Topic: Week 29 (Read 3568 Times)

ccarr · « **on:** February 07, 2009, 11:02:42 AM »

Week 29

Each week we introduce you to the children of Hope Centre Burundi. We upload a picture of one child and give you their story.

Aimé Umwera

Aimé's Story

Aimé is 4 years old.

In 2006 a grenade was thrown into the house when all of Aimé's family were at home. Her parents, brothers and sisters were all killed outright as they were together in the same room. Aimé survived because she was in another room.

Pastor Leonard went to give a word of comfort to the neighbours who were mourning the family. These neighbours asked if Pastor Leonard would take care of Aimé which he agreed to do.

She is now in pre-school and is presently staying with Pastor Leonard's friends in Kamenge until the Hope Centre is completed.

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Update on - Work on Hope Centre May Have to Stop at the End of February:

This week Val and I, along with Pastor Leonard and Vincent, the site supervisor, sat down to discuss where we can get to in the project with the available funds. Basically the outcome of that meeting is that, until more funds come in, we will still have to stop most of the work on site around about the end of February. We have assessed that we should be able to finish Pastor Leonard's house to a stage where he can move in along with his family with some finishing work still to be done. Also, we believe that we may have just enough to finish the second house to a similar stage as the first. Even though we have many of the materials such as blocks, timber and some doors and windows for the third and fourth houses, for the time being anyway, we will stop work on these houses. The biggest cost for the completion of these houses will be the cement.

Having said all this, there is still a good atmosphere on site and the workmen are working hard. It has been a difficult week weather-wise with some really heavy rain and flooding around the site making it difficult to work. One of the biggest problems is that the earth and cement must be mixed as dry as possible before adding the water but even though the earth has been covered the water has mixed with the earth making it impossible to get a mix that can be used. The block making has had to stop for a few days until the weather improves.

Thursday was also a national holiday in memory of the Burundi Presidents that were assassinated. This gave the workers a well earned break.

The Benstead Family is to Visit Hope Centre:

Some of you may know our friend the Bensteads. Shortly they will be making the long journey to Burundi for a couple of weeks to assist in whatever way that they can with the work of Hope Centre. They have paid their own fares and will cover their own costs while they are here, but, before they go, they are looking for different ways to raise funds for the work of Hope Centre. Paul and the boys will be cycling from Inverness to Fort William and are already in training for that. Jill is hosting some lunches for friends and colleagues. Katrine and her boyfriend, Scott, are planning a tandem ride from Edinburgh to Glasgow. We have created pages here on the Hope Centre website specifically to keep you informed of their progress. It well worth you taking the time to read what they post as they hope to upload pictures and messages. You will be able to leave your own feedback on these pages if you register an account here: Click here for a direct link to the Benstead Family pages. or here www.HopeCentreBurundi.com/Bensteads

We have been asked by Jean McLeish, an independent journalist who is submitting an article to the "Times Educational Supplement", for a photo of our family along with some of the Hope Centre children. The article discusses our link with Crombie Primary School as part of their Global Citizenship programme. Here is the picture:

And here is a picture of Pastor Leonard's daughter Sara. I have added it here because she is a wee cutie:

All the main walls for house number one are almost complete, so next week should see the roof being fabricated:

The windows and doors are also now being fitted to house number two:

Could this be Burundi's first Burn's Supper?:

We were looking for an excuse to invite a lot of our friends round for some fun and food. What better excuse than a traditional Scottish Ceilidh and Burn's Supper? We all had such a laugh.

Many of the younger kids (and older kids and teachers!) had fun on the trampoline:

Our friends little boy, called Oren, played on the trampoline until he became very tired:

One of our good Scottish friends addressed the Haggis. Well maybe he isn't Scottish (English), and maybe the haggis wasn't traditional haggis (vegetarian), however he did very well:

If you would like to see and hear him Addressing the Haggis then check out this short movie clip:

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rakdszTsvCo[/media]

If you want to see how the Burundians and other ex-pats got on with the Scottish dancing then check out this short movie clip:

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQCsi4yrFgU[/media]

And finally, here are our boys with two of their best Burundian friends:

(click to show/hide)

Author Topic: Week 29 (Read 3568 Times)

« on: February 07, 2009, 11:02:42 AM »

ccarr

Week 29