I’d like to introduce you to a woman from Uganda named Jane – a loving mother and a very caring aunt.

A few years ago Jane, like many others, was left alone raising her two children – Gloria and Gideon.

Uganda is rich in incredibly fertile, and rich in natural resources, but because of injustice in global economics, and exploitation and corruption, it’s hard for most people to find enough money to bring up kids in Uganda- especially if you lack land, capital and further education.

But Jane worked hard, and learnt to trust that God would provide their needs somehow every time.  Jane really inspires me as a mum – she’s loving, sensible, competent and patient – the kind of woman you’d like to look after your kids if you couldn’t anymor…

When her youngest was 3, a couple dying of AIDS asked her to take care of their baby Walter.  She took him as her own; Walter just knows her as mother, only her pastor and close family know he’s an orphan.

Our family helped them sometimes, when we could send school fees or medical costs, but mostly Jane worked long hours in a kiosk to keep them alive, and just about healthy, sometimes in school, often the eldest watching the little ones.  But loved and secure at least!
And better off than her sister Margaret who was living in a slum with her 3 children doing people’s washing but not able to pay school fees regularly with what she earned.

In 2008 Margaret died from the lack of £40 to treat diabetes in pregnancy.  This left three more motherless kids and no-one in the impoverished extended family who could afford to look after them very well, let alone together.

Flora - then 13

Rashida - just 4

and Badru who was about 10, though no-one had bothered to keep track for sure…

When I met Musee his grandma had him in a kind of cot, with bundled old clothes for a mattress, and wearing broken flip-flops dangling off his feet.  We replaced them for 80p, and reflected on how significant a difference such a little money could make.

Jane was very willing to help, and very maternal towards all her nieces and nephews, but already overstretched financially, living in one room very creatively divided for her and 3 kids.  We were all wondering what could happen…

And then a few of my family and friends started to offer help, and to encourage me in a dream of enabling Jane to mother all these children together, and even send them to school regularly.

A girl from my church who’d recently lost her own mother gave us £3500 at the start, which did make it seem a viable commitment to take on.

But mostly it’s been people giving £15/month or £5/ whatever as they could that have enabled us since 2008 to send all the children to school, to rent a basic 2-bedroom house and to pay for food and decent healthcare.

We bought treated mosquito nets for everyone – which cuts down hugely on episodes of malaria.

We’ve invited people to give just £1 to buy a chicken which could lay eggs for them, and then be eaten.

We’re still hoping to be able to build a permanent home - it would only take £4000 to build a nice 3-bedroom house with luxuries like running water and an inside toilet.