THE ENCOURAGEMENT IN A LITTLE SMILE OR ACT, SAY A PAT ON THE BACK;

Whether you realize it or not, many people with whom you come in contact everyday are in desperate need of a smile or an encouraging word or act (including you and I). The world can be a very difficult place, and countless friends and family members may be troubled by the challenges of their everyday life. Since we don’t always know who needs our help, the best strategy is to try to encourage all the people who cross our path. So today after reading this, be a world-class source of encouragement to everyone you meet. Never has the need been greater than now.

Any lesson from the dogs? That is why dogs make such a hit. They are so glad to see us that they almost jump out of their skins just to feel us by their side and to feel our love as well, and so naturally we are glad to see them too. Of course this only happens to those who love dogs like me.


THE DOGS WANT TO FEEL LOVED AND CARED FOR
What about a little baby’s smile? This has the best effect on us in cheering us up.
Have you ever been in a taxi (Commuter Bus) and it feels like there is no one in it at all? Everybody is so absorbed in thinking about their different problems and challenges and how to overcome them, including you. No one is talking to any one, and all are thinking of dozen things.
Then as luck will always have it, in the middle seat is a woman, seated next to a man with her 7 months old baby girl.The baby seems unrestrainedly interested in playing with the man who is so impatient about the Taxi making so many stop overs to call for more passengers.

As he is about to scowl at the conductor for wasting a lot of time, the baby just looks straight in his eyes with a great, bright smile that is so characteristics of babies. What does he do? Just what you and I would do, not only smile back at the baby but hold her little hand as well as if to say you just smiled at the right time. Soon a conversation starts between the mother and the gentleman about the baby, other children, what she does and so forth. And soon the whole Taxi joins the conversation, a neighbor with another neighbor, and the boredom and tension is converted into a pleasant and enjoyable journey.

Just like this little child, your smile brightens the lives of all who see it. To someone who has seen a dozen people faun, scowl and turn their faces away, your smile is like the sun breaking through the clouds. Especially when that someone is under pressure from his business, his customers, his bosses, his teachers, his parents or children. A genuine smile can help him realize that all is not hopeless- That there is joy in the world. This is what the children at Rock of Ages Center for Hope (ROACH) are looking for.
http://beta.razoo.com/causes/rock_of_ages_center_for_hope

http://www.ned.com/group/lia-global/ws/rock_of_ages_small_grants_application/


HER NAME IS HOPE-ONE OF LUCY'S DAUGHTERS-A SHYLY BRIGHT SMILE FOR YOU
“We can never untangle all the woes in other people’s lives. We can’t produce miracles overnight. But we can bring a cup of cool water to a thirsty soul, or a scoop of laughter to a lonely heart” Barbara Johnson.

WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN A CHILD ASKS YOU A DIFFICULT QUESTION (S)?

Between 1998 and 2001 I spent a lot of my school holidays with my aunty (RIP) who was then living here in Kampala. My little cousin then, Marion (Not real name) was so fond of me and I loved her very much. We would go to church together and I would accompany her to her Sunday school classes every sunday. We would also visit children’s recreation centers and play all sorts of games that we could. She liked train ride. We shared a lot of stories in the evenings as we would most times sit outside the veranda instead of watching TV.

Unfortunately both Marion’s parents died of HIV/AIDS in 2001, the Dad first in September then the Mum in December leaving her under the care of her grand mother. During my college holidays I still made sure I visited her and even spent some nights together so that we would continue with our stories. We would on several occasssions sit outside and start counting the stars as we told our stories and giggled and laughed with each other. It was such a pleasure to be with Marion always, she was such a bright little and interesting girl. In 2002 she was 9 years old. I remember one of the evenings in January before I went back to college when she engaged me in this discussion;

“Aunty Lucy! That is the way she used to refer to me. How does heaven look like?”

“It is very beautiful and there are many good things there more than where we have been. Everybody is happy in heaven because they are with God” I replied smiling.

“Do you think heaven is as beautiful as Diddies world (One of the children’s recreation Centers in Kampala)?”

“Well, I don’t know whether heaven looks like Diddies World, but I know that in heaven you are much happier than you are here, Can you Imagine?” I asked

“How many times happy? Ten Times?” She insisted inquisitively. “No. More than that” I replied. “Hundred Times?” I shook my head, still smiling. “A thousand times?” she asked. Then I asked her “What is the largest number in the whole world that you know?

She looked at me and told me “It’s a million aunty!”
“In heaven, you are happier than a million times” I replied.

Wow! She was amazed. “Aunty! Do you think that mummy and daddy are in heaven?”
“Yes Marion. I am sure they are very happy in heaven. More than a million times happy”

“But why did they have to die! Why did God take them away?” She desperately asked.

“You see Marion, God loves all people and sometimes He decides to call some people to Him. I don’t know why He calls some people and leave others. I think it is because He wants those who remain behind also to be happy. Now we are happy, you and I together, right?” I said as I held her close to my heart.

She nodded. Then I continued, “And you know what? You can still talk to your mummy and daddy even though they are in heaven, ok? Just like you talk to God. You don’t have to be lonely, just talk to them and they will hear you. I know you miss them so much”

She nodded and even held me tighter. “Thank you Aunty! Will I stay with you when you finish you studies and get a job?”

“Yes Marion. You and I will always be together and go to beautiful places again and to the most beautiful place in the world when God gives me money, ok?” I said.

