Just Talking...

Hello People,
i hope that all who read this are fine and are having a good time:-) This has been one of those long weeks for me...the kind where you forget everything xcept work...this is just a reminder to keep preparing for the Mukono project and to continue serving the Lord...don't ever give up:-)
Be blessed.

CKRET Visit to Dwelling Places

In Attendance were the following:
Judith Angwech, Ray Owen, Samuel Mujuni, Tom Kisubi, Fred Okello Kapere, Sheila Ndibwami, Jerome Osuna, Joan Ongodia, Simon Akena, Jackline Busingye, Israel Ssekiranda, Lynn Turyatemba and Isaac Munanira

On the previous Friday evening, a few CKRET members had a meeting in the faculty of technology to plan for the next day’s visit to dwelling places which is located in Mutundwe (after Natete and Nalukolongo). Responsibilities were allocated with attention being placed on buying the food and getting some clothes for the babies from Owino market.

So on Saturday morning, Judith and a few other people set off to buy the meat, greens etc to be cooked; another group with Israel and Simon was to buy the rice, beans and posho. Jackline and Brenda were tasked with buying the clothes from Owino; thankfully Jackline knew just where to go:-)
I arrived when we the cooking had already began and found Sheila and Judith tussling with the wood trying to make it blaze. I have to say they did a great job. Thanks also to uncle Sunday of Dwelling Places; who helped with lighting the firewood and mingling the posho!

When the food was ready, the children were served food starting from the shortest to the tallest and finally the elders were served. Many thanks go those who helped with serving the food and juice including Aunty Maureen, Lynn, Judith, Sheila, Brenda, Jackline and Fred. I have to say the food was delicious considering that many of the children went back for more helpings:-)…and I think one or two CKRET members may have also gone for more, thankfully the Lord had blessed the food and it was more than enough.

After eating, we went and sang a few songs like “I will make you fishers of men”, all this whilst jumping up and down being led by Sheila and Jerome. Actually Sheila and Jerome did such a good job, I suggest they start giving the rest of us lessons.
Then we played some football and basketball before we left….but it was a long time before people left. They were having such a good time that they did not want to leave; like Joan and Brenda who so enjoyed the football!
Those who were unable to come, I encourage you to make it for the next trip cause it is such a blessing to bless others and to see Jesus at work in the lives of those children.

Something about Dwelling Places:
Isaiah 32:18

"My people will live in peaceful dwelling places, in secure homes, in undisturbed places of rest." (NIV)

It is on the above scripture that Dwelling Places home inMutundwe is founded. There are about 98children of whom there are about 10babies, 28 boys and the rest (60) are girls. Though in the whole program, Dwelling Places is taking care of approximately 500 children. In this they are helped by foster parents who look after a number of children during the process of rehabilitation. Dwelling places is a TRH which is an acronym for Transitional Rehabilitation Home. The children there are those who have been rescued from the street, abandoned as babies or are being mistreated at home e.g. being used as prostitutes by their own parents!

The ministry runs what is called an Interim school where kids where kids who have been taken away from the streets have the opportunity to have basic education for one or two years before being intergrated into the mainstream education system. It is probably the only such school in Uganda and the ministry would like to sell the idea to other children's homes.
Timothy, the Education coordinator; told of an example of an 18year old young man called Farouk who voluntarily came from doing odd jobs on the street of Kampala to the Interim school seeking education and after two years is now in primary five in Mengo primary school is reportedly doing quite well.

The children go to a number of schools in the area including St.Michael, Mother Care preparatory school, City Hill College and Mengo senior secondary school with whom Dwelling Places partners with.

Grace be with you all.
Your fellow servant in Christ,
Isaac Munanira.

