Widows of Uganda get a helping hand from N.B.
News of official status as a Canadian charity has meant Kigando Community Support for the Elderly is stepping up its activities in the Pennfield area.
The charitable status has given KCSE legitimacy, as well as the authority to issue tax receipts for donations. And donations are what it needs to help elderly widows in Uganda who have no family, no support system, no medical care and no transportation.
BEGINNINGS
The Rev. Caleb Twinamatsiko, his wife, Hope Asiimwe, and their children moved to the Parish of Pennfield six and-a-half years ago, where Caleb is the rector. But in doing so, they left Caleb’s 99-year-old widowed mother behind.
Not long after arriving, Caleb had a crisis of conscience, and he believed he’d made a terrible mistake. That led to a visit back home, where Caleb recognized his mother’s physical needs, and used what he’d learned from visiting the elderly in their homes and in nursing homes here, to make her home more liveable.
“I put a toilet in. I put ramps around the house and railings around the house,” said Caleb. “I had people walk her around and people to get her meals. And I invited older women to come in and have tea with her.”
With his [now late] mother squared away, he and Hope began thinking of the many other widows in similar situations with no one to help care for them.
That was the beginning of KCSE. For awhile they sought donations unofficially, and used the money to help buy what the women needed: a basin, soap, rice, sugar, milk, salt and other basic necessities. A donation of $15 buys a month’s worth of all this and makes a huge difference.
“The focus is on elderly widows who have no one to help them, no social programs,” said Caleb.
Ugandan women work hard physically all their lives to grow food, gather wood for cooking fires and walk up to 40 kilometres to get to markets, either to buy or sell food.
“By 65, they’re done. They sit and wait to die. They are worn out,” he said
In some cases, children have abandoned their mothers for life in an urban area. In other cases, the children have died of disease like AIDS. And sometimes the grandmother is raising her grandchildren alone.
“These are very rural areas,” he said. “When we say they’re alone, they are really alone.”
So Caleb and Hope began helping five, then eventually 15 women with basic necessities. They range in age from 76 to 91 years.
Back home in Uganda for a visit, they gathered all 15, Hope gave a talk on hygiene, they all shared a meal, and Caleb and Hope gave out the care packages.
Since then, these quarterly gatherings have grown to include doctors and nurses visiting to do blood tests and blood pressure checks. Caleb and Hope have made three trips back to Uganda to manage the program.
“The last time we did this, we found three ladies who needed immediate help,” said Caleb. “But there is no money to get care.”
Health care is not free, not readily available and there is no transportation even if there was money to pay the fees. So the focus has been on prevention — diet, exercise, hand washing, hygiene — making the quarterly gatherings even more vital.
CHARITIBLE STATUS
Sarah Norman has been instrumental in helping KCSE get official status as a charity. Caleb approached her because he knew she had experience getting charities off the ground.
“I had a lovely meal with Caleb and Hope and they explained what they were already doing,” she said. “Many meals later, we finally got notice that we’d got our charitable number. It took a few tries to clarify things.”
Sarah is part of the board of directors, as are Tony and Kim Munn, Nicole Sangster, Laura Lee Carrier, Caleb and Hope. Some are from the parish, some from the community, but all are driven to help make a difference.
They meet, take minutes, and now they are planning a breakfast fundraiser in September as they kick off more fundraising. They also have a Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/KCSEinc) and invite readers to like it and follow.
The charity has two budgets: one for the basic monthly necessities, now valued at $482 a month, and one to facilitate the quarterly gatherings of all the women. That takes about $1,070 per gathering to buy food for the meal, arrange for the health professionals, and pay for transportation for all the women to get there.
That $1,070 has untold benefits, not the least of which are fellowship, friendship and improved mental health for these isolated women. The annual budget for the charity is a modest $9,000.
“One-hundred per cent of that goes to the group,” said Kim. “There is no administration cost whatsoever.”
MAKING IT HAPPEN
Caleb and Hope are fortunate to have a volunteer on the ground. Caleb’s nephew takes care of the arrangements in Uganda, supervised by Canon Paul Jeffries of Bishop McAllister College, where Caleb was headmaster, leaving them here to provide the money to make it all happen.
Hope believes the ladies can contribute to their own care by making grass and banana leaf baskets and trivets for sale in Canada.
“Every woman would know that skill,” she said, adding they’d have been taught in school, at home and even at Mothers’ Union meetings.
They have a good selection already, but with more, they could earn a good sum from selling these authentic, handmade baskets.
They’re hoping now they can expand the program.
“We want to help as many ladies as we can,” said Kim.
“We started with 15, but I know once it works well, people will be asking,” said Caleb. “They’re already asking but we don’t have the means yet.”
Caleb has high hopes now that the charity is up and running.
“Hope and I appreciate everyone’s time, input and brains,” he said. “We’ve gotten together so many times to talk about this, each with a meal.
“Now that we have this, we focus on where we can get funds and is it sustainable.
“It’s short steps, but we shall expand as time and funds allow. There is a need there. I don’t know how it will go, but I think big.”
Aside from fundraisers, KCSE is looking for regular donors who will commit to giving $15 — or more — a month to help make the charity sustainable.
“These poor ladies have nobody, nothing,” said Nicole. “We have a health-care system, but these ladies barely get out of their houses. It’s something so small but means so much.”
“As Canadians, that’s what we do,” said Tony.
And seeing photos and video of their tears of thankfulness, their songs and dances of joy, is enough to convince the board their hard work is well worth the effort.
If you would like to help, contact KCSEinc@gmail.com or Caleb at calebtt@gmail.com or message their Facebook page. As well, Caleb would be happy to be a guest speaker at your group’s event.
TESTIMONIAL
This testimonial was taken from the KCSE Facebook page:
“I may have lost my partner, but I gained a team of angels who have helped me rebuild,” says Jolly, a 73-year-old widow who lost her husband in 1996.
Jolly was struggling to make ends meet, living in a small, old house. She tried to survive but fate dealt her another blow when a strong wind destroyed her home, leaving her with nothing. Devastated and alone, Jolly felt that she had hit rock bottom but then a local charity (KCSE) rebuilt her house.
“The walls are new but memories and love that fill them are what make it a home,” said Jolly.
Photo Captions:
1. An elderly widow in rural Uganda reacts to a visit from the Rev. Caleb and Hope Twinamatsiko.
2. Hope (in purple) gives elderly widows a talk on hygiene during one of the quarterly meetings.
3. The local board of directors of KCSE: Kim Munn, Caleb, Nicole Sangster, Laura Lee Carrier, Tony Munn, Hope
and Sarah Norman with items they will use for upcoming fundraisers. The baskets are made by Ugandan women. McKnight photo
4. Health professionals do blood pressure and blood sugar checks when they attend the quarterly meetings in Uganda.
Submitted photos