Building in Uganda

We're now most definitely back from building in Uganda. (We've been back for a few days now, but falling back into 'real life' is hard work, and I've only just had time to surface for air!).

What an experience it was.

Check it out here:

• There's a short video describing the project and the trip on YouTube here...

• A small selection photos of the work we did are available on Facebook here.

Nine people from C3 went out on a two-week mission trip, to build part of a student house in the Suubi Watoto village. The build was extremely successful, and the team worked together really well.

It's really hard to put the trip into words; the whole thing was truly a life-changing experience. We saw the good and the bad in Uganda. The country is developing fast, recovering from a legacy of brutal dictators and a devastating aids epidemic. An estimated two million children have been left orphaned, 880,000 as a result of aids alone. Those are frightening statistics.

We witnessed the poverty and awful conditions that so many Ugandan children live in - seeing children living in ditches beside the Kampala railway lines was a moving experience. And in contrast to this, we saw the incredible change that Watoto is making in children's lives: seeing them plucked from the gutter (in many cases, quite literally) and given joy, a family, a house, an education. It's radical social action, making a real difference in these children's lives.

It was awesome to see the scope and quality of the work being done at Watoto, and a privilege to be able be a part of the project. They are currently running three villages. A fourth is being built right now in Gulu - in the aftermath of the bloody Ugandan civil war in those northern territories. It will minister to the thousands of children who have been enlisted as child soldiers, or child prostitutes.

Check out more about Watoto here.