Community Work - Improvements for Orphans

Work With Extended Family of Elizabeth

Grandmother born in 1933, living in Mutai looking after 2 orphaned children. Providing with food as well as beans and posho and fire materials.
The youngest one called Elizabeth is now visiting our Whisper school where she is provided with daily meals, medication and schooling material.


On top of repairing old woman's house (doorposts which were cracked and failing out dangerously) Whisper Team gave better clothes to Sam and Elisabeth when they were found of putting on filthy and torn clothes all day and night wearing the same.


Sam and Elizabeth look smart now, the old woman is no longer scared of the danger of the cracked failing dooposts and the family celebrated the work of Whisper.

Sam & Elizabeth with their old clothes

Costs:

Sam with his new clothes

Donated clothes for children - Free
Donated shoes for the old woman - Free
A cream to cure the fungus in the feet - 2000 Sh
Donated food (posho, beans, charcoal)

My thoughts I want to share - just because it's christmas

People are sharing this image on Facebook at this time of the year. This image is so moving and it so much reminds me of my actions and thoughts of changing the way people think and act. This image is so close to my heart that it made me to let all my work go for next half an hour and share this note with you.

"Why are you doing this? You are not going to help  everybody, you cannot save the world."Ialways get this question from people and I really don't know what to make out of it. What to make out of the question, what actually is the "ideal" answer and most importantly what to make out of the people giving me this question. In  "my world" and my head it is not the correct question to ask? What are these people trying to hear? Are they expecting an answer that which will make them feel that they do enough anyway?  Or are they expecting an argument over it - which will then dust off the feel of guilt about them not doing enough, even tho they could?  Are they trying to dust off their own guilt of not doing enough just because they question the waste of time and money in helping African people who are "having lots of children".

Is it really about Africa? Are you actually questioning Africa? Does it really matter if that is Africa, Asia, America or Europe? Does it matter if that is a child, dog or plant? Or Do you really question indirectly your OWN actions... and make it sound like if it was OKAY to do nothing as you as an individual, has no power to change it.

I also questioned "why" at the beginning. I questioned why this world is so unfair, why so many children suffer the way that most of you people cannot imagine, I asked myself "why" so many times.. but I never asked people doing something GOOD that BENEFITS the world: WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS? Perhaps I was too humble to ask such question, or did it feel to me more disrespectful questioning someone's GOOD WILL and actions, which are taking lots of comforts out of their own life in order to comfort others?  I thought: "Wow what people" ! I felt ashamed!!! I thought i rather ask myself  "Why I am not doing the same? Why I am not the one doing something about whatever makes me to be concerned about?" 

I tell you it is a personal challenge because I had to stop doing things and affording things that in "this system" are "right" or "in", like I stopped sharing with my girlfriends my clothes shopping, best dancing outfits, excellent make up deals, and my next trip to Bahamas and I had to stop focus on my ego in order to make changes in my life that would lead me to make my dreams of making this world a better place success!

This picture I am posting here has made me so upset. Although I been there and I've seen it, it is extremely disturbing to me and I cannot stop wondering WHY THERE ARE NOT MANY PEOPLE FEELING IT?? Why most of the people did not get it yet?? I love giving presents to my friends and family too, but we all know that the type of presents we generally give to our children and families, WILL NOT CHANGE THEIR LIVES. WE often get presents that we don't need, as most of us can buy whatever we need and most of the children I know (and sure you know) already have everything  (free school they can be going to, place to sleep, food to eat and a family to fulfil their happiness.) These things are not given just at Christmas right?

So here is me again asking WHY MOST PEOPLE DID NOT GET THE FACT THAT £20 WII GAME WILL NOT MAKE ANY DIFFERENCE TO ANYONE apart from creating an artificial and wrong image of happiness to your kid. There are millions and millions of kids in this world their life can be DRASTICALLY CHANGED if we give £20 away to help them to maybe feel warm during cold times, and give them A REAL REASON to smile. IT IS SO PATHETIC to think that you as an individual cannot do anything. You can do more that you can ever imagine... actually living in London for last 8 years, I can really understand why most people cannot understand that 20 quit can change peoples lives.. because.. did it ever change yours?

Somebody on the street asked me if I was rich or what - cos I run a charity. I don't have money, but I feel (now I want to scream) I HAVE SO MUCH TO GIVE!!!! SO I MUST BE RICH!

And we all can be! because I can feel the real happiness that even the richest person in the world cannot buy.  Until you see the world materialistically, you will often feel poor simply because you can never have enough  money to have everything.

