News From RYDA 2005

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December 2005
What a month!!

Australia

1. During November:
   • Breakfast for Africa (see Previous News below) at Croydon High School raised $AUD177·05
   • Carey Baptist Grammar School, Melbourne, donated $AUD200
   and we are hoping for on-going support from students and teachers at these schools. In December St. Margaret's treasurer transferred these amounts to the RYDA account and informed the Board of the donors' details.
2. Mooroolbark Christian Fellowship published an important article in its community magazine which highlights the partnership between St. Margaret's and RYDA and reminds us that Giving is More Than the Gift. This article is now also permanently accessible from our site index.

1. In mid-October just after Geoffrey's visit St. Margaret's transferred $AUD3000 to RYDA's account. This was $AUD1875 proceeds from fund-raising during his visit and additional donations from St. Margaret's members. The plan was that this money would be used to purchase corrugated iron sheets to be set aside as the roof of a new music block. Instead, once again showing that Giving is More Than the Gift, the donation inspired RYDA to find the resources to build the whole building in only six weeks!!
2. The hope is that funds for windows, electricity and instruments will be provided in time to start 20 additional musically-inclined, vulnerable youth at RYDA in January. Please check our link How to Support RYDA.
3. One more special thing links Australia and Africa in this music project. Attending the fund-raising night were several staff from Anchor Inc. in Lilydale who had met with Geoffrey to discuss common issues affecting street children and youths. Some of them happened to be planning to attend a relative's wedding in Kampala during November. Surely it was God's spirit which brought events together so that these Australians were able to be at the RYDA Centre for the last phase of the music block construction.
4. And, just to round off an amazing month, Geoffrey's wife, Irene, gave birth to a healthy 4kg baby girl on December 28th. Mother and baby are doing well, although there is continuing discussion over what name should be given to this blessing from God.

November 2005

Our school (Croydon Secondary College) and my church (St. Margaret's Uniting Church Mooroolbark) are running a Breakfast for Africa. St. Margaret's people are donating food and coming along to help. Kids at our school donate a small amount to have breakfast and... ...all the money we raise goes to help the Rubaga Youth Development Association in Kampala, Africa, which helps orphan kids our age to get off the street and have a chance to make a life for themselves. About 50 students came on this first day. We are going to do this for three weeks as a trial run for possibly running school breakfast every morning next year. The trial run was a great success. Lots of kids were fed, a new atmosphere was created at the beginning of the school day and $177 was raised for RYDA.

October 2005

Geoffrey arrived in Melbourne on October 1st for a 13 day visit. Some of the key events of this exciting time together are recorded in a photographic record at RYDA in Australia 2005.

September 2005
We are planning a program of appointments to help Geoffrey Steven Kyeyune, Executive Director RYDA, maximise opportunities to network while visiting St. Margaret's in the first two weeks of October. (See August in Previous News.)

August 2005
Good News!

• Geoffrey Steven Kyeyune will be visiting Australia, hosted by St. Margaret's Uniting Church, from Friday September 30th until Thursday October 13th, 2005.
• We are planning a program which offers Geoffrey the opportunity to tell the success story of RYDA, one of the most respected NGOs in Africa.
• Within our congregation we are planning several events, including an African Pot Night on Saturday October 8th. The African members of St. Margaret's and their friends are donating a main meal cooked slowly, lusciously and traditionally in iron pots. Congregation members and friends are donating drinks, nibbles and desserts. Tickets are $15 per head - there are only 100 - and all income will go directly to RYDA's youth support work. Additional donations to RYDA's work are welcome.
  Contact Ina Koetsier, 03 9726 6968.
• We want to expand the donors and supporters of this organisation which helps so many orphans and street youth to learn self-supporting skills.
• This is your opportunity to invite Geoffrey Steven to speak to your organisation. His visit will make a difference to your life; and your organisation can make a difference to the lives of 'his' hundreds of young people.
  Contact Doug. Williams:
  • B/H: 03 9726 8316
  • A/H: 03 9726 6968
  • doug@blackdouglas.com.au

May 2005
While in Kampala Bill McKay (see April news below) was able to deliver a small gift to Diana from her sponsor group at St. Margaret's. Bill writes:

Diana is a very charming little girl. I would guess that she is about 12 years of age. She has a beautiful voice and while we were at Geoffrey's house he persuaded her to sing. It was no trouble to her as she was very relaxed in our company. Irene and Diana obviously have a close relationship.

Diana wrote a letter of thanks but as we had to visit other areas and ran out of time Geoffrey was going to post it to her sponsor in Australia.

April 2005
Bill McKay from Perth will leave Australia at the end of the month to support RYDA by seeking, hopefully finding, and then drilling for fresh water at the Buloba Centre.

March 2005
News from Geoffrey Steven Kyeyune, Executive Director:

1. The President of Uganda and 7 ministers have visited the RYDA centre recently.
   • The new buildings (Secretarial/Computer) have been completed and are in use.
   • Our Vocational Centre has been licensed by the Ministry of Education and we are now following its registration certificate and also aiming to get the Uganda National Examination Centre.
   • The Buloba Centre has started the Music, Dance and Drama, and Football & Netball Teams. The challenge is the uniforms and balls to use. If any School has used items such as T/shirts they will be highly appreciated.
2. Processes are put in place to support a Visa application to allow Geoffrey Steven Kyeyune to visit Australia in September/October 2005.

Diana is now coming to fifteen years old at her second year of her four year secondary education. She will be sitting for her final Exams in 2007. Her school is Kisubi High School located on a beautiful hill 15 km on Kampala -Entebbe Road. It's a mixed Boarding school. At this school DIANA is doing the following subjects: English, Mathematics, French, Computer, Biology, Chemistry, Physics,Geography,Kiswahili, Luganda, Accounts, Commence, Music and Literature. Mathematics and Physics are weak subjects at the moment but we have encouraged her to like the two subjects. She likes music and English and is in a school choir. Her voice is the best in the choir. She doesn't play an instrument at the moment but she likes to be a Music conductor. She is also in the Netball Team of the school.

During her holidays she likes being part of the church choir in the nearby church called Bbira church of Uganda. During Christmas she composed a very good song for Christmas . She like very much to be with young children below her age she is a very good organiser in community.

Her Health is superb, she is progressing well in education but the Test Books are very expensive and we have not managed to give her all the test books she needs, but her spirit is high towards education. She wants to become a doctor or Nurse to serve the needy. Diana has grown big and tall almost every term we buy her new Uniform.

Also in January, the 2004 Annual Report arrives in Australia. It is great to see that the photo on page two is of LYDIA, a former sponsored student who is now at Bugema University doing Social work and social Administration.