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If you ever have the pleasure of going to Uganda and you have a day or two with no plans, I would suggest going a little farther east, past ROWAN to Kapchorwa. While there, you will have the opportunity to meet some very friendly people, maybe purchase some local coffee beans and hike to three absolutely breathtaking falls.  

I have had the pleasure of visiting Sipi Falls twice.  Once with a friend of mine just for the day and the second time, with my husband for our honeymoon.  Both times we were well taken care of with a guided tour to all three of the falls as well as the caves behind.  Both times it poured rain on us and we used banana leaves as umbrellas.  Both times were beautiful days and many chances to take some amazing photos of some stunning scenery.

My husband even braved getting as close as he could the the largest of the three falls.  He went down to the rock at the bottom of the falls where he was showered with the mist and came back to the path soaking wet.  He could even wring out his socks.  

The hike takes about three hours to visit all three falls and the path is rocky and steep in some areas but so worth it.  If you do make a trip to visit Sipi Falls and plan to stay the night, I would suggest taking some “warmer” clothes as it can really cool down there in the evenings.  

My husband and I stayed at Lacam Lodge and were treated like royalty.  Their bandas are located right at the top of a cliff and overlook the falls.  We woke up to amazing views and wonderful food.  I am sure there are other amazing resorts, lodges and camps as many people visit these falls.  

I remember being in awe of how beautiful everything was around me.  Everywhere I looked I could see how the hand of God was so powerful and how unbelievably wonderful his creation is. It makes it very clear to me that I worship an incredible God. I am amazed that a God, who created such a beautiful world for us to live in, also created me.  

 

“The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.” Psalm 19:1 (NIV)

Another amazing flashback Friday featuring portraits of the amazing men, women & children of ROWAN. Each one of the people in these portraits is absolutely dear to our hearts & the photography is sublime. Some of those featured have encountered struggle, but that simply makes their smiles all the more divine.

Monika 2009

Flashback to 2009

These series of portraits is a fun way to share the progression of life here at ROWAN, with hopefully more happiness than sadness to show. After over a decade ROWAN (& your donations) have helped a lot of deserving people (like Monika) enjoy a better life. This series of posts wants to celebrate the beauty of every life at ROWAN.

Enjoy the Show

Keep checking back as we will continue to share more about the people of ROWAN. Their strength & smiles should be an inspiration to us all. Please keep them in your prayers & if you want to help, we’d love for you to get involved.

Not only have we been sharing more about Uganda with you, lately we have been sharing more about what we do. ROWAN has a lot of amazing programs, allowing almost anyone to get involved to help those in need! We thought we share a little more about how those interested can get involved.

We helped educate all of them!

Why Education Matters

Simply put, education reduces poverty. Studies show that each year of schooling increases a person’s earnings by an average of about 10%. This is true worldwide. Illiteracy is Africa’s most virulent disease & because of that it’s the only region in the world where poverty has increased in the past 25 years. Even when children beat the odds & make it to school, there is an average of 40 students per teacher in rural communities.

Classroom learning

What Our Education Programs Provide

It’s a tall order to fight against the kind of odds above. Luckily we are up for the challenge. When you donate to our education & training programs you help us provide the following:

Orphans
1. Uniforms, books & exam fees for primary level (elementary age) children.
2. Scholarships for secondary students (high school age). This helps supplement the sponsorship funds for boarding school.
3. Special gifts for children as they graduate higher level education. Because they deserve it! 🙂

Widows & Widowers
Literacy training that empowers widows/widowers (who never had the chance to go to school) by teaching them to read, write & study the Bible independently. Edith learned math skills in literacy class, so she started selling gasoline. She is now the #1 stop for taxis & motorcycles in Mawanga!

Classroom learning

About School in Uganda

The education system in Uganda starts with primary education (7 years), followed by secondary education (4 years of lower & 2 of upper), then post-secondary education (3 to 5 years). In 1997 free primary education was made available for up to four children per family.

That is some classroom!

Quick Uganda Facts

– The incidence of AIDS decreases in villages that have primary schools.

-A child who quits attending school is 3x more likely to be HIV positive later in life than a child who completes basic education.

– The average ratio of students to teachers in Uganda is 50:1.

-Although 9,000 to 12,000 students a year are qualified for higher education, only 25% of them are able to find room in the limited number of institutions.

What a smile!

How You Can Help

Our Education & training programs are a constant. Educating people who need it will always be a challenge. Anything you can spare is beautiful to us, whether it’s a few dollars or a new school!

I really didn’t believe my friend when she told me that the best chicken in the world can be bought on the side of the highway between Kampala and Jinja.  She claimed that it not only tasted the best, but it was a fun experience as well.  If you have ever travelled the highway I am talking about through Mabira Forest, you know exactly what I am talking about. 

All you need to do is pull your vehicle over to the side of the road and you will very quickly be surrounded by people dressed in blue aprons with numbers on them.  They will be carrying a variety of items from water, fanta, soda, ngonga (roasted banana wrapped in newspaper), meat on a stick, bananas and the famous chicken on a stick.

The best part about this experience is watching the vendors.  They will surround a matatu or vehicle but if they don’t make a sale in the first few minutes, they will leave.  But if another vehicle pulls up, they will dash to that one hoping to be at the window of a person hoping to buy their product.  The best is when a bus pulls up.  I don’t think I have ever seen people drop what they are doing to chase down customers on a bus as fast as “the blue apron” people.  They can barely reach the windows to sell their product, but they manage as best as they can.  

Now as I said, the chicken on a stick is the best in the world.  Why? you ask.  Well, it’s salty, perfectly roasted and a little crispy.  But eating it in the back of a matatu when you are sweaty and squished is the best part.  The windows are down, as you barrel down the highway, and every single bite makes the dangerous drive on this highway way more worth it.  For me, I know that if I end up in a head on collision with another vehicle because my taxi driver was passing a sugar cane truck and another matatu side by side, I will have had the best meal ever as my last.