Day Five - The team leave the drop in centre

So the week is drawing to a close – today is Friday and we’re spending our second-to-last day at the centre with the boys. They don’t usually come in to the drop-in centre at the weekend, but are making an exception for a kids party and what’s sure to be a very sad goodbye on Sunday.

Today the team leader’s hat was handed over to firefighter James Martin for a musical-themed day, he’s the most tuneful of the group by a long way by virtue of being able to play a single instrument and sing without upsetting people. We handed out maracas, tambourines, triangles and whistles to the horror of the Retrak staff and set off on a rendition of ‘I am the Music Man’ in which all the kids copied Jim’s northern accent to brilliant effect.

The boys showed us just how musical they are, to  the point that after an hour the neighbours complained. Everyone stopped, but the banging continued – it was one of our team who had been locked in the medical room the whole time.

In the afternoon we spent time with the boys decorating and personalising their clothes – most of them only have one set of clothes so we spent a few hours fixing them and teaching them to sew. Our lessons obviously weren’t that good as one lad managed to sew his jeans to his underwear.

Quieter activities gave us more chance to communicate with the boys which is still quite difficult as they have about ten words of English at most. We’re getting better at understanding each other though – with a little translation help from the staff. It turns out we’d misunderstood Yared – he has been on the streets here because his mother died, his father found a new partner and as is often the case here , the new couple don’t want any existing children. He doesn’t want to be a builder, but wants to learn to repair mobile phones and dreams of building his own house.

The staff here are amazing. Street kids are viewed by many as a nuisance and so working with them can be met by bewilderment from others in the community. There are teachers, counsellors, a nurse, cooks and a team of social workers. We’ve made firm friends and it clear how passionate they are about their work. The social workers are on the streets at 5:30 each morning and again in the evening talking to street kids and convincing them that Retrak offers a better alternative.

Thursday, November 21, 2013 - Group arrives in Ethiopia

There were 11,000 children living on the streets of Addis Ababa at the last count. Retrak’s mission is to offer these children an alternative; a bed, an education and eventually to reunite them with their families or foster parents.

We are here with 14 colleagues from GMP and GMFRS to witness their work first hand, offer respite to the few staff here in Addis and try to help restore these children’s faith in adults.

We arrived at 1am by our watches, although here it’s 2006, which makes Joe a teenager and Sam slightly closer to 30.  We were greeted at the airport by.. er... nobody - our bus and our driver having never existed.

After a lengthy telephone struggle we sat tight until Kathleen from Retrak UK came to rescue us. We had to rearrange taxis for the group, which meant a fraught semi-argument with about 20 taxis and several men with AK47s. Gary (of GMFRS) helpfully pointed out that these guns had at least two bullets for each of us.

We got in the last taxi and unclenched our sphincters only to discover 20 minutes later that our taxi driver had no clue where the hotel might be, and was himself very lost. Our thoughts of kidnap disappeared by the time the driver resorted to screaming the name of our hotel out of the window at anyone who would listen. An hour later and several off-road detours through rubble we staggered into our 4am beds in the wonderful Ebenezer Guest House (advertised for its ‘safe and quality stairs’ – which it does indeed have).

A 7am start did not feel good. The strongest coffee known to man went some way to help.

Firdaku, our driver for the week, skilfully and seemingly impossibly avoided all collisions on the way across the construction site that is Addis Ababa, bringing us alive to Retrak’s drop-in centre, located right by the bus station, where most children arrive in the city for the first time.

We were greeted by noise, chaos, handshakes, grinning faces, shouts of ‘Salam’ (hello!), friendly shoulder bashes and an almost immediate spontaneous game of football. Football here means everyone chasing a ball, often with one or no shoes, laughing, shouting and kicking until it goes over a wall.

At the moment here, the doors of the centre are open to around 60 young boys, each around 14-16 years old.  Usually it’s a much wider range of ages but the charity has recently been funded by an international research grant which obliges them to focus on this age range for the next three months. The staff here explain that girls are cared for by a sister charity, but they have different needs and there are not many on the streets as they are quickly swept up into prostitution or domestic slavery.