Unfortunately my little friend didn’t live to see her dreams as she died 4 months after our discussion, before I could even complete my college. She too had the disease. Now I miss her a lot because I know that we would be sharing ideas on other children together but I believe she hears me too, just like I told her.

TRUE STORY WITH ONLY A FEW THINGS COVERED

ROACH PROJECT SUSTAINABILITY PLAN

The sustainability of a project or venture is the most important aspect of it. We the members of ROACH have thought of a few ventures that we think can help sustain this project, the immediate one being the farm project which is also expected to grow in size. However all these will depend on the availability of funds.

The core objective in starting this agricultural venture is to help the organization with feeding of the children and where possible sell some part of the products to raise funds for taking care of other activities. For now, we plan to begin majorly with Maize and Beans, and later go into other food crops like; Soya beans, and cassava. We have a plan to engage in large farming in future when we get fund to acquire more land, still in Gulu. This is also an effort by the members to avert famine since the area has good fertile land to farm on, and this project is actually within the agricultural produce sector which kind of activity is very much encouraged by the government, since the government wants a self sustained economy.

Please feel most welcome to share your ideas on how best we can do this together. We would like you to be part of us. What is your view?

You can visit this page for more information on the project;http://www.ned.com/group/lia-global/ws/rock_of_ages_small_grants_application/
and join our discussion here; http://www.ned.com/group/lia-global/news/22/ and also http://beta.razoo.com/causes/rock_of_ages_center_for_hope
Pictures later,having problem with uploading right now.

ROCK OF AGES CENTER FOR HOPE

Background

Rock of Ages is a Project registered with the Kampala City Council under a community-based organization (CBO) named “Rock of Ages Center for Hope” with its founder members as; Ms Lucy Lamunu (The Administrator/Center Coordinator), Mr. Gerard Oballim (Agriculturalist/Member), Ms Lilly Laboke Aketo (Member), Ms Susan Apio (Social Worker/Member),and Mr. Robert Olweny (Member)and Mr. David Otonga ( Teacher/Member)

Looking at the plight of the children of Northern Uganda, which has been affected by an over two decades civil war, we the members of Rock of Ages Center for Hope came up to support the project which was already started by Ms Lucy Lamunu on a personal ground and decided to set up a formal orphans’ home with the intension of giving these unfortunate children another chance to live a meaningful and hopeful life.

The Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) insurgency in northern Uganda, one of Africa’s longest running stretching over two decades, has had devastating effects on the livelihoods of people in the region. Economic activities have been reduced to a bare minimum and other development programs in education and health severely hampered. In the middle of all these are the children whose lives have been severely disrupted and future rendered uncertain. For many years, the insurgents had abducted these children, turned them into child soldiers or sex slaves or forced them into a life of servitude.
Those returning from the bush had been traumatized and gruesomely brainwashed. Many more have lost parents or guardians directly or indirectly due to the war and remain without caregivers. A number of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have come in to try and solve some of the most imminent problems like food and water scarcity and poor education, for example, World Vision International, Save the Children, Gulu Support Children Organization-GUSCO in Gulu, Child Care International in Kitgum, some of which have focused on children. However, there are thousands of returnee, orphans and abandoned children, not all of which can be absorbed into these centers or programs. Furthermore, majority of the support has been through the family/household setting implying that children with improper or no family linkages could easily miss out. This is where the concern of the founder members are.

We intend to bring up the children (Orphans of war and other vulnerable children) whose numbers increase daily because of being exposed to the war and other natural calamities and even those who are just a result of the cruelty of this world; This project therefore intends to work alongside other organizations already concerting efforts, and individuals to help in rehabilitating these neglected children who have been relocated to their new home (The Center) where they can experience a lovely home, enjoy the experience of childhood, attain the basic needs of life like shelter, accommodation, education, parental guidance and love, sports and culture and to give them hope for the future.

PROJECT GOAL;

To rehabilitate the children of Northern Uganda in order to transform their thinking and actions and inspire them to facilitate future development in the region.

How it all began!

In the middle of every societal conflicts and tragedies are always the children, whose future is affected and seriously jeopardized. Take the case of Northern Uganda where the children have been abducted and turned into child soldiers or sex slaves and forced into a life of servitude by the rebels; those returning from the bush have been traumatized and gruesomely brainwashed; thousands have lost parents or guardians directly or indirectly due to the war and remain without caregivers. Other than the war,in many parts of the world several children are abandoned and their lives left at the mercy of good Samaritans. Child sacrifice which destroys the Rights of children to life has become a rampant practice. These are just a few cases of the plights of these innocent souls. Definitely a child faced with any of such situations feels hopeless,unloved,unprotected, uncared for,bitter and above all lacks the basic needs of life, namely: food, shelter, clothing and health care.

It is against this background and some deeply moving personal stories told by some children particularly those from war affected Northern Uganda Region and those who lost their parents in the HIV/AIDS epidemics, that I feel these children should be afforded better living conditions in life to restore hope for their future and the future of the community as a whole. In this blog we shall be discussing how best you and I can work together to rehabilitate these traumatized and neglected children; by giving them love, hope,care,security and where possible provide for their basic needs as mentioned above.Needless to mention however is the fact that the targeted children in this blog are those from Northern Uganda where many of them have never known what it is like to live in a decent home, having been born in the IDPs ( Internally Displaced Camps).

This however does not restrict us from recognizing and sharing views about other children from other parts of the world affected by other plights. Please feel free to share your love, experiences, suggestions,comments,complaints and any helpful issue towards the children.
You are Most welcome!