PS: Whilst I was writing this, the amount of profile pictures of people went through my head for all kinds of reasons is the fact that we do need to act more to THE CHANGE - WE ALL DESIRE to SEE...

Thank you for reading this.

Veronika

Jigger Free Community - Namakoko Village

This serves to report that on the above date the Whisper Team performed a Jigger Free Community Service in Namakoko Village.

The exercise was done successfully whereby two families with jiggers infested children happened to be visited and the following activities took place during the exercise.

• Meet LCs
• Meet Families
• Washing legs and feet with Antiseptic Disinfectant, Water, Soap, Sponge, Gloves
• Prick out jiggers using pins, Eureka Cleansing Wipes, TP, Cotton, Vaseline
• Treat wounds 
• Cleaning and teaching them to keep their environment celan
• Documentation: Camera, Record Book, Pens

1st Family

Father: Mr Godfrey

Mother: Letf home

Children: Maureen and Jaquiline

2nd Family

Father: Late Koteka

Mother: Joy

Children: Brenda and Brian

Costs:

Transport: 20.000 Sh

Whisper Team Included:

Emmanuel Mugabi

Community Work in Kagera Village

This is to report that on the above date our team visited the family of Rebecca - little poor girl suffereing froma dreaded skin infection in Kagera Village to find out about her life and how she was doing.

Rebecca's skin had improved with a better texture after a one month treatment which Whisper was facilitating her for.

However due to the failure of continuing with the treatment, because of her father and mother were sick and admitted in Jinja Hospital, there felt weak and not able to take Rebecca for her treatment to the special clinic at Bulaba Hospital.

This lead to the infection to intensify and now she needs to be taken back for more treatment.


The Whisper Team went on encouraging this family to take hygiene and sanitation as a serious point, avoiding mosquito breeding places which causes malaria, water logged places, bushes around the house, sweeping the house every day, washing clothes and bathing.

The family and the people in the community were very happy for the lifesaving help being given to this poor girl.


Costs:
Transport 17.000 Sh

Whisper Team included: 
Emmanuel Mugabi

Community Work - First Aid Pack Distribution in Kagoma Gate

Outreach Work: Helping Communities - First Aid Pack Distribution in Kagoma Gate

This is to report that Whisper, The Worlds Orphanage Fund has distributed 200 First Aid Packs to the families in Kagoma Gate, after successful First Aid Training with Whisper's Volunteers in October 2011.

Costs:

First Aid Supplies were donated by the volunteers

October 2011  - First Aid Training performed by Laura & John in Kagoma Gate at First Child Academy of Hope

Community Work - Family improvements for orphans

FAMILY IMPROVEMENTS FOR ORPHANS






Sick grandmother used to live with her 3 grandchildren (total orphans) in a misery. 


When we asked them what they were going to have for lunch, she replied "I was planning to go and beg for food.." 


They slept on the floor, with NO BLANKETS or mosquito nets.. 


Children have not gone to school before... 


but now things are different for her and her granchildren. 




They all go to school, and just see how wonderfully their life changed.. I am sure their dreams are now more magical and real with their new beds, mattresses, sheets, blankets and mosquito nets... She and her friends could not hide the biggest happiness.. a miracle that has come to their lives... wonderful :-)


Costs Involved:
3 beds                120.000 Sh
3 mattresses      150.000 Sh
blankets             36.000 Sh
mosquito nets    14.000 Sh
school fees         60.000 Sh
clothes               free (donations)

Community Work - Helping Families With Orphans

Outreach work to orphans living with extended families

This is to report that Whisper has performed outreach work in Kanyale Village - Mutai, where a family of three total orphans are cared by their 75 year old grandmother in a rented house without any safe and proper facilities leading to the healthy life-style.

75 year old grandmother living with her three grandchildren in Mutai

Whisper Team has provided three beds, three mattresses, three blankets, three sheets, mosquito nets as well as paid school fees for three orphans Preshila Babirye, Emma Issabirye, Tomothy Waiswa.

Costs involved:

Beds: 120.000


Matresses: 175.000
Mosquito nets: 10.000
Sheets 20.000
School fees 45.000
Posho & Beans - donated

Visitor

Today we had visitors - a cousin of one of our managers came to visit us here with intention of helping with some car registration documents. 