We were taken into the classroom for a briefing from Lynn, Retrak Country Director, about the do’s, don’ts, cultural expectations and generally how to properly interact and safeguard the kids, then spent much of the rest of the afternoon playing every ball game at once and getting to know the lads. Three hours of tennis-badminton-basket-football later we headed back to the hotel elated.

After dinner we were picked up for the night bus tour, which was easily the single most harrowing thing either of us have ever experienced.

It’s hard to really do it justice with words. We drove through the roads which are usually used by street children, many of whom don’t ever sleep at night for fear of abuse or violence. It was like a scene from a post-apocalyptic movie; piles of tiny sleeping bodies, piles of rubble and young girls outside brothels.

The sheer number of kids we saw on the street was staggering. The disparity between those scenes and the happy children we spent the afternoon with was a shock, and really drove home the importance of the work that Retrak do.

Joe Hulme and Sam Pickles

Friday, Novmeber 8, 2013 - Dancing and lunch for 121 children!

What a brilliant end to a brilliant week! Today was our last full day of activities and interaction with the kids (although we will be popping in tomorrow) before most of the group fly home.

We have spent the full day at the Tiger club which is the original drop-in centre in Kampala. The day started with some games involving mime as not all of the kids speak English as we don't speak Lugandan. This created many laughs with the highlight being Sir Peter Fahy the GMP Chief Constable doing the Gangnam Style dance! The way Sir Peter is with the children and the way he is with us, has to be admired. He is not afraid to sing, dance and make a fool of himself and for that I have a huge respect.

After the games we all went with the children and the staff to a local football pitch. I say football pitch but in reality it was an area of dirt with some welded together metal acting as goals. It is only a five-minute walk from the centre but when we arrived the atmosphere was very different. Lots of people following us and watching to see what was happening and where we were going.

A gentleman wearing a helmet, swimming goggles and a huge coat followed us and decided to expose himself to some of the group! Just a general feeling of uncomfortableness came over me for the first time on either this or last year's trip. This feeling soon left me.

We organised a huge football tournament with the kids from the centre and other kids who had come to play as they do every Friday. Retrak use football as an "Outreach". An outreach is where kids come, play and interact with the Retrak staff giving the staff the opportunity to talk to them and offer help if needed! This is done so very well.

After the tournament all the kids are sat down and it is explained to them how football can help them! It gives them exercise, helps them make friends and teaches them teamwork and respect (for the referee). The staff then introduce Retrak and get some of the kids currently staying at the centre to explain the benefits to the new kids. We finished by praying together and then all 121 kids plus staff members and volunteers went back to the centre to enjoy lovely lunch.

Retrak play football at that pitch every Friday and then on the first Friday of each month invite boys not staying at the centre for lunch. This gives Retrak the opportunity to get the names and ages of the new boys and starts to breakdown emotional barriers. After lunch we had a huge Ugandan disco where everyone sang and danced for hours. Everyone was laughing and joking and the problems these kids face seemed so far away.

You will remember, from a previous blog, me talking about a little boy called Omar who I met last year. As I explained, Omar is unfortunately back living on the streets after a couple of attempts to reintroduce him to his family. Omar came to football and to lunch today and it was amazing to see him again. The staff were telling me how Omar has very different problems to a lot of the other kids. He is a fantastic dancer and feels that he can do better for himself on the streets. He is currently dancing on the streets and getting tips from people. He seems to think that this will lead him to fame and fortune and has previously been encouraged by other boys to find a way to get to America to fulfil his dream. I prey that he does catch a break and that in a few years he is making millions of pounds and staring on MTV. The reality is though his chances are very very slim and a better life would be receiving proper education with a stable family.

However, today we revived lots of positive news on some of the boys we met last year. Of the six we asked about, five had returned home and were now back in school and living with their families once more! Tonight we are going out for a meal with all of the staff who work for Retrak here in Uganda and formally end our week. It's difficult to sum up the week. It has been a real mix of emotions and thoughts.

Seeing the developments that Retrak in Uganda have made in 12 months only drives me to raise more funds for this fantastic charity. I am aware of the stigma that many charities have but I can assure you that all money is being used to the best of their ability and they are reaching out and helping as many kids as they can! There are so many children in so many countries that need help. As I said earlier in the week we are just scratching the surface here in Uganda but if we keep scratching away eventually we will get there and ensure all kids deserve the chance and opportunities that they deserve!

