Ngariam CarePoint


	Highlights

The activities that cut across this quarter in Acanga, Obule – Ajet, and Ngariam Corner CarePoints, include teaching children the Word of God, home visitation, feeding at the CarePoints, community project activities under Thomas Cox and harvesting millet, groundnuts, planting sorghum, cassava, and sweet potatoes.

Children come to the CarePoint from Monday to Saturday during school days. Monday to Friday is for only feeding, and then they go back to their respective schools, for afternoon lessons. Children from primary one to primary two go to their respective homes after meals. On Saturday all children come to the CarePoint for discipleship and teachings. During holidays children come to the centre on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday for discipleship and teachings. The children were mainly fed on rice beans, meat, and posho, at the CarePoint.

With sincere hearts, we really appreciate all the members of Westmoore Community Church for the continued support they have extended to this part of the world, more so for the good of these little ones (children). It is evident that these children are not the same in terms of health, morals, and understanding the word of God. Below are the activity pictures of three CarePoints.


	Updates on lessons and skills

The lessons children were taught in Acanga, Obule – Ajet, and Ngariam CarePoints this quarter include:

The life story of Moses

The children were able to learn the following lessons:

God has a plan for every child born at any part of the world, and whatever situation we go through God will always protect us as long as we remain faithful to God.
Also as children, we should be obedient to our parents like the sister of Moses called Miriam who accepted to keep her brother at the river.
God will always use us regardless of our inabilities. For example, God decided to use Moses even though he was not able to speak well.

The promise of Abraham

The story of Abraham was another lesson that helped children to learn that our God keeps His promises. The children were also able to learn that having faith in God makes everything possible. Abraham’s acceptance to sacrifice his only son Isaac helped children to learn that our responsility as Christians is to obey God. The outcome is God’s responsibility.

The story Jesus

The story on the birth of Jesus by the Virgin Mary helped children to learn that God uses people who are pure. When Jesus grew up helping his earthly father Joseph at the workshop since Joseph was carpenter was a good lesson for the children to learn that children at whatever level of status are suppose to help their parents at home.
The baptism of Jesus was another great lesson for the children to learn that when one is baptized the Holy spirit comes into ones life just as the white dove descended onto Jesus’s shoulder as soon as John the Baptist finished baptizing Jesus.
The ministry and the miracles Jesus performed were good lessons for the children to learn that Jesus had super natural powers from Heaven to do anything. What touched children was the way Jesus associated himself with people of all statuses. Children learnt that as Christians the only way to win people to Christ is to do what Jesus did while on earth and that is to accept people of all lifestyle the way they are.

The blessings of Obedience

The lesson under obedience was pointed back again to Abraham who, after obeying God, was later called the father of faith. Also out of obedience God blessed Abraham with wealth, and being father of nations. Also, the children learnt that obedience brings blessings such as long life, as said by Paul in Ephesians 6: 1-2.

Faith

The children were taught the story of Jesus with the blind man (Mathew 9: 27-29) and the woman in the Bible who had sickness of blood for twelve years (Mathew 9: 18 – 22). The children learnt that with faith in God all things are possible.

The Disciples of Jesus

Children were taught how Jesus chose his twelve disciples. From this lesson, the children learnt that, Jesus chose his disciples not basing on their expertise or Education but on the willingness to follow Christ, and serve. So this was a great lesson for the children to learn that, God can use any person regardless of ones background.

Resurrection

The children were taught the whole story of resurrection of Jesus in Luke 24:1 – 12. The children learnt that even those who believe in Jesus would also resurrect like the way Jesus did. They also learnt that Jesus has power over death.

Personal hygiene

Under personal hygiene, the children were taught that for one to considered clean and healthy, one must be conscious to brush his/her teeth in the morning, bathe regularly, wash hands after using pit latrine, and before eating, wash clothes regularly, maintain the hair, and make sure that, the beddings are also clean.

HIV/AIDS

Children were able to learn that, HIV/AIDS still does not have cure. Under HIV/AIDS, the children taught different ways under which the HIV virus is transmitted from one person to another. Children were encouraged to help and show love to the HIV/AIDS infected and affected people.


	Special Updates

The children have just reported back to school on 05th September 2011, after short holiday of three weeks, which ended on 04th September 2011. While at home the children were of great help to their guardians with domestic work, such as; washing dishes, cooking, fetching water, and collecting firewood, taking care of the animals, and garden work. During the quarter, the following children were visited at their homes in Ngariam CarePoint:

Aluka Christian
Arakit Ketty
Opus Esther
Adite Norah
Akwii Sarah
Ijepat Sarah
Aisha Ajore
Akori Sarah
Anyait Caroline
Imalingat Caroline
Agwang Esther


	Community development project

Ngariam was highly blessed this quarter to have one caring, kind and compassionate sponsor (Thomas Cox from Oklohoma - USA) initiating acommunity development pilot project in direct partnership with Children’s HopeChest-Uganda. The project started its activities in Ngariam CarePoint from Mid-June, 2011.

