AMI Marine is again proud to be supporting our friends at the Namuwongo Community Foundation (NCF). This charity funded school provides vital education to unprivilaged kids living within a very poor community.

Here is their latest update and emergency appeal.

Dear Friends

It has been some time since our last communication when we were celebrating an unusual Virtual Open Gardens event with you.  These COVID times have been something of a challenge for many of us and especially for our Ugandan Friends.  Currently, the schools, colleges, and Universities are all closed until further notice.  The president is conducting a study into the feasibility of reopening educational establishments, initially only for pupils and students in examination classes with the recommendation that all other students will have to repeat the academic year.

Many of our students and families are struggling.  With strict curfews in place, limited access to transport, and spiralling costs of everyday provisions, times are exceptionally hard. However, we are pleased to report that because of all of your support, our staff and facility is operational and payroll has been met throughout.  The children however have not been so fortunate.  We have received news of how the pandemic is disproportionately affecting the poorest people. Incidences of malaria, TB, and malnutrition as well as arranged childhood marriages are all on the rise. This is accompanied by the slow down in the economy, especially where unskilled labour is concerned, which of course means that many are unable to put food on their tables.

What’s happening in Uganda?

Our director in Uganda, Christine Kasapuli, has been in regular contact to keep us updated and so we were able to ask her how we could best help.  Her immediate response was that food and basic supplies were in desperate need.  With this in mind, Matthew (Chair of Trustees in the UK) got his thinking cap on and decided that a fundraiser for Emergency Relief would be an appropriate response.  In the Primary school, there are around 270 children registered so if an emergency parcel were available for each Childs family this would have a hugely positive impact.  An idea began to form and developed into an ambitious challenge, namely cycling over 1000 miles through the National Parks of England.

The Challenge

As I write the challenge is well underway taking place between September 2nd – 18th as follows:-

2nd  – Dartmoor
3rd – Exmoor
5th – South Downs
6th – New Forest
10th – Brecon Beacons
11th – Snowdonia
12th – Peaks
13th – Dales
14th – day off in Lakes
15th – Lakes
16th – Northumberland
17th – North Yorkshire Moors
18th – Norfolk Broads

If you have access to Facebook then look up the Friends of Namuwongo Community Foundation page and you can enjoy looking at some photos and updates as the challenge is in progress. The team of cyclists consists of:-

Matthew Brearley, John Paulson, Moz Malpeidi, Perry Letcher, and on two legs of the challenge,  Tim Matthews.

You can support the challenge by going to

https://www.give.net/NationalPark1000/fundraising 

The challenge started with wanting to provide for all of the Primary children but has already exceeded our expectations so we will be able to fund further packages for the older students.  Thank you so very much to all of our generous friends, and of course, to the dedicated team of cyclists, you are all amazing!

With our thanks and very best wishes to all of you,

Matthew, Nicola, Steve, Liz, John, and Sue (Trustees of Friends of Namuwongo Community Foundation).