Retrak provide the love, support, medical care, sports, friends and guidance that any child could want! They really are making a difference!

Adam

Thursday, November 7, 2013 – Tudabuja, Lake Victoria

Today is the day I have been looking forward to since I found out I was coming back to Uganda!

Tudabuja is the halfway house for the Retrak charity. During the kids' time at one of the two drop-in centres in Kampala, the staff start to rebuild their confidence in adults and themselves. Once a child's social workers think that they are ready for the next level they move to the halfway house.

This is the next phase of their Retrak journey where they are welcomed into a family setting, receive schooling, and learn life skills such as cooking, cleaning and farm skills.

On arriving at Tudabuja, each child is assigned to a cottage and a Mama. It is through the tutoring and stewardship of this Mama that they really change. The children we have met at each of the drop-in centres are still street children in terms of their actions and thoughts. They would still be tempted to grab anything of value they could get their hands on and run to the nearest slum to sell it.

However, there is a noticeable difference in the kids at the halfway house. They have begun to learn the rights and wrongs in life. They are polite, considerate and well mannered. They are receiving regular, structured education and that tells in the way they speak to you.

As well as a school, Tudabuja also has a farm consisting of pigs, goats, chickens and a cow. Alongside these animals are fruits and vegetables that each child is able to spend time cultivating and sell to local villagers. The money they make is kept for them and given back when they return home to their families and can be used for school fees or new clothes etc. The farming skills they learn alongside their schooling means that when they return home they have the skills to work and provide money for the family and the knowledge to go straight back to school to continue their education.

The halfway house is set in the country, surrounded by a few local villages. It overlooks the stunning and picturesque Lake Victoria and provides a peaceful and tranquil environment for the children to grow and fulfil the potential that each of them undoubtedly has.

The staff at Tudabuja do an amazing job and sacrifice a lot of their own life to support the kids! The Mamas work 24 hours a day for 5 days and then get 4 days off to spend with their own families. They teach, support and counsel the kids and are the people they turn to in their time of need!

Teacher Michael deserves a special mention! He is without doubt the most positive, supportive and loving person I have ever met. He is creative and exuberant, passionate and caring. The children all love him and the level or trust and respect they show him is a credit to the hard work he puts in! Tudabuja holds a very special place in my heart. I think that this is because it reminds me of a place I spent a lot of time as a child that every time I think of makes me smile.

I hope that the children who are lucky enough to spend time at Tudabuja feel the same way at the halfway house as I do about my "special place".

Adam

Yesterday we spent our last day with the children at the new centre Bulamu, which was quite an emotional roller coaster! The girls in our group were given the privilege of sitting with the girls at the centre in a private group.

The young girls at the centre chose to share their stories of why and how they had ended up on the streets, which was heartbreaking. One girl told us about being threatened with murder and then being hung from a tree by a rope, being told to swallow poison and then eventually forced into prostitution to pay her way. This girl was only 15-years-old and all of her abuse was because of her father and stepmother, which was shocking to say the least.

The girls were so brave and some of the group then did a pamper session with them painting their nails and giving them hair accessories etc. Their faces were a picture with the biggest beaming smiles!

We spent the rest of the day dancing in the rain with all of the children for hours, which was so uplifting until we had to say goodbye. The children cried then we cried more! An emotional yet fantastic day all round!

Today was great to visit the halfway home and see the huge difference in the children there with brilliant structure and classroom activities not to mention the love they are shown by the mamas and papas who look after them.

I worked with the girls from Reclaim to do some sessions on self-esteem with the children. We asked them what they wanted from home once they are reunited and the answers were very humbling 'to have my mother love me and I will love her back' and 'to go to school and have my health'.

Again, the children danced all afternoon and put the English to shame with their brilliant dance moves and rhythm! Another fantastic day in Uganda – a country full of smiles and wonderful children!

Laura

Wednesday, November 6, 2013 - Team get a warm welcome in Baluga!

It wouldn't matter if you visited a Retrak project 10 times, you still cannot prepare yourself emotionally for some of the things you see and stories you hear.

All these kids want and need is a chance. They are so intelligent and hardworking, it is staggering! We have met kids who want to be lawyers or pastors and undoubtedly have the capability to do it...if they had a chance. Even if the Retrak programme succeeds and they are returned home to their families the reality is that there probably won't be the finances available to support their education.

