Greetings from Uganda!
Today will be the last update from Africa! Tomorrow we will be leaving Masaka, and traveling to Entebbe to catch our flight home. We’ll certainly be sad to be saying goodbye.
Today we met with Bishop Kaggwa to continue sharing about the partnership between MPA and the Cow Project. There has been so much growth and so much progress because of our partnership, because of the commitment of the diocese, and because of the hard work of the people. It was wonderful just to have the chance to review were we started, how far we’ve have come and dreams about how far we hope to go. Of the second hundred cows we have donated, 15 have been handed over so far, 5 more this afternoon and 58 families ready and will receive their cows shortly. Many more families and individuals are close to completion and will receive their cows soon as their training and preparations are completed. 3 parishes will receive a cow and one convent has already received a cow. The income will help with securing water systems for the schools. Bishop told us many more applications are coming in daily. He asked us to please convey his and his people’s gratitude for all that we done and will do for the people here.
After the meeting, we took a long and bumpy drive to an outlying parish of the Masaka Diocese to participate in a cow handing over ceremony. We arrived to singing and ululating cries of excitement. The program began after Jane Semaganda showed us all the work she and her husband had done to get ready for their cow. There were many speeches thanking MPA donors for caring and opening their hearts to the people of Uganda. The women began dancing for us and of course we joined in with the dancing. The excitement was palpable as we waited for the cows to arrive! Right in the middle of their dance, however, they saw the cows arrive by truck and immediately the singing became louder and more animated. The men joined in and banged on all the drums available. Because they did not have planks to unload the cows, they had back the truck up to a large dirt mound for the cows to jump off. Sister Toni handed over the cow to Joachim and Jane Semaganda and they led the heifer into the pen. Jane was actually jumping for joy! Of course the ceremony was not complete without a lot more singing, dancing, and traditional African food cooked over a fire behind the house. MPA donors were thanked and thanked and thanked. So much joy!
The whole day was exhilarating and left us overjoyed to have seen and heard every gratitude for helping our sisters and brothers here in Africa.
See ya back in the States!
Claire and Sister Toni
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