Whilst we were chatting in the reception area, children were served dinner. With interest, they wanted to see how we are handling the children. They saw some of the children in the class room seated, with their table mats, plates full of food, fork and towels around their necks... and asked "Why are they not eating?" Our mama replied.. "because we have not finished serving the food.." and then she continued: "They are waiting for all the children to have food, and then they all start eating after prayer.. " ... between one of our child shouted "Aunty, Rachel does not have a fork: and run to the kitchen to pick the fork for her".. The visitors continued watching our children to close their eyes, one of them leading to the prayers by saying "Lets pray" and then all children at once said "O God Thanks for this food, we shall going to eat, Amen". And then all our children started eating.. They could not stop wonder when each child -when finished their food- took the plates, mats and forks, and took it to the kitchen and said "Thank you for cooking". ...
Then they watched our 2 young children age 4 and 6 washing dishes and drying them (we train them to do some simple but important house work, so each day, different child is asked to wash dishes, dry dishes, sweep the floor... etc) They saw our children looking after one another, our little 5 year old feeding little Sophie 2 years with super food and giving her water (which they go themselves to pick to the water filter).. Our visitors were simply amazed.. it made them to pick up their mobiles and called to their homes to say how these children behave beautifully compare to their own!

It makes me so so happy to see that all our visitors can notice the difference!!!!!

I must be so blessed to be able to explain and experience what "making a difference" mean.. :-)

Community Work - KAWUMA JUSTINE DISCOVERY

Hello everyone, 

I would like to say thank you to those people reading my blogs and helping us to realize dreams of the children like Kauma... 

Whilst on our outreach work in surrounding villages, we got informed about a girl living in worst situation than animals. They described that are just waiting for her to die...

On a Saturday we have taken boda boda (motorbike) and went to see the situation, taking clothing with us as we wanted to help her right away.  She has been admitted to the hospital for several blood test and drips. 

She has malaria for many months, maybe years which has never been treated. I am worried it could have affected her movements and brain. I cannot just believe she was so negleced weighting just 10kg in her 7 years of life. She does not know how to drink from the cap or glass. I wonder if she was ever given something to drink.. everytime she bites into the cap and then cough afterwords. she does not know how to eat other than with her hands. If Sowedi used to be hungry (www.whisperorphans.org/sowedi.html) this girl is SUPER hungry, she wants to eat all the time and everything. She cannot sit still, as her head is too heavy, and her bones are to heavy for her legs to stand. Her feet are full of gigas vounds which is very painful to stand on. 

We are massaging her body, doing excercises on her so she can get some muscle stretch. her skin is very damaged so we are applying SKIN DOCTOR. 

The only improvement on her is that her neck is gaining a bit and her eyes are not rolling so she is able to look at us, oh and also she manages to sit down, although rested, rather then on her own. I believe also the strong malaria drugs making her very weak. 

Please pray for this little girl, so she can improve, apparently she used to talked and walked.. 

Veronika 

My thoughts of unfair life

MY THOUGHTS OF UNFAIR LIFE

I thought of sharing something with you....just to see how unfair the life is sometimes.. 

Children of our gardener has come from school  to our house to ask for lunch (embarased and sad) since they have not eaten anything because the father was not able to afford buy them posho and beans for their lunch (school requires 25kg of posho and 20kg of beans per child.. this is almost 3/4 of his salary! Per child!) Yunisu (the father) has dealt with the situation the way, that he ordered to his kids not to go to school until he gets his half salary (in 3 days) so he can buy them some food. However the kids still went.

I just wanted to share with you (again) how some people get their priorities completely wrong and it makes me so sad that some parents have worries about what the designed clothes to buy for their children, where others cannot send children to school and if they do, they go all day without food.

Unfortunately this is another issue that has been brought to our project. Yunisu - our gardener, that we employ, we pay him minimum wage which is established by gavernment and it is 100.000 UGSH a month - approximately £26-27 (cca $50). This is how much others are paid (and some are paid even less than this) and we cannot afford more.

Yunisu has 3 children and pays 15000 rent a month. Each child's school fees is around 10.000, so monthly he must pay almost half of his salary just for rent and school fees.. unfortunately the 55.000 USH which he is left with is NOT enough to buy posho and beans to the children for their lunch at school. The whole Uniform for each child is again almost 20.000 and they asking for all the stationery and toilet papers.

 For the last hour I was working out with calculator how to do it with his salary so we can manage to pay the school fees and food for the children and so the father is left with some more little money for the for the food in the house. I could calculate and calculate but simply the salary that we give him is not enough to be able to pay all the responsibilities he has.. I constantly feel bad to deal with situation like this. I feel bad because I dont have the money myself to pay (as I am volunteering here myself) and I have such big project to take care for and this applies financial and emotional pressure on me from all corners and sides we can look at it. (I could just turn around and say, "hey his problems are not my problem, he should be happy to have a job) but this is not why I came to Uganda.. I came to help people whaterver it takes..