They all have harrowing stories to tell and some with share them with you. Today the ladies in the group spent some time with the young girls and their stories have rocked the group. Very young girls being tied up in trees, threats to kill, beatings, sexual abuse...the list is endless!

To see these kids happy and loved within the safety of the Retrak centre fills me with joy and makes all the hard work of fundraising worthwhile.

Adam

Guest blog by Phil Jackson:

Adam has asked me to do a 'guest blog' which for those of you that know me is not my kind of thing, I would normally just put my name on something someone else had wrote for us both, but on this occasion I said I would like to so here goes...

The day started early with the taxi ride, I have never been in a vehicle bigger than a people carrier with 16 people plus bags! The traffic out here can only be described as madness! There are no rules, if the traffic is bad motorbikes use the pavement, there is no give way to the right on a roundabout it is just a free-for-all!

We arrive in Baluga to a warm welcome by the children and also the staff by this point the temperature was exceeding anything I have ever experienced in England at the height of summer and it's only 9am. Most of the centre still needed the second coat of paint to finish then we could have an afternoon with the kids playing football etc. So we decided to crack on early doors and get it done!

Then came lunch - rice, potatoes, beef (they only have meat once a week) and also a fish heads an innards soup… of course I tried it!

After lunch we were asked to give the staff some fire safety training, coving how to use fire extinguishers and basic fire drills and then it was out with the kids playing dodgeball, football and dancing! Every kid in Africa has amazing rhythm and I looked like Peter Crouch on a bad day - but they did like the robot.  The African storms then hit us immense heat and also rain like I have never seen before but it did not stop us the football, dancing continued!

Then we were all asked to come into the main part of the building where we had painted the previous day this room is where the kids sleep at night with a small piece of foam on the floor which then gets removed by day to make way for a classroom! When we were all sat down the kids and staff from the centre joined us, they had prepared us a poem about love, three of the kids presented it to us and it was very touching. These kids have had no love in their lives but have found some at the Retrak centres! Then the kids presented us with a thank you gift they had made! A plaque to GMFRS and GMP!

Then came the emotional part of the day saying goodbye, with children clinging onto your arms and legs asking if you will return and if you can take them home with you, maybe one of the hardest and most emotional experiences of my life and the next two days will be the same as we say goodbye to more kids we have developed a relationship with over the last week!

To sum up my view Africa is an amazing country with amazing people! But with massive problems no child should have to worry about where they are sleeping at night and where their next drink will come from.

Phil Jackson

Tuesday, November 5, 2013 - A very emotional day

Today has been like a rollercoaster of emotions!

Some brilliant moments of interaction with the kids, some emotional moment then some news that I just wasn't prepared for that has really upset me.

We started the day by travelling to Retrak's new centre in Kampala. It has been open since March, so I didn't see it last year and houses both boys and girls. The journey was made by minibus and was packed full of near misses!

No-one takes any notice of the very few traffic lights that there are. There is no such thing as give way. Any the motorbikes (or buda-budas as they are called here) nip in and out of the traffic and up over the pavements if required. It is a different world where the police sit back and let things happen and just don't get involved unless it is very, very serious!

Once "safely" at the centre we met all the staff and all made our introductions. This centre differs greatly to the "tiger club" we visited yesterday. The Tiger Club is a drop-in centre where the kids are free to come and go as they please. They can pop in for their lunch and then leave again. Get medical attention then leave. Or can stay at the centre and receive everything that Retrak has to offer them.

The new centre is very different. The children at this centre do not come and go as they please. If they want to get involved in the Retrak program they commit to it and receive all the support, education, medical attention and love that they need. After a tour of the centre, myself and Phil took the staff for first aid training. As with the session yesterday we focused on the injuries and illnesses that the staff are likely to encounter to ensure they can give any child the treatment they need.

The rest of the group started painting the inside and outside of the building. It has only been in the possession of Retrak since September and so there is a lot of work to do on it. Today we have given most of the walls their first coat and are returning tomorrow for the 2nd coat and finishing touches. As the painting was taking place we took it in turns in entertaining the kids. Playing football and doing relay races etc.

