Lamaison Charity Visits

Today is a bonus day that I thought of a charity that I did with friends. Day 11 here we go… The year was 2018 when were meeting with friends which we normally call “#Akatwalo”. Stuart gave us a thoughtful idea that we thought why not! “Instead of meeting every month for eating and catching up. Why can’t we catch up as we are doing charity?” He said. Everyone said “Why not! We can do it!” Our friend who likes graphics so much always does his thing. We have so far done two charity events one in 2018 and another in 2019. 2020 we are coming. You too can join us this time.

Our graphics friend at this one

You see why I love these friends. Every idea one brings to the table, it’s important to them and they treat it as “our idea”. They are that amazing! I can’t say I would trade them for anything.So preparations started with where and when? It was Esseza Foundation in Magere. One of the members took the initiative to look it out and what this Home needed and the set date was 10th November 2018.Maybe a little background about Esseza Foundation; is now an registered NGO that takes care of cancer or related illness among children. It gives love and hope and of course health care services that they bring together public and private sectors to get financial support in sustaining the Foundation. Most of the children at the Esseza Foundation have facial deformation and tumors which are mostly because of how they were born, brought up and nutrition.

The things we took

We ran a campaign on social media fundraising money using Twitter and Facebook with the hashtag #LamaisonCharity to get our friends and followers give in something to the cause. The purpose was to give back even with the little that we can. Maybe it can put a smile on these children’s faces and the founders of the home. We gave out clothes (that were in good condition), food stuffs like beans, salt, rice, sugar, posho, Vaseline, toothpaste, toilet papers, sanitary pads these we hope they would support the home for weeks or months.The welcome at Esseza foundation

We were warmly welcomed by Miss. Ann Katurgye whose smile made us feel at home. She told us about the background of the home care and why it’s Esseza Foundation. Esseza is a child in the Home and whose mother passed on. And MS. Katurgye is always addressed as “Jaja Esseza”. With tears rolling on our faces, personally I was crying because the world still has kind people who are willing to give hope and love to the cancer patients. Even when she isn’t that rich but God blessed her with a rich heart. Giving up her life so that she can save a life or two; by begging on streets for money for kids on Chemotherapy (we all know how expensive that is!) And begging people for money for a kid you just met and want him or her to live! What a strong woman she is! Tough times are there for her too, where she doesn’t have what to feed these children. But she told us one thing. “God always provides! God always speaks to people like you to come and give to us. Thank you.” This was a beautiful!

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Our second Charity event was in 2019 was at Mapeera Bakateyamba Home,Nalukolongo is a home of Kampala Catholic Archdiocese which takes care of about 60 disabled and sickly persons. This time around it was easier than the first since we had done a charity visit before, we knew what a home can need from food to clothes and other things like soap.

Our graphics guy at it again!

The day started early than other days since we had to meet and go as a team. We arrived at around 1pm and started with a tour around the home, from the male to female wing! This was a learning experience to all of us. Seeing the blind, sickly deaf people smiling! Personally this warmed my heart.

Lamaison team with Good Samaritan Sisters

We were deeply touched by the the work the Good Samaritan Sisters were doing. Their zeal to care for the home and encourage these people. May God bless them.

Things we took to the Bakateyamba Home

One of the elderly person chatting with our friends

We all thought that giving was for the rich, whites, old people who don’t have what to use their money for, or Companies, Organizations and Government Agencies but we were wrong! We did it with the little money we had. All you need is yourself to give back to community. Maybe let me say it like this; All you need is a giving heart. And actually you can start now.

The smile that was on the children from Esseza Foundation and then those of sickly, disabled andelderly people from Bakateyamba’s Home we visited was priceless! Let’s all make a difference as we give love, hope, financial and moral support to the Cancer patients, the sickly and elderly.

In some of the pictures our friends who couldn’t make it sent in some “ka money” to help us buy what we needed to buy! May the good Lord bless them. It’s always a great to give back to community.

Feel free to join us this year. Follow the #Lamaisoncharity on Twitter and Facebook. Thank you.

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TUHAME ❤️