Teaching the Ugandan children how to craft for the first time

The photos tell the story best, but I’ll try to put some words in for punctuation.

Saturday morning Phiona and I joined with our friends, Jessalyn and George Lwanga to visit the children at the orphanage. I brought a special craft to do with them that my friend Laura at home helped me prepare. During Kira’s naptime Laura helped cut out cards, christmas trees, and stamp lines on cards so the children could make some home made Christmas cards!

We divided the children into groups. One group listened to stories that Jessalyn read aloud and Adams interpreted into Lugandan.

The other group set at the tables and we taught them how to make the cards with different crafting techniques.

They glued shapes. They learned to use paper punch that makes shapes like stars and snowflakes. They learned to stamp with ink. They used stickers. And they really loved using the glitter glue.

Their intense concentration and creativity was incredible. Everyone got in on the fun. The big boys were crafting! The adults wanted to have a try.

And there was so much pride in in their work.

creations drying — the creations are drying

If I had been really smart, I could have the children make hundreds of cards all week long and then this could raise money for them. I will tuck that away as a fundraising opportunity in the future.

It was busy and fun for all. On the way back to the guesthouse, I slept so deeply I wasn’t sure where I was when I awoke!

Herb and Ellen took us out for a lovely dinner at the Serena Hotel, which is like a palace in the center of rural Africa. What a strange contrast, yet, as Herb says, it is the epitome of the political scene in Africa.