new t-shirt/new drawings

It's time for a new Change the Truth t-shirt! I requested some line drawings from the kids at the orphanage to use as this year's design. Here are some of the drawings I received. The "winning" entry will appear on the new t-shirt, which will be available in a few weeks. It's going to be something you will definitely want to add to your fall wardrobe!

riots

Things don't look so pretty in Kampala these days. Read the news here.

rosemary and vincent: part 3

Some time ago I told you about my Uganda photography workshop friend, Anna, who, during her recent return to the country met two orphans names Rosemary and Vincent. The children (siblings) are from a small village in the Rakai district, an area in which Anna spent a couple of months photographing.

Anna wrote me a few months ago to find out if I thought there might be a chance that the children could go to St. Mary Kevin Orphanage to live and attend school. Once I told her I could try to make it happen, she then had to convince the elders in the village that this might be the best thing for the children. Once the eventual approval from the elders came down, I began working on the logistics of making this come together. The village where Rosemary and Vincent live is several hours from SMK's town, Kajjansi. A young man (whom Anna also befriended) by the name of Francis, who lives in their village, offered to transport the children to Kajjansi.

Anna searched for and found sponsors from L.A. who would pay for the transport. Eventually, Francis succeeded in digging up detailed information about the children -info about their deceased parents, their past, their schooling, their health, etc. I forwarded this on to Rosemary, director of SMK and asked her to consider accepting them into her program.

Rosemary agreed to take them in. Francis then had to figure out how to get the children to Kajjansi, and I had to figure out how to get the sponsor's funds to him.

Just this past week, I was able to finally send directions to SMK to Francis, and well, it appears that after all this manuevering, little Rosemary and Vincent will soon have a new place to call home.

If this all comes together, it will be pretty amazing. A real group effort to help these children. I hope I can post soon about their arrival at the orphanage, and I look forward to meeting them when I get back to Kajjansi this December!

assembling team 3

Sarah, member of Team 2

Unbelievably, it is time to put the finishing touches on the formation of the Change the Truth team that will travel to Uganda this December. We will again be at the orphanage around Christmas time; our dates on the ground will be December 19th through the 29th. At this point there are five volunteers (including me) who have made their plane reservations and five more who are inching their way closer to doing so. Of the former group, three are returnees.

This is the last call for interested travelers. There is a possibility that of the five who are still considering their options, one or more may not go, and this will open up spaces. Please contact me as soon as possible if you'd like more information about becoming a member of Team 3!

a very compassionate ten-year old

Several people who have young children asked me if they could bring them to our fundraiser and, more specifically, if the movie would be appropriate for them to watch. Parents do what they have to do – some protect for a good long time, while others let their children go ahead and learn about the real world.


My neighbors and friends, Jane and Josh, brought their ten-year old daughter. Jane told me that Leah has been reading about the Holocaust already. In fact she reads everything she can get her hands on and even recently watched “Schindler’s List.” She has a big heart and a knack for understanding other people’s pain. She’s only ten, I keep reminding myself.

We had a sign-up sheet for people who would like more information about going to Uganda with the next Change the Truth Team. Guess whose name I found about half way down the list? Yep. You guessed it: Leah.

I called her yesterday and asked her to write a few words about the Friendraiser/Fundraiser. About an hour later, I got this incredible composition. Neither of her parents were at home, so I know this came strictly from the heart, soul and hand of Leah:

“Gloria has done something good-hearted. She has given children something to make them feel like children. These children now feel loved, nurtured, even pretty happy. The children in Uganda die from sickness, poor living-conditions, and war. Gloria has gone to Uganda with a group of people and helped those children. She gave them music, sanitation, love, art, comfort, blissfulness, and much more. Gloria and her group want to spread what they’re doing, so Gloria wrote a book with some help. Someone made a movie, and Gloria took pictures. First I’m going to share what I thought about the movie.

The movie basically reached into your heart and pulled out everything stored inside. Everywhere around me were people. In all those people’s hearts were understanding and compassion. In all those people’s eyes were tears. On the screen were so many kids who were dirty and undernourished, who had been traumatized when they were young. They stored their memories in and then on the screen their stories poured out with words, drawings, and tears. So many tears. But today they are almost all the way stitched up and on their way to recovery. Now, less people are dying from disease and more people are happy. Now I’ll tell you something about the book.

