Tuesday, December 28, 2010

On Our Way to Uganda

So today's the day we leave for Uganda. I'm sitting here in my nightie, not yet fully packed and not quite believing that we're going. It seems to have come up so quickly. Just before we go, though, I wanted to give a huge, huge thank you to all the people who have contributed in so many ways to the Kitambaa Sewing Project. Just to mention a couple - I found the gift pictured above in my mailbox on Christmas Eve. It's from two small children - Hailey and Tanner Sanders - who must have collected small change from friends and family in order to make a donation to the grandmothers. The box of embroidery thread below came our way from the Fredericton
Quilters' Guild. And there have been oodles of dresses and shoes donated by local folks - from the Black Fin Pub and from Comox Massage Centre, to name just a couple. Joan and I managed to get most of these packed into four large totes, and all being well, will meet up with them again in Entebbe.
And then just before Christmas, the last photo was sent to us from Rubingo, where Alice's new sewing school not has had its doors and windows added. It will be terrifically exciting to see it first hand, as well as to see all the Bitengye Designers again. All being well, I will post to my blog several times a week (it always is a bit iffy. So you will be able to follow along on our advantures with us. Until then, thank you, thank you, thank you, for all your support and well wishes and kindnesses to the Bitengye Designers and to us. We will greet the women on behalf of all of you. And have a very Happy New Year!



3 comments:

  1. Joanne, Armstrong, BCDecember 28, 2010 at 11:59 AM

    thinking of you as you travel - hope that your aircraft fly above the snowstorms and land at airports without weather issues.
    That is so neat to see Alice's school - a far cry from the pile of bricks in a post of two years ago. I am anxious to see photos of the classroom and the dorm area.

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  2. Oh my goodness - look at that sewing school!!! Amazing! It wasn't long ago you showed us slides of her sewing under a makeshift lean-to beside her house I think. It's incredible. I wish you both a safe journey and much success with the Bitengye sewers this year. I look forward to seeing what treasures you return with. - Krista

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  3. That school is incredible! And I bet they will create some amazing things with all that embroidery thread! Safe trip and happy new year.

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