Towards the end of the day we sat down with the children and three of them told us their stories – explaining why they had ended up on the streets and what Retrak had done to help them. One little boy, who is 13 years old, explained how he had been beaten by his father and so ran away. He was then rounded up by the police for living on the streets and was twice spent to prison, the second time for one and a half years. He returned home once more only to be caned and so once more ran away.

This time he got introduced to Retrak by someone he met on the streets and his life has changed so much. He thanked Retrak for everything they had done for him and we all fought back the tears. Tomorrow we are going to be hearing the stories of more of the boys as well as some of the girls.

The girls at the centre have already requested to speak to us in private away from the boys which can only mean they have some serious stories to tell us. I can sense tomorrow is going to be emotionally challenging.

At the end of the day we returned to the hotel to meet up with the rest of the group who have been on the slum walk today. They walked the same route as we did yesterday but the very nature of the slums means they see and feel different things.

Those of you who saw some of the photos from last year may remember a young boy sat on my shoulder posing for a photo. His name is Omar and he is 12 years old. He was staying at the Tiger Club when we visited last year and was a key part of the club. He had a way of entertaining everyone and instantly brought at smile to your safe. Rightly or wrongly he was everyone's favourite. Sadly the group on today's slum walk came across Omar living back in the slums. Retrak have twice tried to take Omar on a visit back to his family and both times he has ran away. The work that Retrak do is fantastic. However nothing they do comes with guarantees. They can provide as much counselling and support as they can but some of these children have been through unimaginable experiences and abuse that may never be overcome.

Sadly, it appears Omar may be one of these children and I have to admit to being heartbroken. I came back this year hoping that when I asked after him I would be told he was still his usual happy self but now doing it with the love of his family. This sadly is not the case and the news has hit me harder than I ever thought possible. I just want to talk to him and see him again and hope the week gives me the opportunity. I am truly devastated. The great thing is that Retrak never give up on any child. They will continue to love, support and council any child, whether they have tried to take them homet two, three or four times.

I cannot explain the dedication being shown by the staff of Retrak in Uganda and there are so many children who return home and are happy there once more. In our week here we only see a small proportion of the children that Retrak help each year.

The Omar news is devastating to me because I got on so well with him and in reality I must not let this take away from the other boys and girls who have been happily reunited with their families! What a day!

Adam

This is just a little add on to Adam's heartfelt blog as our days differ slightly. As Adam said we were at the new centre which was absolutely fantastic and a real uplifting day to see the children really settled and thriving in a stable environment and you can see they have come such a long way from their lives in the slums.

Personally, this was a real joy today and different to yesterday where the slums had hit me harder than I ever expected. Seeing children living in the slums and as young as six-yearsold very high from sniffing aviation fuel and adults openly selling this to them was astonishing. I was with the outreach worker from Retrak when we visited the slums and we spotted a child who we thought was asleep on a plank of wood, the worker shook the child repeatedly but he didn't move or open his eyes and it was then that I thought this child had actually died, the feelings I had then are quite indescribable.

Thankfully, he was alive, slowly opening his eyes and then retuning back to his much needed rest. I'm so pleased to see the stark contrast today at the Retrak centre where they are given much needed services and importantly, love and care. Whilst Adam and Phil delivered the training and the others painted, one of the Greater Manchester Police officers and myself created a sports and activities session using the football kits we brought with us and the children loved it!

It's overwhelming to see the difference which Retrak makes and I'm so thankful of the work they continue to do for these children! 

Laura Saidler

Monday, November 4, 2013 - Tiger Club House, Kampala

Sometimes in life things happen that make you realise just how lucky you are. It can be something so simple that you don't even think about but then the reaction of another person makes it really hit home! Let me explain...

Today we have been with the children who call the drop-in-centre (called "Tiger Club") their home. We arrived to an amazing reception with every child eager for a high-five or fist pump and desperate to show that they have remembered all our names from yesterday. 

We spent the first half hour or so chatting with the kids and reacquainting ourselves with them. Next it was time for our briefing for the slum walk. When heading into the slums anything of any value has to be removed. The people living there are desperate for anything they can possibly find that will raise them some money. This money can then be used to feed their family or in many cases for drugs, glue to sniff or aviation fuel to sniff. 