In the book are Gloria’s amazing pictures, drawings the children made, quotes the children wrote, and dreams the children had. All the photographs were of these children. One really reached out to me. There were lots of children, reaching out for something. I think they are reaching out for food. I loved this picture so much, my mother bought it with the special-edition book. One of my favorite drawings is one of roses, probably drawn in pastel or crayon.

The book and the movie moved me so much, that I would like to go to Uganda. There is a twelve-year-old doing it, so can’t a ten-year-old? I think anyone can. Anyone can do something good. Everyone should do something good. And Gloria and so many others have.

Leah”

art is a powerful thing

Many people came to our silent art auction looking for drawings made by child artists they admired at last year's event. Some were turned onto these children's talents for the first time.

All were moved by the beauty of the work.


I received this note from one of the successful bidders. I'm to pass it along to Isabella, who is actually one of the most talented of all:

“Dear Isabella,

Thank you so much for the beautiful painting of the woman getting water. We will probably never meet, but I will think of you and your home each time I look at your painting. Art is a powerful thing. It can bring people together even though they are many miles away. My very best to you and your brothers and sisters at St. Mary Kevin.

Bob”

claire, nicky, smiling, change the truth fundraiser

This is Claire. This is the smile that would greet us each morning when we arrived at St. Mary Kevin, and it is the smile that lasted for most of the day. It’s one of those smiles that beams its way into your head and heart so that, even if Claire is off doing something else and isn’t in your line of sight, you refer back to it for inspiration. Of course, by our standards, she doesn’t have a whole lot to smile about. That’s where the inspiration part comes into play – at least for me it does. Kids like Claire help keep me going when I start to have difficulty keeping it together, whether I’m in Uganda or the USA.


Kids like Claire are the reason so many of us have dug in our heels and spent many, many hours preparing for tonight’s friendraiser/fundraiser (6 – 9 PM at the Screenland Theatre, Kansas City.) The money that we’ll raise tonight by selling drawings, dolls, dinner plates, dyed fabrics and jewelry made by Claire and the other orphans, will help insure that food, education and medical care are things she doesn’t have to worry about day in and day out. She can focus her attention on her schoolwork, her friends, her jump rope, and the hope she feels in her heart for a better future.

The first time I trudged onto the grounds of St. Mary Kevin, I was a jet lagged traveler who was simply overwhelmed, astonished and saddened by the situation in which the orphans lived. They were segregated on one side of the school grounds; the children with parents had the privilege of living on the other side. The two sides were like night and day. Even though both were tired, dirty and shockingly sad, the orphans’ “neighborhood” was distinctly worse. The children sat together, isolated from the non-orphans, on a dirt path in front of the small dormitory to eat their food. They were the second-class citizens.

All of that has changed now. The orphans have been integrated into the school population at SMK; they join the others at tables (though many still prefer to sit on the floor) to eat their meals, they wear nicer clothes, they have opportunities for education, they smile.

In fact, Rosemary has told me that now the orphans are envied by the others. They are no longer the dirty street kids who had nothing and were nothing; they have been so boosted up by Change the Truth that the non-orphans wish they were getting such royal treatment!

The first time I met my little friend, Nicholas, he could not speak English very well. He was painfully shy and mostly kept his head down. He tried, in very rudimentary English, to tell me the story about how his parents were killed by rebels in a war in the northern part of Uganda, his home. He couldn’t get past the part about his mother being dragged out of their home by soldiers. So we just kind of sat together crying for a while.

Now Nicholas (who announced to me during an art class this past December that he would now be signing his drawings “Nicky” and would I please call him that?) is taller and much more confident. His English is wonderful. He has blossomed in art and in music. Nicky’s smile, like Claire’s, will get you through the roughest day life might throw your way. Nicky is a great student; he works hard because he wants to be a doctor someday, and he knows the school fees will be there for him. His heart is as big as a heart can possibly be. He is one of the most respected and well-liked kids at SMK. He’s come a long way from the day I first spotted him sitting in the dirt eating his porridge in front of his shabby dorm, ostracized because he was an orphan. People look up to Opio Nicholas, not down.