Dwelling Places Visit today Sat Oct 27th

HEy People,
today we went to Dwelling Places and had a wonderful time with the kids!!
They have been missing you all...from Phillip and Emily to Nelson and Stephen.
I will be writing up a report and posting lots of pictures.
Many thanks to Judith, Sheila,Israel, Jackline, Joan, Simon, Jerome, Lynn, Fred, Tom, Samuel and Ray who came along and did the cooking, laughing and playing with the kids. It was a blessed time there.
Love and Joy,
Isaac...

CKRET Meeting on Friday 19th October

Meeting agenda:
dwelling Places visit
Mukono classroom block
campus handover
AOB
In attendance were the following;
Israel Ssekiranda
Edgar Muhairwe
Isaac Munanira
Lelia Mbabazi
Brenda Amanda
Kakiiza Herbert
Onen Moses
Kyobutungi Sheba

The visit to Dwelling places is scheduled for next Saturday 26th October. This Saturday, Israel is going to the orphanage to confirm our visit and do survey of what is needed there. There is a budget which was emailed earlier. In addition to what is on the budget, it was proposed to buy some babies clothes from DT.
The program is to shop, go there, help prepare food and eat it with them. Then we can play a few games. Volunteers are welcome for all the different activities. Plus your contributions are welcome. Kindly confirm your participation for those who are sure to come; you can also invite a friend or two.

The Mukono project is set to begin on 15th December.
1st phase/ Day One: setting out, excavation and pouring foundation concrete.
Next; start the plinth wall on the next weekend, 22nd December.
We propose to go there twice in December and twice in January. A budget was passed around, though I think Herbert will pass it around again. You are encouraged to contribute in every way; through cash, prayer and physical support. Thanks!

A cash contribution was taken raising about 170k. Keep it up guys!! Welcome to the next meeting on Friday 2nd November; which incidentally is when the campus guys have their handover.

What is Happening?

First off, we have a meeting this Friday 19th October 2007 in the KPC overflow starting at 6pm. You are all welcome. A summary of what is going on; there are two projects in the offing namely the dwelling places (mutundwe) and the mukono project.

About Dwelling Places, the guys at Campus had a meeting on Thursday 11th October and the plan is to go there on Friday 26th October. The budget is worth 160k and your contributions are welcome. You can also come/contribute clothes for the kids there more especially the babies. Any suggestions you have are welcome.

About the school project in Mukono, the plan is to go there after the campusers have finished their exams. Tentatively this is set for Saturday 15th December.
Also the campus chapter is getting new leaders coming in and we are all encouraged to pray for those coming into the positions of responsibility.
Hope to see you this Friday.
Every Blessing!

Where is Everyone?

Hello People,
many apologies for the long gap in updating the blog and keeping people aware of what is going on. I am getting some of my bearing straight and will have an update tomorrow. In the meantime, the meeting which was slated for last friday was postponed due to lack of quorum to this coming friday the 6th of July. Due endeavour to attend people. Thanks and Best wishes,
Adios.

Flashback: Masaka Building Phase One (Re-Roofing the Existing House)

Saturday 14th February 2004 in a valentine car on Valentine’s Day four of us: I, Hillary, Lelia and Brian left Kampala at about 9:00am to go and change the roof for the Masaka children’s existing house. We reached Masaka at about 11:00 am. We bought the materials we wanted; iron sheets, roofing nails and ridges and then set off for Bukunda. We reached Bukunda about 12:00 and found as expected the trusses already up. Through the Headmaster of St Monicah (where the Roses study) we had contracted some gentlemen to help construct the roof. Since some materials could be easily availed they started the work on Friday with the expectation that when we went there on Saturday we would pay up for the materials used.
That is exactly what we found so when we brought the Iron Sheets they just began covering up the empty trusses. By the time we left at 4:30pm they had only slightly more than one quarter of the house to cover up and by the time we got to Kampala at 6:30 they had finished installing the Iron sheets. They were however unable to finish putting on the ridges due to time which they did on Sunday.
Due to price fluctuations, the gauge 30 iron sheets were procured at Shs 13,000 instead of Shs 11,000. The kids also received some clothes which were brought by Hillary and Lelia; they were very happy. Rose Nakasagga (the younger one) was sick so before we left we had to take her to hospital. We were also presented with a gentleman who was to provide the drugs to cure Jiggers. He was to apply the medicine after the work had been done and the house back in order. We are quite expectant of the results from his work.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank each and every one who has contributed to this work in whatever form. I convey a message of appreciation from the children and am sorry for those of you who didn’t go – you missed to see happy faces. I also want to encourage us all to increase our efforts to see this work accomplished as the Lord leads and guides us.
God Bless You All.
Report by: Stephen S Mwanje

