The Goshem Center is a local church run in the village of Kuffu. It runs various different programmes, including a school, a 'catch-up class' for young girls who have had to leave education, a children's play area, and also various projects that support the local community.
Kids Teaching
On the Monday to the Friday we ran the kids club from about 10am until about 2pm depending on how long the lessons took. Each day we would start thethe club with about 30mins of singing. This was good fun, the kids enthusiastically joining in the songs and dances. One day I even helped play the Ngoma (African drums) which was good fun.
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| Some pictures of the songs |
After the singing we would split the kids in to 2 classes, one for mid primary upwards, and one for the younger children. I was teaching the older class along with Ruth and Brian. Each day we taught them a parable which Jesus had told. We taught them about, The Great Feast (Luke 12), The Lost Sheep (Luke 15), The Lost Son (also Luke 15), The Two builders (Matthew 7), and The Hidden Treasure (Matthew 13). We tried to tell the story in a way which the Children will always remember. This was achieved by doing various activities, such as acting out the story, teaching them memory verses, and playing a game related to the story. For example, when we taught about the Hidden Treasure, we set up a Treasure Hunt!
My highlight of the teaching was the Thursday when we taught the story of the 2 builders. We made this story unique by getting the kids to build their own houses. We split the class in to 2 groups, one group building on sand, and the other building on hard ground! After they had finished their respective 'houses' we then poured water ("rain") on the 2 structures. Thankfully the house on the sand fell down, whilst the house on the rock stood firm! This was a really good way to teach them and get them actively involved, whilst reinforcing the meaning of the story!
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| The house on the sand |
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| The house on the rock |
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| The house on the sand fell flat |
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| The house on the rock stood firm! |
On the Friday afternoon after playing games and giving the kids porridge, we had a general assembly and tested the kids on what they had learned throughout the week. The kids were able to tell us all about the stories they had been taught (in to great detail as well, which was great!) so it was good to know they had taken the lessons in. We then had a prize giving, rewarding the kids that had done exceptionally well and been very active in answering questions during class etc. We also gave the rest of the kids smaller gifts for coming along and getting involved! I really enjoyed working with the kids and it was quite sad to leave them on the Sunday even though we'd only been there a week.
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| Each day we gave the kids porridge |
Films & Outreach
Each evening we showed a translated Christian film and gave a short talk to the people who attended. Translated films are pretty much a film in which the original soundtrack has been edited by someone who speaks over the top, translating the dialog into Luganda. This was a good way to invite people from the local community and share the Christian gospel in a unique way, the films were very well attended throughout the week.
On the Saturday we spent time reaching out to the community. We offered fumigation of local peoples homes, as well as spending sometime speaking and praying with them. This was a good experience, allowing us to meet the people who lived there, as well as getting to see the surrounding area and how people live. It was quite a humbling experience, seeing first hand inside peoples homes. What really struck me was how little possessions people had, some owning not much more than a mattress. They also must collect water from a local pump, and cook on a fire or charcoal stove. A far cry from back home!
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| Innocent ready to fumigate! |
During our stay there we had an experience of 'village life.' We were camping in tents, ending in quite a sore back after 7 nights on the hard ground! We also had to collect water from the pump, to eat, drink, and wash. Needing to boil the water, to ensure it was safe to drink, using a charcoal stove to cook, as well as using a basin and cup to wash! It was a very interesting experience, and it was an opportunity to see the various challenged people face living in more rural areas. On the Sunday got to experience the church , which was very long, and very noisy!!
Despite it being a challenging and very tiring trip, we all really enjoyed our time in Kuffu. I will always remember the experiences we had in the village. It was also very interesting to get a new perspective on how people live around the world.
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| Moses and I making Chapatis |
Tomorrow (2nd of Feb) we start our class in the slum area at Family Believers Church, for the children who don't currently go to school. We will be back at Ruth Mother Care on Tuesday and Wednesday, Outreach on Thursdays, and starting kids clubs again on Friday.
Recently, due to the very dry weather, National Water have been unable to supply enough water for peoples homes. Thankfully we have been able to avoid running out of water so far, but it would be greatly appreciated if people could pray for God's provision in this matter.
I will keep you updated as the school term starts again! It was very nice to be able to Skype those of you back at home who were at choir practise on Thursday. I hope you are all well!
Kenneth :)
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