Change the Truth has been hugely instrumental in making these changes happen.

Tonight is our shot at raising money so that we can continue to ensure that Claire, Nicky and all the others who have taught us so much – mainly about possibilities and hope - can keep on smiling.

Please join us.

sponsored student: catherine

Two days from now is the Change the Truth 2nd Annual Friendraiser/Fundraiser - our chance to make more people aware of the plight of the children at St. Mary Kevin Orphanage Motherhood. A lot of hard work has gone into making this event a special one. I am lucky to have a committee of dedicated and enthusiastic men and women who believe that we truly can make a difference in the lives of these kids.


Here is another of those kids. Catherine, age 15, has been one of our sponsored students for awhile now. She arrived at the orphanage when she was 10. She is quiet, but determined. She was one of hardest workers when we put in the garden this past December. She's seen a lot of horror in her young life and understandably finds it difficult to discuss. Both her parents were killed in the civil war in northern Uganda.

Catherine loves playing netball (a game similar to basketball), reading and taking care of infants. She works hard in school and wants to become a doctor. Here is what she wrote to me recently thanking CTT for paying her school fees:

"You have made my dreams come true of being an optician. I want to become an optician because I want to treat people with problems of the eye. I am so happy because you have made my dreams come true and I know I will make it.

From your lovely girl,

Catherine"

sponsored students: henry and pauline

I have written this letter to thank you for what you are doing for me. I thank you for paying my school fees. I am really so happy and it is so wonderful. I ask God to reward you and to bless you in whatever you are doing. I love you so much. I hope you will be happy when you receive this letter.

From Pauline

I am very glad to write you this letter because of the support you have put in us so that we can be educated, having food and clothes. Please, we appreciate everything you do for St. Mary Kevin. I am hoping to have fun in December with Change the Truth Team 3. My heart always thinks about how sweet you are because you are making my future bright and I know it will be very bright.

I remain yours,

Henry

sponsored student: nelson

Now that you have met some of the young artists from the orphanage, it's time to introduce you to some of the students we sponsor. Change the Truth currently supports twenty three secondary school students (high school) and one nursing school student. Each one is special in his/her own way; each one has a unique (and sad) story that brought him/her to St. Mary Kevin's. I'm going to start with one amazing young man, an eighteen year old named Nelson. He is a natural leader and was one of the hardest working among the kids who helped us repair and paint the dorms in December.


Nelson prides himself on his thirst for knowledge, his computer skills, his love of literature, his curiosity about all people and all aspects of those people's lives, his gregarious nature and his... well... smarts. He's got a great sense of self and a great sense of humor. I visited his room when I was there. Among his very few things were books - his most prized possessions. He is currently studying Physics, Economics, Math and Fine Arts in school. He'd like to become an engineer.

I asked him to write about one of his dreams when I was at the orphanage this past December working on the Dream Series. He sat down right away to begin working. Fifteen minutes later, with a satisfied look on his face, he handed me this nicely crafted creative writing composition. I was very impressed. This is what he wrote:

“In a nick of time, having lay down on my bed, I was caught up in a deep sleep down in the forest where we fetched water in the village. As I dropped the bucket down in the well, an unknown sound from the forest started shouting loudly in a scary voice: ‘I have you today.'

Before I could fill my bucket to the brim, my sister Sarah had left. I knew now that I was in for it. I started hearing a voice coming from all sides of my slim body: ‘I need you.' That’s what it said.

Trees around me started shaking. I shuddered, then my voice started dying out. However much I could call for my twin sister, Sarah, for a rescue, it was all in vain! My heart drummed against my chest; it felt like my hair was off my head. I opted to run, but the legs could not make it to their best.

After all this shivering and scary moments, I heard the voice of Sarah saying, ‘Nelson, I am dying. Please come and help me!’ I tried to follow where the voice was coming from, but I was disturbed by the echoes in the forest. I ran following the background of her sound. I saw her. She cried at me with her tears flowing like a faulty tap. ‘Nelson, can you do something?’ I now started crying as I saw this: an unknown animal I have never seen before. I came close to her only, only to see her belly being cut and made open. This gave me much fear and proved little chance of survival. Genuinely speaking, I had no way to help Sarah, and there she died. The animal then came close and ran after me. I ran backwards calling out for help. Tears of melancholy cascaded down my muddy face as the animal jumped and caught me up.