We witnessed several "transactions" between people in broad daylight and in full view of any passing police officer. However, the problem is so widespread that there is nothing that they can do.  Young kids fast asleep on piles of rubbish. Open fires everywhere being used for cooking. Fighting. Theft. Homelessness. I could go on and on. 

What it makes you realise is that all of this work that we and Retrak are doing is merely scratching the surface. At any one time Retrak helps around 100 homeless children. 

However in the 1999 census, 10,000 homeless children were registered in Kampala! This number will only have gone up since then. 

Scratching the surface though is better than doing nothing at all and to witness where these kids have come from, to what Retrak offers them is fantastic and only inspires me to do more to help. Three homeless children came back with us to the drop in centre after we got chatting to them in the slums and explaining what Retrak could do to help them. I hope and pray that we have made a difference to those young boy's lives and that they make the most of what Retrak can offer them.

Lunch was with the kids today. A plate of rice, kidney beans and cabbage which was very tasty and very filling. It was great to eat with the kids and they certainly appreciated us eating the same food as them and eating with our hands as they do. They want us to be part of their group and to be our friends. 

Phil, Laura and I spent the first part of the afternoon with the Retrak staff teaching first aid and fire safety. We covered basic first aid topics such as CPR and the recovery position as well as how to deal with a variety of different injuries. We tailored the session to suit the needs of the staff. Focussing on injuries that are most common to them such as stabbings, heavy bleeding and burns. We talked through the best ways of treating the injuries and stressed how important it is to get proper medical care as soon as possible. We take for granted that when we call for an ambulance, one will arrive pretty quickly. In Uganda ambulances have been known to simply not arrive or the caller is told there is no fuel to run the ambulance. The same is true of the fire service who has been known to turn up with no water if they arrive at all.

The rest of the afternoon was spent playing games, doing arts and crafts and just generally interacting with the kids. Highlight of the training was being asked "if my arms get tired doing CPR can I stand up and stamp on their chest with my foot instead?" Er.....no!

The kids are a joy to be with. Their enthusiasm is inspiring and smiles infectious. These kids literally have the clothes on their back and nothing else but not once do they cry or whine. They throw themselves into any activity you set for them and thank you almost hourly for spending time with them and travelling to their country to help them.

After all this though my moment of realisation came. I was sat talking to a 16-year-old boy about football. We discussed which teams we supported and the differences between football fans in Uganda and England. This boy was a Manchester United fan, we talked about his favourite players past and present. I asked him if he had ever been to a football match to which he replied he hadn't and had only seen them on TV. I told him I lived 10 minutes from Old Trafford and saw the stadium most days. At this point he became visibly upset and told me it was his dream to watch Manchester United play at Old Trafford. I take going to a football match for granted. I could go several times a year and not really think about it. The same thing is this young boy’s life dream.

It's moments like this that makes me realise how incredibly lucky I am. Own home, loving family, great friends, good job, car, annual holiday. All these things make up my life and most of the time I don't even think about it. 

Sitting tonight I realise just how privileged I am. Last year’s visit changed my outlook on life but this year’s trip is compounding those feelings.

People less fortunate than ourselves need our help both at home and abroad and if we can all do our little bit and "scratch the surface", life can be better for these kids and more of them can achieve their "life dream"!

Adam

Sunday, November 3, 2013 - Kampala, Uganda.

Today is our first proper day in Uganda.

The first thing to hit when you wake up is the heat and humidity! The temperature last night didn't drop below 23 Celsius making sleep very difficult even though we were all shattered after 21 hours of travel.

The flights took us from Manchester to Amsterdam and then Amsterdam to Uganda via Rwanda. Was quite strange flying past Uganda for what was effectively a 30 minute "bus stop" in Rwanda and then flying back up Africa to Uganda. It did however mean that, for a short while, we crossed over the equator into the Southern Hemisphere (a first for most of us on the trip).

Once we arrived at Entebbe Airport in Uganda we were picked up in a minibus by two of the Retrak charity staff. We loaded up and set off on the 45 minute journey to Kampala. We arrived at the hotel and the very early hours and it was straight to bed! As I said, sleep was difficult due to the heat...and probably the excitement too!!!