This is a timely intervention because Ngariam communities are friendly and have vast portions of cultivable land that is relatively fertile for cultivation. The school management communities where Children’s HopeChest CarePoints are established have offered free available land to the project for its activities. There are also many energetic youths who are readily available for project work when empowered. The project main objective is to enable these communities realize their strength on work, and ensure sustainability in food security.

This project is implemented in partnership with Communinities of Ngariam corner, Obuleajet and Acanga CarePoints respectively. These communities border with the Karamojong and perpetually suffer from insecurity as a result of constant Karamojong raids. This state of affairs has left almost all households here very poor, sick and hopeless. Long dry spells, with short erratic rains and low capacity to produce food has resulted in perpetual food shortages, poor meals among families, malnutrition year in year out. The project will focus on children, orphans, widows, and patients of HIV/AIDS as well as Tuberculosis.

The core objective activitiese of the project

Community sensitization for attitude change through participation in project activities in Agriculture and community service; these have to be translated to household improvement.
Enhancing innovativeness and community work mentality in provision of household needs that gives visibility of hope to the young generation at school. This is aimed to bring long-term positive change to community households.
Inculcating a self-sufficiency syndrome to the communities as a measure to counter Donor dependency syndrome through involvement in activities and reward by project for full participation at work.
Enhancing teamwork among community members and demonstration that large output is only achieved through team spirit, dedication and commitment at work.
Reaching out to most vulnerable members within the community so as to directly touch their lives with hope of Godliness. Such groups may include; the old & weak widows/widowers, Weak patients/Victims of HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis as well as the lame.
Participation in community activities for general impact to all members of the surrounding environments. These include; maintenance of proper sanitation, security to water access points as well as maintenance of access routes to communities.
The project is initiated with a long-term plan that it becomes self-sustaining as it rolls out its operations to impact more members of the community units of existence.

Progress of the project

Since start of the project in mid-June to August 2011, the following activities and output were implemented and achieved.

The project selected 32-community based members and set up 3(three)-community sub-projects in: Ngariam corner-10 committee members, Obulaejet- 10 Committee members, and Acanga- 12 committee members.
The project purchased and supplied 31 hoes (cock brand), 10 Hoes to each of the 3-community sub-projects.
The selected project committee members work in 5 days per week (Monday-to-Saturday, except friday). In each of the fully worked days, each member earns 3,000 ug. Shs.which totals to 15,000 ug.shs. This has greatly boosted household incomes among member families/households.
The set-up key sub-projects of Ngariam corner, Obule -Ajet, and Acanga are directly attached to CarePoints of Children’s HopeChest-Ngariam.
The project procured potato vines for the sub-project gardens within and without ngariam communities. Project also procured green grams for especially Ngariam Corner Subproject.
Heaped 08 acres of sweet potatoes in all the fields (gardens) of the three subprojects.
Cleared pathways/accessible routes for the communities to social centers such as: Medical centers, and schools.
Locally fenced the project gardens and CarePoint structures of children’s HopeChest to keep off local herds/animals from destroying them.
Routine monitoring and planning of field activities and community service work schedules is done weekly.
Held community/project committee meetings together with the local councils (political/government leaders) on matters pertaining to food security in gardens from locally herded animals. This also, enabled the project to reach out to a larger portion of the community in explaining the objectives of the project.
Opened up more new acreages of land, under hired ox-plough. These are prepared for cassava planting.
Number of demonstration gardens established and flourishing.
Increased yields.
Increased number of acres planted.
The Ngariam community has come up with byelaws to protect crops.
Increased number of men and women actively involved in savings and credit groups.
Increased number of households that are able to provide basic needs for their households.
Increased number of water sources that have been cleared and protected by the project members.
Increased level of community involvement in clearing the water sources.
Existence of the active water and sanitation committee that is involved in community work.


	Messages from the children

After interacting with the children they had the following to say in brief:

Children say they feel special and proud of all members of Westmoore Community Church for the great love they have shown by continually sending to them Money for food, constructing the CarePoint, and buying for them school uniforms, and other scholastic materials
The children also say that, they have special songs to sing for the members of Westmoore when come here to Uganda


	Team visits

Acanga, Obule – Ajet, and Ngariam Corner CarePoints did not receive any Visiting team apart from the HopeChest Uganda staff who carry out their routine support visit to all CarePoints