I woke up only to remember that it was just a dream. I felt relieved!”

In a recent email, Nelson expressed his gratitude to Change the Truth supporters for his scholarship. Here is what he had to say:

"I feel I owe in my heart beyond measure to you that you enable me to enter a class, be able to look at the chalkboard and above all, attain the education I cherish most in my life. I have no doubt that with your good love, care and devoted support you render to me in addition to the transformation and enlightenment of education, I will be able to make my dreams become a reality. I solemnly promise not to disappoint you but to work to the best of my ability and be the best you want me to be. I am very grateful for your support that is putting me in the literate world of the intellectuals. Today I am one of the millions of children in the world who attain an education. This wouldn’t happen if you didn’t come to my rescue. Thank you very much. May God bless the work of your hands.

You are always in my prayers,

Nelson"

This is an unusual young man with a vast array of talents. (He's a heck of a chess player and even has some killer card tricks up his sleeve.) It is exciting to witness the development of such an extraordinary mind, and it will be interesting to see what Nelson ends up doing when he completes his education.

last day on press

Two twelve hour days down and one more to go. The book looks really good. And I am feeling really good about doing this work, especially in light of the email I received this morning from Joan at the orphanage:

“Mama Gloria,

Thanks for working so hard. There really is such a difference in the children because of Change The Truth. They are looking so healthy, beautiful and strong, all with smiles on their faces. Thanks for changing the truth (past) in these children's lives. Please never stop coming to SMK.”

That’s enough to make one hop out of bed and put in another long day at the print shop, isn’t it?

The kids are ever on my mind now, as I am constantly looking at their faces and studying the colors in their drawings on each proof page that rolls off the printing press. If only they were here to see this happening; I am pretty sure it would send them dancing down the hallway at Meridian, their warm smiles heating up the place.

The printing will be finished later this afternoon. The forms will be shipped off to the bindery in Boston, then the bound books will be sent to Kansas City in a couple of weeks.

I’ve been going through images from the most recent trip to the orphanage and will share some of those that kind of slipped through the cracks of my original edits with you now.

melissa in uganda

"Arriving here in Uganda has been beyond my expectations. I was greeted at the airport by Rosemary, Joan and the big boys (Henry, Billy, and Edward). It was truly like arriving home with them. We have been comfortable with one another getting caught up. The school looks very good...the children and staff have maintained a clean area. There is new grass growing in the compound, vegetables sprouting from the garden, buildings have been kept up. Peter, one of the teachers, has taken over duties as the Head Master. He is fair and very active with the children. It has been a pleasure and privilege to sit with Rosemary and Joan and discuss the school. I have been asking many questions and getting some valuable information about the children's progress in school.

The children have been taking very good care of me. The girls had my bed ready for me, and they have decorated it with their most valuable possessions. My posse of girls has grown, and I am making great efforts to get to know the younger boys. They are great fun and so silly. It makes me miss Antwain, cause I know that they would have great fun together. The children have been constantly entertaining me with dancing, singing, modeling (even the little boys modeled for me last night... seriously so funny).

The time has been planned well, but the days are passing too quickly for me. I am savoring every moment with my most beloved friends, and I am grateful for this time with them."

building libraries in uganda

One of the really lovely benefits of being involved in a not-for-profit is getting to know others who share similar passions. I have been truly lucky to come into contact with many people who, for one reason or another, have actually spent time at St. Mary Kevin Orphanage. Small world, really, considering the mind blowing number of orphanages that fill the landscape of Uganda.

