank you for your prayers and support,

A blessed day to you,

Martin Becktell

Director, EcoMercy International

541-698-6832