Allocation of Responsibilities: Project Heads

To facilitate follow up on all projects, heads were nominated to obtain information on each project’s needs and update the group.
After this is done, a program will be drawn and each project given a time frame.

Below are the heads for each project
1. Constitution: Isaac Munanira, Sam Kea
2. Website: Gilbert Mwambu
3. Blog & Group Email: Isaac Munanira
4 Campus: Israel Sserumpanise, Kakiiza Herbert
5. Mukono Edgar Muhairwe, Israel Sserumpanise
6. Hospital Ministry: Gilbert Mwambu, Onen Moses
7. Makerere Kivulu: Kazungu Ivan, Zziwa Peter
8. Orphanages: Sheba Kyobutungi, Lelia Mbabazi
9. Luwero: Shirley Ddamba, Sheba Kyobutungi, Nelson Mweseezi

To that end, all heads are encouraged to be ready to present something tangible at the next general meeting which is slated for this coming Friday 27th April 2007. The venue as usual is KPC central overflow upper section. See you there.
Love you all, standing with you.

Flashback: How It All Began By Mwanje Stephen

Every end of academic year at Faculty of Technology Makerere University in Kampala, Uganda all first year Engineering students stay at the university for Recess term. During this period one has to go through weeks of training in the 3 major engineering fields, one has to learn how it is for one to wear an overalls and do what the Highway Civil Engineers do, learn how Mechanical Engineers dismantle and assemble an engine, and how the Electrical Engineers work with circuits!! But amidst all this, there is a lot of time to go out to parties, go for beach bashes and link up with friends and just get to know the city.In the Recess term of the year 1999,a group of Electrical Engineering 1 class Fellowship were having their usual class fellowship meeting between the St. Francis and St. Augustine, the then class fellowship coordinator Philip Mpora came up with a seemingly crazy idea, ‘Guys let us start up a secret service(C-KRET) organisation!’ before we all went up in arms to protest and raise our concerns on the name of the organisation, he went on to explain what C-KRET really meant “Christ’s Kindness Reaching Every Tear” this is when it became clear. He went on to list the objectives of the organisation!!We all were excited about the idea and we decided to start up the group. So it all begun with a small class fellowship of about 15 people.We begun with small projects like visiting Orphanages and Street children rehabilitation Homes, we believed that even as students, with our pocket money, our basic needs, we could put something aside to make a life better, so this is how it all begun. We had a C-KRET Service Agent in each Hall of residence, who was in charge of collecting from students extra things they did not need or what they could give away (Soap, clothes, Foodstuffs, Shoes and many other things). A year later we had a vision to widen the group so we opened our doors to the whole faculty, and went on to have agents in Civil Engineering Class and Mechanical Engineering Class.Come 2002 we had to leave the university but we did not leave without making sure there were others keeping C-KRET Service alive... But even in the field the chairman for C-KRET Service Stephen Mwanje urged us to keep the fire burning and so we thought C-KRET Service has to go to the professional field. With what God has blessed us we can still bless others!!! So join us to keep C-KRET SERVICE ALIVE!!