I have agreed to contribute 30.000 shillings per months to pay for the school fees for his 3 kids and for now the children will be coming here for lunch (to the orphanage) until we manage to save some money from his salary to be able to buy the food, from the rest of his salary, we have to buy school uniforms and other things( obviously not at once).. however this again is extra mouth to feed, since we already feeding around 8 people a day (volunteers and 3 workers). And again how this is fair on our second gardener William who has got 7 children, who are extremely needy, all the time sick children?

This is just a little request I have, if there would be somebody who could sponsor Yunisu's salary, so he would be able to get more money per months so he can provide for his 3 children. He so much taking care of them and they mean the world to him...  Even a small contribution per month would make his salary difference.

Thank you.

Where the money go?

Orphanage Initial Spenditure

it's been really hot in Uganda. No Rain and expectation of famine! People are fearing there won't be enough water in the pumps and they can't plant their crops (as our orphanage won't be able to...) Unless the heavens open and we get lots of rain. 

There is so many people suffering from malaria. Almost on every corner. Our next plan is to also distribute mosquito nets around the orphanage area so malaria don't spread. There is sugar cane plantation! (probably around 20 acres) = mosquitos... Mosquito nets are quite expensive actually - £2,73 each!

On the good note, please see again how much can be done with little money!!!!!!!!! So please please every little helps:

Our biggest expense so far was rent money, windows and electricity. Today we should finally have a light. 

SOLAR PANELS:

We can only afford max of 240 WATS (that is how much just a kettle takes in one go). We have 2 solar panels of 120 WATS. Each panel is 840,000 USH that is £269 per panel. We can always add on panels and then get more light and more electricity. However we cannot budget for more panels at the moment. Each bedroom will get only 8 WAT light, the community room will get 30 WAT light, as well as the reception area and the kitchen area. We can also charge our mobile phones and use the laptop (but at different times).

The total costs of solar panels with needed devises (generator, battery, etc) and all the electrics equipments, plugs, wires, cables, etc was about 3,500,000! The labour we pay for the installation of panels 150,000 USh and another 150,000 USh for connecting the electricity all around the house. The whole amount of getting an electricity came up to almost 4 million USH - which is £1099! 

BEDS:

We have ordered 21 beds (for now) for the orphanage. The beds are bunk-beds. £172 for all 21 beds!!!

Mattresses - 4 inch thick - 21 pieces = £200. 

Bedding for 21 beds (Bed sheets, cover, pillow cases) = 243,000 USH = £66 - we are having them made from scratch as it comes about 160,000 USH cheaper than if we bought them in the shop.

Blankets for 21 beds are 210,000 USH = £57

Mosquito nets (imagine, each mosquito net is around 10.000 USH (£2,73), howerver we are getting them from people who buy them from those whom they have been donated to.. (bad bad ) They are FREE MOSQUITO NETS for Kenya Aid, so they are selling them half price 5,500 USH, we are getting 14 pieces for £21!!!

We need to now get WhiteWash to color the rooms (as they are so dirty and smoky) 25kg of whitewash is 16,000 USH £4, 40. Have no idea how many bags we will need. Paint then costs about 40.000 USH £10 each (20 kg).

So far we are left with £3.400 on our bank account. We have no idea how much this can take us. We will not have enough money to connect the water to the house as there will be other priorities (like payng salary to the gardener, school fees for children, supplying them with clothing, shoes, food) Also we have to budget for kitchen equipments (cups, plates, cutlery, pans, pots). We also need to make dining table for the kids with some chairs (we think that the cheapest will be benches (although not that aesthetic and comfortable).. The price they quoted (without burgening for each bench was £13. Don't forget that we will have around 20 kids to accommodate. The set of nice chairs (8) and a table they quoted 400.000 USH which would cost us £109. (which we probably cannot afford if we get bigger table with more chairs than 8).

We also need to get some wardrobe for the kids' clothes and learning material. 

We also have to feed the volunteers who are working on the house (yesterday we spent like £40 for 50kg of posho, 10kg of beans , 3 letters of oil, curry powder, onions... Hopefully it will last them for at least 3 - 4 weeks.

As you can see we are cutting everywhere possible. At first they always quote us triple the amount for everything (products, food, labour). They see us and they automatically think we have money and sometimes they refuse to sell us products as we are mzungus and we should pay more than the locals. 

We have to explain so many times that this is benefiting the community and if we can safe 30.000 USH, we can pay 1 term of schooling! Thanks God that many times they get to understand.  

We are off to the town. Looks very sunny, dusty and hot. 