We started our day today with a security briefing. Last year when I came the security briefing was quite brief and covered the basic points. This year however it has been very different. As you will be aware there is a heighten state of alertness in Africa after the recent bombings in Nairobi. The head of police came to speak to us and scared quite a few people by saying we shouldn't walk anywhere and even have armed guards with us on the minibus. The reality is that we have all agreed to walk to the centre (about a 20 minute road) to allow is to see more of the city and get a feel for the "real" Uganda.

After lunch we took the walk to the drop in centre to see the kids for the first time. The centre is located right next to a slum and so there are always kids coming and going, receiving food, medical care and education. Some of the kids choose to sleep there too.

For me returning again it was a very emotional experience! To see the difference in the centre and the improvements that have been made using the monies raised by our hard work really was fantastic!

Last year when I came the kids were sleeping on dirty, ripped foam on the floor. Today they are sleeping on bunk beds with mosquito nets and proper bedding. Such a simple thing as a bed that we take for granted every night is so appreciated by these children. The centre has also gained a class room since last year. Instead of the kids eating, sleeping and playing in the same room they now have three separate areas. Again such a simple thing, but it means the world to them! 

We spent the rest of the afternoon introducing ourselves to the kids and them to us. We were also able to witness an eclipse high above the centre that the kids found fascinating. I really didn't think I would be watching an eclipse through an old X-ray film with 20 homeless African children. Simply brilliant. We sang songs (you'll never walk alone and blue moon) and hymns, danced, played games and just generally enjoyed our first day with the kids. 

Coming back for the second year I was worried it may not live up to my trip last year. I needn't have worried! Already I can tell that this week is going to be equally as rewarding and life changing. It's a real privilege to be here and making a difference!

Adam

Saturday, November 2, 2013 (4am) - GMFRS staff head to Uganda to help street children

After months of planning, preparation, scrounging and fundraising our trip to Uganda has arrived! 

Currently sat at a very foggy Manchester Airport with the rest of the group feeling excited and nervous!

In this first blog we I tell you a little bit about what we are going to be doing in Uganda, along with the nine month journey that has brought us here!

Last year the opportunity to work in partnership with GMP and a Cheadle based charity called Retrak was advertised on the staff intranet giving two GMFRS staff members the chance to travel to Uganda to help some of the many homeless children living on the streets of its capital city, Kampala. So successful was the trip, that this year the number of opportunities had been increased and GMFRS has three staff going out to Uganda - myself Adam Postlethwaite, Laura Saidler and Philip Jackson - and five are going to Ethiopia later on in November.

Retrak is a charity that gives homeless children shelter, medical aid and education. They help them regain lost confidence, teach them to read and write and most importantly teach them life skills (such as farming, cooking and cleaning) that will make a huge difference to them when they leave the security of Retrak. 

Where Retrak really differs from other charities is that its involvement does not end there! They actively reintegrate the children back into their families, giving the help and support that they need along the way.

Retrak runs on donations from the public and on monies raised by volunteers. Once accepted for the trip to Uganda each person was tasked with raising £2,000which helps fund the amazing work done by Retrak. This had been done in a variety of ways from bag packing to bucket shakes, quiz nights to canoe days! Everyone has their own way of fundraising and we have all helped each other out meaning we have already bonded as a team before we even fly off!

The opportunity to build relationships with GMP is also a benefit both on a personal and professional level. Many times we see them and work alongside them on incidents in high pressure or time critical situations. However, having the chance to talk to them on a social level and get to know the real them can only have a positive impact on our working relationships.

We have been allowed two suitcases each by the airline and so we have filled one suitcase with our own clothes and the second one with things for the kids. We have a collection of clothes, crayons, balloons, football boots, footballs, paints and anything else that can help make the kids’ lives better if only for a short while! Most of these things have been donated from local businesses, football clubs or friends and family - so we owe them a huge thank you!

While in Uganda we will be helping decorate the centres where the kids eat, sleep and play in as well as teaching basic first aid, fire drills and anything else that is required by the charity. 

Each day we will be updating you as to what we have been doing and uploading photos as we go.

This is amazing opportunity that we have all worked hard towards all year and the group is determined to make the most of it, both in terms of personal experience and to help the kids as much as we can!

Anyway it's time to board our first of two flights today!  Firstly we are flying to Amsterdam then on to Uganda via Ruanda so a very long day ahead for us all!

Until tomorrow...

Adam