On Campus...this week

Hello People,
this week on Friday 13th April 2007, CKRET Service on Campus is leading Tech fellowship. This is between 12pm and 1pm. Arrangements are being made on what to present and there is a preparatory meeting tomorrow [Wednesday 530pm] at Sheraton Gardens, when you enter turn to the right. Those who can make it are advised to communicate their intention to come. I encourage all of us to try and make time to be there to encourage the Campus CKRET agents.
Regards.

This Past Weekend...

Hello Sons and Daughters of the Most High,
This past sunday, 25th March we had a CKRET meeting to discuss the draft constitution. Present were Kea, Rebecca, Ivan, Edgar and Gilbert A number of people could not make it though there is still time to incoporate some of your suggestions. We were able to discuss part 1 of the constitution and soon I shall update you about the few changes that were proposed.
I hope the rest of the members can contribute by the time we meet to go over part2 of the constitution which should be in about 2weeks time.
Looking forward to when I next see you all.
Regards...

The Mulago Project...

Mulago Hospital Ministry:

As earlier reported, our scheduled visit to Mulago hospital was postponed as we did some more research. We now have enough information to move forward. But first let me tell you about something that the Makerere Medical School Christian Union is doing:
In a bid to raise funds for the hospital ministry, they are staging a play at La Bonita THEATRE.
Musical Drama: The Gift Goes On…
Date: Sunday 1st April 2007
Shows: 3pm (Students: 5,000 – 12,000) and 6pm (Evening: 8,000 – 20,000)
Tickets: La Bonita, Power fm, Kampala fm, MUK Faculties and Campus hall fellowships.
Plan to attend. Among other things the hospital ministry helps to take care of patients who are to poor to afford hospital services and treatment.

CKRET Visit:
After getting a report from the Medical Students fellowship, we have decided to buy the things that we are contributing and hand them over to the Medical students. Then what they do is to identify the particular needs and proceed to distribute what they have as need dictates. The time they go about doing this is on Thursday evenings. They meet at Galloway plaza which is the topmost floor of Galloway hall, next to Mulago Hospital between 5:00 – 5:30 pm. From there, they set off to the hospital going through the wards distributing some of the things they have, talking to patients, preaching the Word of God.
We therefore encourage those who can make it this Thursday (22nd March) to come. You can communicate your intention in case you would like them to wait for you or if you are not too sure where Galloway is. I know Lelia and Nelson are already among those who plane to go.

Luwero Follow Up:
This past Saturday, Lelia and Nelson went to check on the boys in Zirobwe; to see what progress had been made as concerns the carpenter making the windows and door and having them installed. An update shall be coming your way shortly.

Contributions:
As we go about doing this work, we need funds to enable us do it effectively and to that end I encourage all of us to contribute generously from the bottom of our hearts both financially and physically. Until we get a bank account (which can only be done after Registration) please pass your contributions to any of the following CKRET Agents: Gilbert, Isaac, Lelia, Shirley, Sheba, Nelson. Thank you in advance and May God richly bless you.

prayer

Dear Lord, let your eyes forever be on this group..bless the works of our hands. let your Name be Glorified through us and may you stretch forth your hand to heal, to deliver, to bring hope and renew the strength of the weak, oppressed, the hungry and suffering in our midst..open our eyes and hearts to the hurting and use us as your instruments..we thank you in the precious Name of Jesus, Amen.

CKRET TRIP TO ZIROBWE 8TH MARCH 2007.

Lelia chatting with Bruhan and Jamil.


Sheba, Shirley and Lelia planning for the trip to Zirobwe.

Nelson getting in on the action...


On Thursday 8th march, a few CKRET members went to see two orphans we are assisting in Kabulanaka, Zirobwe, Luwero district; one hours drive from the city centre. These were Nelson Mweseezi, Sheba Kyobutungi, Shirley Ddamba, Lelia Mbabazi, Daniel Birungi and Isaac Munanira.