The wonders of the Internet have brought me in touch with people from all corners of the USA who have traveled the same dirt road up to SMK. One such person is from Illinois. Connie landed at the orphanage shortly after my first trip there and found me through a Google search. We have corresponded regularly ever since, and she has become good friend to Change the Truth. Here is her story:


“I was part of the group that built the library at St. Mary Kevin Orphanage in 2007. I wish you could have seen that process. Most of us had never been to Uganda before, it was late in the day when we got there and had only a few hours to get all the books into the boxcar that had been made over into a room with shelves. We had already finished another library that day so were all pretty tired and hot. As you know, late in the evening is when the mosquitoes come out to play and we had no electricity so had to use a generator for a small light. We had no fan so the women lined up in the boxcar and passed books to each other for shelving and the men stood by with large pieces of cardboard fanning us to keep the mosquitoes at bay. What a hoot. Not at the time, of course, but after we finished and had time to think about it. We finished shelving the last books just as the generator ran out of gas. Perfect. The next day we went back and the men made those great benches that I've seen in some of your pictures while the rest of us went into class rooms and hung out with some of the kids. The only problem is that because we do all of these libraries in such a short time, we don't have a lot of time to make real connections with people. Because our group is so small this year we're hoping to have more time just to get to know people.

There are actually two teams going this year. The large group will be going two weeks ahead of us and will be putting libraries in two large schools in Mbale. Then five of us from Illinois will be going in on June 29 and will restock a library in one school, build a library in a high school, and then go to an orphanage between Kampala and Mbale to build a small library for sighted as well as blind students. From there we will go on to Mbale and will train the teachers and students about how to properly use a library. As you can imagine, the idea of a lending library is something that they don't fully understand, so it can be a challenge to be sure the library is used in the best way to suit their needs. The idea of borrowing, reading, then taking the books back, and trading for another one is hard for them. And, of course, many of them don't have homes to take the books to so we are building cabinets at the schools so they can be left there as well. This year, we are taking hundreds of globes and maps to take to the schools as well. If you'd like to learn more about all of it you can check out their web site at www.librariesoflove.org.”

mail call

It’s a great day when my mail carrier delivers a package of letters from St. Mary Kevin Orphanage Motherhood. The one that arrived this week was ripped and torn and had been stuffed inside a plastic bag somewhere along the way. It was a mess, and it had taken a long time to get to me, but was I ever happy it made it! Reading the letters evoked a range of emotions, mostly just really good feelings. I’d like to share excerpts from four of them. These are written by children who will be featured in my book, Kutuuka, either as part of the Dream Series or with a drawing they made. Nicky and Isabella are brother and sister, both very good artists. These photos of the children were taken in 2006, 2007 and 2008. See how they’ve grown and changed!


To my special Mama Gloria, the pearl of St. Mary Kevin,

This is to thank you for all the great things you have done in my life. I am really being a good boy and reading hard to pass my exams. The drawing materials you brought are still here and we are not wasting any. I am having another sister here with me now. She’s called Petra. She’s third born in our family and she’s in Primary 1. She’s talented in drawing too. Greet for me all the Change the Truth organization.

From your faithful son, Nicky (age 12)








Dear Mama Gloria,

Let me hope everybody if fine at home. It was really fun to have you at our home, Mama. Thank you for our mattresses, blankets and bedsheets. They really changed our standard of living. Thank you very much for my school fees. Mama, if it wasn’t for you, I wouldn’t be in school. Send greetings to all the friends of Change the Truth.

I remain yours, Joseph (age 14)






Dear Mamy Gloria,

How are you these days? Thank you for all the things you have done for us. I am happy that you sent me a letter. I am requesting you to thank for me all the friends we are having. Thank you for the band which you have brought for us. We are training some of them and some of them are perfect and some of them are becoming good. Thank you for all the things which you have done for us like mattresses, band, friends, food, clothes and nets, etc. May God bless you.

Thank you, bye bye. I am your son, Tony. (age 11)








Dear Gloria,

It was so wonderful to see you at St. Mary Kevin in December. Thank you for the love you have shown us. And I want to thank all the Change the Truth team for their kindness. Thank you for teaching us how to use watercolours. You are a good teacher.

I miss you. Love to you from Isabella (age 11)

kc studio article

Lynne and I were interviewed recently for an article in "KC Studio" a magazine which supports the arts community in Kansas City. Click here and flip to page 34 if you'd like to read it!

kutuuka (to reach)

Yellow Bird Press is pleased to announce the publication of "Kutuuka" a collection of photographs, drawings and dreams by
Gloria Baker Feinstein and the children at St. Mary Kevin Orphanage Motherhood in Kajjansi, Uganda.