THE POWER OF FUNDRAISING EVENTS

It has been a year ago when Monika decided to run a Charity Dance Workshop for our charity. Her 3 hours work shop with all the people who participated made incredible difference - a massive difference that maybe not that many of you can even imagine!

Whisper has now invested all the money she donated (£1170) to bring electricity to the house! We have to realize that the house has 10 bedrooms and we will be using 14 lights. The house did not have any wires installed so we had to get the electricity installation from total scratch.  Because we are getting solar panels (as they are the best for the environment ) we won't be paying any monthly bills!!! We don't need to apply to the local district for electricity, which could take more than 3 months to have it installed and we would probably end up paying £500 - £800 more! 

Although the solar power can only light up 13 lights and can give power to the TV or a laptop and can even power kitchen equipments like a blender. They have 240 watts. 

The good thing is that when we fundraise more money we can add-on panels which could give electricity even to a  fridge!

This is such an important step we have done! The house is in the middle of nowhere and anywhere around can be found an electricity line!

We all can  realize how MUCH DIFFERENCE we can make from 1 day of workshop! PS: We spent around 700.000 USH ($350) for the electric cables, switches, plugs, and energy saving lights for the whole house. African people are getting 700.000 USH annual salary! So after a year of working they  still cannot afford to invest into the electricity (as it could cost around 3,000,000 to 4,000,000 (millions) Can you see what difference we can all make to the world???  It is so important we can stop and think!

We all can do together major achievements!!!!! Please do not stop helping!

Thank you!

AID TRIP TO AFRICA 2011

Hello everyone,

I hope that you are well... Thank you for becoming members of Whisper (registered charity England and Wales 1139078) on causes.com.

One of our main points in our business plan stated that we will be transparent to public.

In terms of donating to our own charity, we did not just donate our money (flight tickets, Visa, Accommodation, Food) but also taking unpaid time off work... and spending unpaid time in Africa, getting through lots of stress and sometimes to go without shower and limited amount of food... But this is so much worth of doing for the happiness our charity brings to the children. This is priceless! But we need your help!

We will travel to Nairobi in Kenya.. it is only because the flight tickets were in sales just £355 return... (what a deal).. then we will take the Kampala red bus for $20 on 8-10 hr journey to Kampala.. The journey we have taken 4times already.. it is not anything pleasurable.. the roads are in the worst state I've ever experienced in Africa, full of small and massive holes. So for about 5 hours on one parts of the journey we just ended up jumping.. :-) Then we will go to visit our children that our charity pays the boarding fees for.. we want to see how they are doing, if they have improved their English and other subjects at school. We also want to find out about their father (who is getting blind) and if he contributes to their schooling someway.. We pay about £160 for all of them per term. The next payment is due just now.

We also are going to find out about Sowedi. Apparently he has been forced to leave the baby home as for his age (he is now 4yrs) He should be now looked after in one family.. but all these things we are going to find out..

After that we will take a bus to North Uganda.. a place that is much less greener and much worse than the area of source of Nile and Lake Victoria.. It will be challenging as we aim to stay in the village and in the area that is not designed for tourists what so ever. I feel that more challenging it will be, more successful it makes our work.. we cannot risk any dishonesty and building relationships and business with not genuine people. Every single person who has donated to Whisper is so important to us and so special that we will not part with the money in any easy way... When I heard from other organisations how much they are charged for simple things like goods or services or accommodation, my heart stopped. We paid $15 a week.. other charities pay $60 a night... not in the 4 star hotel (which is normal pricing) but in a guest house.. It could have made their life easier and their work quicker but this is not what we are about. We did not raise hundreds of thousands pounds...

Anybody who would like to support our aid work this February, last chance to order one of the knitted pair of socks... it is 

£19.99.www.whisperorphans.org/knitted_socks.html.

If you are not a fan of warm socks, please kindly donate at www.whisperorphans.org/donate.html

If you wish to donate any unwanted Christmas present, again get in touch as we are going to do several car boot sales from around April to August...

We will need more help than ever after we come back...

Please help us to spread the word, it takes just couple of minutes of your time this Tuesday.. invite more people to this cause or on our Facebook Page  Whisper, The Worlds Orphanage Fund.

Follow us on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Whisper-The-Worlds-Orphanage-Fund/130104380343137?ref=ts), Follow us on our website www.whisperorphans.org.

Also don't forget if you buy anything via Ebay, you can donate to Whisper too.

Any questions, please do get in touch!

Our best telephone number is mobile 07590 289 395 or

 email: enquiry@whisperorphans.org