Background:
The family is made up of two teenage boys Jamil and Bruhan/Bruno who lost their parents to the AIDS pandemic. They came to the attention of CKRET through a social worker who was doing work with TASO (The AIDS Support Organisation). When we found them, they had already stopped schooling and they were just surviving. Their hen project had failed after the chicken died from illness and their old house was leaking.
For the first phase, CKRET were able to construct a new three roomed house for the children. The unfinished work included; one missing iron sheet, the walls and floors were not plastered, windows were missing and so was one door.

Present:
CKRET contracted two gentlemen to help us do the work; Godfrey Kyekulidde a carpenter who is also a nearby LC1 chairman and Mr. Sulaiman Mulinda who is basically a general handyman. Mulinda helped us during the first phase to do finishing work on the house.
The boys at the moment have one hen, two goats and they generate income by also digging other peoples’ land for money and collecting firewood among other things.

For the second phase CKRET set out to have 3 wooden windows and one door made and installed. The windows and doors will be made by the carpenter and installed by the handyman.

Future:
We are looking at the following:
1. Plastering the floor.
2. Help both teenagers identify income generating activities.
3. Look at helping the children buy the piece of land on which their house is.
4. Continuing to share the gospel of Christ’s love with both teenagers.

CKRET Projects this March

Hello Lovely People,
This March we have two projects lined up so far. The first is the trip to Luwero where we helped in building a house for some orphans in Zirobwe. It is scheduled for March 8th which is Women's Day (a public holiday). We are going with funds to clear a debt we have with a carpenter we contracted to make windows and doors for the house plus some foodstuffs and an iron sheet for a section of the roof. All who are interested in coming along can confirm with Lelia 077-2835144 or Isaac 071-2806314 or by email. Meeting place is Antonio's at 8:30AM.

The second project is going to the Casuality ward, Mulago Hospital. It is slated for 10th March, in the afternoon. We intend to meet on Makerere campus, Faculty of Technology at 2pm. From there we intend to go with a number of items including but not limited to blankets, bed sheets, treated mosquito nets, towels and pyjamas to Mulago. For this particular project, CKRET is working in conjuction with the Mulago Medical Students Fellowship. Among other things the Medical students are helping us identify the need and will help in the day-to-day taking care of patients, distributing items etc.

In addition to taking them essentials, CKRET also plans to contract a firm; Bedside Services who provide nursing care - bath, dress and feed patients. The cost for this is 11,000/- per day. They may come in handy especially where patients need more attention than we can currently provide. This will be done on a case by case basis.

We are still collecting funds for the Mulago Project and therefore you contributions are welcome.
The treasurer is Shirley Ddamba, 071-2749287.

That is the latest, We look forward to seeing you there. Have a blessed day.

Previous charity work CKRET has done...

Hello People,
CKRET has been to a number of places to help disadvantaged people. Sometime it was a one of and other times, there are groups of people we assist on a frequent basis.
Frequently:

1. Dwelling Places Orphanage, Mutundwe.
2. Open Door Orphanage, Bulange/Nakulabye.
3. Nangwa Nursery school, Mukono.
4. Orphaned family, Luwero.

Occassionally/One off

1. Orphaned Family in Bukunda village, Kobonera sub-county, Masaka district.
2. Orphanage, Kikubamutwe Kabalagala.
3. Sanyu Babies home.
4. Feed My Lamb.

I will be writing paragraphs on each of the places in order to give everyone an idea of the kind of work being done at these places. CKRET Service has mainly done work with/in orphanages because children are usually the most afflicted when times get hard and they have no one to look after them. These orphanges give them a reason for living, a hope to go on.

I hope that all of you will be motivated to reach out more and more to such people in our society. Have a great week,

Adios.

In the Beginning...

Hello Everybody,
welcome to this blog where you shall be getting an inside peak into the thoughts of yours truly and perhaps a few others into what is happening in CKRET. I hope that this shall be a wonderful journey for all of us. Comments are very welcome. May you be blessed.
More to follow. Much Love,
Adios.