Essays by Thatcher Hullerman Cook and M. Ann Thomas
46 photographs by Baker Feinstein (30 tri-tone and 16 four-color)
21 color drawings by children from the orphanage
112 pages
Designed by Lindsay Laricks; printed by Meridian Printing
publication date: June 11

Hardcover: $55.00
Softcover: $35.00

FIFTY SPECIAL LIMITED EDITION COPIES ARE AVAILABLE:

Autographed hardcover book accompanied by a signed, limited edition print by Gloria Baker Feinstein or an original child’s drawing featured in the book: $500.00

Please send an email to gbfeinstein@aol.com to reserve your limited (or regular) edition copy. Or you may call 816-523-8049.

"Kutuuka" (both hard and soft bound) will be for sale the evening of June 11th at the Screenland Theatre in Kansas City as part of the Change the Truth Friendraiser/Fundraiser. If you are unable to attend, you may wish to reserve a copy now so that it can be shipped to you mid-June.

The cost of production of the book has been generously underwritten by a friend of Change the Truth, allowing all proceeds from the sale of "Kutuuka" to go directly toward providing much needed assistance to AIDS and war orphans living at St. Mary Kevin Orphanage Motherhood.

usc trojan marching band - watch out!

I just received these pictures from St. Mary Kevin Orphanage Motherhood. Here is the marching band in action as the musicians rehearse.

Can't you just hear the oom-pah-pahs?

a visit to the orphanage/in judy's own words

Spending the day with the children and dedicated staff at St. Mary Kevin was an amazing experience. Rosemary and everyone at SMK's warmth and hospitality felt like I was visiting with old friends.

What a blessing CTT is to SMK as they are striving to improve their conditions. They are so appreciate of the improvements to their lives that CTT has made possible. The garden is in the process of providing flavors to their meals and they are enjoying the new tastes a lot. They intend to expand the garden to also include flowers. The game room is a big hit. After visiting a bit with every class, I spent some delightful time playing scrabble with some of the older girls.

Construction is underway for an enclosed kitchen which will improve their cooking conditions, especially when it rains. A storage area for food will also help preserve their provisions from hungry critters. The basketball net has been well used and continues to offer both boys and girls a fun activity. The pigs are thriving and multiplying and the new garbage containers have improved the litter problem appreciably.

But the best part of SMK is the spirit and love that you feel everyone has towards each other and the wonderful CTT friends that have visited them. This is a real family that for a day welcomed me into their joyfully loving energy and spirit

change the truth update

I’d like to begin by saying thanks to all those generous souls who continue to reach into their pockets to help Ugandan children at St. Mary Kevin Orphanage Motherhood (SMKOM.) Times are tough here; they are even worse there. Food prices have risen significantly since our team was there in December, and the value of the shilling against the US dollar has weakened by 10%. A recent contribution to CTT that really warmed my heart was from a fellow student in the 2006 workshop I attended in Uganda – on the trip to Africa that got this whole thing rolling. The donation was in honor of his daughter, who was adopted from Kazakhstan, and it was enough to feed one child for a whole year. I thought that was very cool.

Some not so very good news from SMKOM is that malaria cases among the children have risen 30% during the past couple of months. CTT has sent much needed funds to cover extra hours for the nurse, as well as medications. All of the children have mosquito nets; it appears they are being bitten when they are outside their dormitories. We are going to investigate the idea of supplying cream or spray repellents.

The other bit of bad news is that even though CTT has provided the funds for the repair of the maize mill equipment, the price of raw maize has reached such highs that SMKOM cannot currently afford to purchase it. This project will have to be put on hold while we wait for prices to come down.

Now for brighter updates.

As of February, we were able to sponsor eight new students for secondary school! This brings our total number of sponsored students to 24, which is wonderful. The students are working hard and feeling optimistic about their futures. The newly sponsored children are: Catherine, Amanda, Marvin, Sheila, Eddie, Rachel, Rafakah and Latifa. As this is the main thrust of the mission of CTT, I am truly proud of this ongoing support we are able to offer the children who so desperately want to achieve a good education.

