nly three days before team awamu (all 13 of us!) pedal off for Paris. We've exceeded our initial fundraising targets, but we love to a have something to aim for so have been increasing our target in units of £615 - the cost of supporting one child through seven years of primary school.

As I type we have raised over £9,000 - enough to support another 14 children who just need a little extra to change their lives.

Every penny (including gift aid!) will help children Children like Sentongo and Nagawa (pictured above) to be happier, healthier and attend school.

Sentongo and Nagawa are sister and brother, they lost both parents to HIV at the age of 3 and 7. They were brought to Kampala by their aunt who earns her income by selling cooked cassava at night on the road  side.

Everyday the two children were told to sit outside her house and wait for her to come home, she would return home after midnight when she finished her sales. The children were at risk left out on the street of the slum all day without food. If their Aunt came home and they were already asleep she would beat them saying “I am not the one who told their father to bring the curse of HIV in the family”.

Eventually they were found by one of the women from our home-based carer groups, they approached the Aunt but at first she wouldn’t listen, they took the next steps, approached the authorities. The group work with the aunty to help understand what HIV is, how to look after the children and hold her to accountable for their well being.

They make sure Sentongo and Nagawa get healthcare, nutritional support and they visit the kids every day to make sure they get their medication and their aunt treats them well.

Now…

Ssentongo and Nagawa have gained energy and are able to play again, and early this year (because of the grants we were able to give) the group enrolled both of them in Primary school.

Sentongo says “When I grow up I want to be a pilot so that I and my sister can be in the plane all the time and there floods can’t come to us. Now Aunt is no longer locking us outside or beating us”.

A rather long winded way of saying that the money we raise will be spent well, the education grants are about more than education, it helps the women in our groups give care and protection to children like Sentago and Nagawa in their community.....

if you have sponsored us already THANK YOU…..if you haven’t then please think about sponsor us today by clicking here.

We look forward to telling you how we get on and how the money you have helped to raise has been used soon....watch this space!