TESS v2

The First in 2006

The Retreat or summer camp was an idea to get all the sponsored students together for a week of extra curricular activities. Only seven children didn't arrive, which was made up for by five extra from Mother Kevin SS. Based at Bethany Girls School, there were 170, including the two girls with their babies. Margaret, Sam and Jeremiah shared the overall leadership.

Each day started with worship and a bible exposition. The program was varied and most of the outside speakers were very good, on topics such as corruption, relationships, sex, different careers, peace building etc.

They had a practical session planting orange trees in the compound and were told how to make 'clay' ovens as well as plenty of time for rest and relaxation, games, puzzles and creative activities, with videos in the evenings.

It was surprising how difficult it was to teach them 'simple' games like "I Spy " and "I went to the market and bought....." and how they stuggled to do them.

Their memory and mental agility skills are very poor, although they know their times tables by rote, they have great difficulty in using them. i.e. they all had difficulty in seeing that an hour divided into 5 parts (e.g for exam questions) is 12 minutes for each. Subtracting 7 in turn from 100 etc, proved very challenging.

They desperately need to learn the range of games and excercises which our children play from the time they are toddlers.
However, they were very keen to put in entries for writing competions that were set. Writing poems was the most popular.

Visit our Poems and Stories pages

We plan to produce a booklet of the best poems and short stories, with details of the authors, which hopefully will raise money for the fund.

A day trip to Sipi Falls, in the foothills of Mt Elgon, was a wonderful experience for all. Apart from the few who go to school outside Teso, they had never left the flat plains of Teso.

It was a journey of 2 hours in a convoy of a bus and many minibuses. They all insisted on wearing their uniforms, and all took exercise books and made notes throughout.

Coming from a flat area, with swamps and lakes but no rivers, it was interesting to witness what impressed or suprised them most.

Some were terrified of walking across little wooden bridges over the river.

They were overawed by the waterfalls, and walking behind one massive fall into a small cave in the rocky cliff.

They were fascinated to hear a different language and see a different way of life - huts thatched with banana leaves instead of grass, donkeys, circumcision processions, coffee growing, and far below, an amazing view of the plains of Teso and Karamoja stretching into the hazy distance.