So I will spare you the words and just share a few photos from the day….

 Sarah with Jackson, now a belting, lively little fella. Sitting on his mum’s lap whilst she still manages to sew!

This is Frank, he is 9 months. He is the son of one of Sarah’s trainee tailors. Look at those big sad eyes! He refused to give his new awamu sun hat back after modeling it for us…but did offer loads of cuddles as well as smearings of biscuit and weeing on me.

This is also Sarah, she is guardian of two of the children we are supporting through school. She was showing how she makes her recycled paper beads. 

This is Jackson again – finally smiling whilst kindly agreeing to model a new design of dress we are working on!

More from Kampala tomorrow.

I was greeted with the compliment ‘Wow, you have grown fat’ (this really is a compliment!)…which was nicely counter balanced with ‘But you look so young’. Thanks ladies!

Most of our morning was taken up planning our skills training project but then I went to Bwaise to catch up with Regina, Rukia and Robina.

Things have changed a little around this part of Bwaise – the government finally seem to be taking some action to stop the flooding that occurs several times a year with heavy rains and the drainage system can’t handle it.

There are little pockets of green popping up all around the community. This is an ‘urban tower garden’ funded by the Belgium govt. as part of a Kampala integrated environment management project.

They’re pretty awesome – once built I am told that a ‘tower’ like this can produce enough food to supplement five families diets for up to three years! They are easy to look after requiring little watering or weeding – easily managed by even those that are frail.

They cost around £84 pounds to build – the most expensive part is getting the delivery of nutrition rich soil.

Regina and Rukia report that the gardens have transformed the diet of their extended families “we can now have fresh vegetables and make ‘sauce’ everyday where we used to only eat matoke or posho” said Regina “It is so good for the children to have fresh food and it tastes better too”

Only a few women were able to benefit from the pilot project though 12 other women have received training but don’t have the funds to buy the materials and seeds they need to start their garden…..could this be the start of another awamu project!

Regina took me to meet Jaliya from school. Jaliya and Regina are the people that inspired us to set up awamu.

Jaliya is the first child we supported and now she is happily living with Regina and has just moved up to class P4.

She is getting some of the best grades in her school – she came 2nd in class! We are incredibly proud of her hard work.

Work has already started on our new products – good news for those that are waiting for elephants – they are almost ready to make their journey to the UK!

More from me tomorrow!

I have put a few more pictures on our facebook page for you.

Related articles

• VIDEO: the amazing and inspiring people we work with

We’re offering first dibs on a massive 30% off everything marked as ‘Friends Sale‘ from our shop to all our Facebook friends and previous customers whilst stocks last.

We’ve added a few new items – lots of purses, make-up bags, a really cute reversible dress for 3-6 month babies – its lined with 100% organic, fair trade cotton baby cord and was made by Sarah (it’s warm and cosy in this weather!) – a few bargain samples!

• How do I get the discount?

We have uploaded the code on our facebook page (and will email it to you if you are a previous customer), you simply enter the code when you’re paying for your order.

• But I’m not your friend yet!

It’s not too late, we love making new friends – please ‘like’ our facebook page to see the discount code or follow this blog and we’ll send you the code.

HAPPY FEBRUARY!

Visit our shop

It’s a prototype for her new ‘How many?‘ books – you have to guess how many of the objects, animals or actions are taking place at one time in different areas of Kampala.

It’s truly brilliant and  charming – I love it so much!

Related articles

• Video: how awamu works
• Visit our shop – lush handmade goodies for you and your family

The lovely folk at KAYA festival has chosen to support awamu

Kaya is a global World Music festival set in the picturesque grounds of the Vaynol Estate near Bangor, overlooking the Snowdonia National Park in North Wales.

They will be kicking off the festival season on Friday the 1st, Saturday the 2nd and Sunday the 3rd of June 2012

The line-up looks amazing including Lee scratch Perry, Tony Allen, Frankie Francis and Kanda Bongo Man and an assortment of African, Jamaican, Caribbean and World musical alongside workshops, food stalls and festival activities – AND US!

We want it to give you the heads up now as tickets are very reasonable and will be released shorty!

Sarah experimenting with new dress designs

We’re currently pulling together ideas, designs and patterns to discuss with for Sarah and team in Kampala.

We know you want more animals, dresses and giraffe babygrows (we have a waiting list!) but what else would you like us to make for you?

Let us know what you think…there are only a few boundaries…

• We mostly make for babies and children though we can be convinced to a few special items for grown ups
• It must be made with minimum waste
• It must be easy to transport from Kampala to the UK (i.e. not breakable or squashable or too bulky) 

I’ll be blogging from Kampala so you never know, you may even be able to see your suggestions go into production live!

Related articles

• Video: how awamu works

Our women’s groups in Kampala really needs them to help keep records of children’s progress, gather evidence to protect them & feedback to funders.

We’re also planning a special project with some of the children we are work with – helping them to keep diaries about their lives, friends and families.

I’ve managed to gather about six cameras and we are urgently in need of twelve more to make it happen (though more would be a dream!).

If you haven’t got one you might have friends that do – please help us by tweeting, facebooking, emailing or (even!) talking to your friends, relatives and contacts to see if they can help.

I’m leaving for Uganda on the 11^th of February (2012) so this we only have a month to get them together!

Please get in touch as soon as possible if you can help.

Many thanks,

Emma

Related articles

• VIDEO: how awamu works
• VIDEO: the amazing and inspiring people we work with

Patience swinging!

A belated (best no less heartfelt) HAPPY NEW YEAR to you all.

We’re wishing everyone – including our friends in Uganda who we are missing dearly – a healthy, happy new year full of love and laughter.

We’ve enjoyed a few days off with friends and family but January is where we start focusing on the next challenge(s)!

It rather grey and miserable here in London so here are a few happy faces that have been cheering us – we hope they make you smile too!

Hope you are all having a lovely holiday!

Season’s greetings from the awamu team, in London – Kampala – Bristol – the world!.

Love and peace to one and all

Related articles

• Video: how awamu works (awamu.wordpress.com)
• VIDEO: the amazing and inspiring people we work with (awamu.wordpress.com)
• Video: London to Paris – the movie! (awamu.wordpress.com)
• A message from Sarah in Kampala (awamu.wordpress.com)

Florence, Regina, Jaliya and Emma show you what inspired us to start our litttle project in this short film.

Awamu is dedicated to helping Regina, and her network of women, protect and care for children like Jaliya.

As you will see their support means the difference between life and death for many in their community.

We’re now trying to raise more money to:

• set up an income generation training programme to help more women like Regina who are taking on the care of orphaned children
• support more orphaned children with the basics they need to be able to enroll in primary school

If you would like to get involved by making a donation or have any bright ideas for helping us to raise more money we really want to hear – please get in touch!

A special thank you to Ian Warren for finishing this before heading back to Uganda.

Happy Christmas one and all!

YOU CAN DONATE HERE

Filmed and edited by Ian Warren, with special thanks to Jaliya, Regina and everyone at Tusitukirewamu women’s group in Bwaise (TWG)

Related articles

• Video: how awamu works (awamu.wordpress.com)
• Our first year – THANK YOU (awamu.wordpress.com)
• A message from Sarah in Kampala (awamu.wordpress.com)