school project

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So we havnt updated, it seems for a while. Lots has happened since we last spoke. We have had some very incouraging meetings about the project in which we are starting (the school in the slum).
When we decided to start this school project 3 and a half weeks ago, we were using an office of a guy called Moses, we bought some school supplies like wall charts, flash cards etc. Moses then identified 15 kids in the katanga slum that didn't go to school as their families couldn't afford the fees. We have been teaching 4 days a week originally with the help of a translator and another ugandan teacher (paid volunteer).
We have been progressing with the kids and have had our first official meeting (with agendas and everything) on monday 10th in which we spoke about where the 6 meeting members wanted this organisation to go. Megan and I wanted to meet with the others involved as we wanted to make this project something bigger and wanted to make sure that it would be a sustainable project even after we leave (which is in 1 and a half months). We first talked about getting in another teacher who speaks both ugandan and english to replace Megan and I while we can do lots of needed paperwork, make proposals, do the organisations accounts, write profiles for each kid, and do some backround research into the child's family. We would like it to be a project that teaches kids that can't afford school, eventually has a health, care and social worker. The project will also have a 'drop in' centre, which gives the kids that do go to school space to do homework and catch up in their school work (every child living in the slum has 1 or 2 rooms and rarely have a desk or a chair to sit on to do their work, theyoften have numerous brothers and sisters making lots of noise and it getting dark at 7 means there is not much time to do axtra studies). The projects aim is, in the longrun, to have these kids sponsered to go to a local school, full time. Which will mean that the school we run will act as a catch up class to gett the kids to a same level or as near as we can to kids learning abilities their own age.
Because of all this (english teachers always hated me starting a sentence with because) we thought it was a nessesity to moving location, out of a small office and into a house double the size still in the katanga slum. We have options to buy or rent the new building with it being hugely more appropriate to buy the place out right. We have electricity bills to take into consideration, food and drink for the kids snacks, and volunteer wages for the 2 teachers (despite them being volunteers they are putting in 14 hours teaching time a week plus preparation time each evening for each session).
We have the help of our good friend Francis (the social worker) to help us with child profiles and back round information. He is one member of the 'commity' along with Megan and myself, Moses and Joshua (the people with the vision) and Afisha who has been put in charge of the project for the long term and is one of the teachers.
We have a lot of hard things to think about and lots of intense work to do and a lot of hours praying over the next 1 and a half months to make sure this is a good a right thing for us to invest time and money into. In megan's words 'we are enthused' as it is a project which is needed within this community and will beneft huge amounts of kids and households.
We will appreciate all sorts of prayer regarding this whole project and we thank you all for sponsering us on our cycle ride to help these kids.

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