Remember the garden planted by Randy and the kids when we were at SMKOM in December?




They have harvested vegetables many times now and are really enjoying the addition of new flavors and nutrition to their diet.

The water tank (for rain water collection) has been a huge help. It provides water for the piggery, as well as irrigation for the vegetable garden during times of little or no rain.

Eight orphans are making steady progress in the marching band, being guided by music teacher Ivan. The projected date for income generating activities by the band is July.

The motorcycle donated by CTT continues to bring in about $30 US per week. It is being used as a boda-boda (motorcycle taxi.)

The pigs in the piggery continue to do their thing! There were ten new piglets born in the past month; they live with 35 older ones. The plan is to sell 20 pigs every six months for a steady income. We hope to be able to fund the purchase of chickens next, as a continuation of self-sustaining farm projects at SMKOM.


Social worker Melissa, member of both Team 1 and Team 2, is returning to the orphanage next month! She is planning to stay at SMKOM for two weeks and will continue her work with the children. She is so excited to be going for her third time! The children absolutely adore her and can’t wait to get their arms around her once again.

The 2nd annual CTT Friendraiser/Fundraiser is 6 – 9 PM on June 11th at the Screenland Theatre. Invitations will be mailed next month. If you are not on the mailing list and wish to be, please let me know. Lynne is working on a new documentary to be shown that evening. Dolls, drawings, clay sculptures, jewelry, tie-dyed fabric and dinner plates made by the children will be for sale. There will be food and drink and general merriment! Also, my “hot off the press” new book that includes my photographs and the children’s artwork will be available for purchase. Here is the link to the Save The Date film made by Lynne. Please forward it to a friend!

I’ll close with a few lines from a recent email from Rosemary, director of SMKOM.

“The Credit Crunch, started in the US, is biting very hard in Kampala
This is a classic case of innocent bystanders
Some people we know have lost their jobs or businesses
And prices for goods & services have increased again compared to Dec-2008

We are determined to struggle on with the Orphanage
As an elephant cannot complain about the size & weight of its tasks
And there is no fulfillment without sweat
And our true & deserved happiness comes from
The Love, care and Sharing – that we give the Orphans.”


The fantastic pictures in this post appear courtesy of Judy, a CTT supporter I had the pleasure of meeting at our fundraiser in New York and who visited the orphanage in March. Thanks, Judy!

update on the book

I got two, maybe three, hours of sleep. Too psyched about the book. I met with Lindsay, designer extraordinaire, last night. The shape the book is taking is, well, enough to keep me from getting my required number of zzzz’s. I’m tired, but very happy!

For those of you who would like some details, here goes… The book’s title is in Lugandan, the language spoken by most Ugandans. It is made up of three sections; each of those has a Lugandan title, as well. In the first are thirty black and white images from my 2006 and 2007 trips. The second is made up of sixteen dream photos and texts from the 2008 trip. The third features twenty-one of the children’s drawings. The total number of pages in the book is 112.

The font and paper have been selected. The layout is just about complete. There will be 850 soft cover books and 150 hard cover ones. The latter will have a cloth cover with an embossed foil title and will be wrapped in a printed dust jacket. Some of the hard cover books will include either one of the featured original drawings or one of my photographs; these will be special, limited editions.

The black and white images will actually be printed as tri-tones, which means there will be three colors of inks used: black and two different shades of gray. The rest of the book will be printed in four-color. Lindsay has designed really beautiful section dividers and a great cover, all of which will be printed in four-color, as well.

The essays by Thatcher, Ann and me have been very well edited by Sam (editor/son-in-law… he plays both roles quite splendidly) and I think they really complement the images. Thatcher's and Ann's pieces are powerful.

The book goes to press on May 13th and 14th in East Greenwich, Rhode Island. I’ll go, too, to make sure everything looks just right and to sign off on each signature before it gets printed. The books will promptly go to the bindery and will then be delivered to me in time for the June 11th CTT Friendraiser/Fundraiser! All proceeds from sales of the book will go directly to CTT.

It’s been a remarkable journey and a wonderful collaboration. How lucky I am to have the opportunity to do this!