'They have got nothing, but are laughing'

RETIRED teachers Maureen and Brian Hickey, who both taught at Bishop Walsh School, know only too well the benefit of an education. Through their church, St Nicholas in Jockey Road, Boldmere, the couple have been actively backing a scheme to support up to 50 street children in Naguru, on the outskirts of the Ugandan capital Kampala.

The Feed My Lamb project is funded by the World Development Group, which has been going for 30 years at St Nicholas's, but has been a charity for just four years.

Renting a classroom in a building which houses two other schools, it solely looks after street children. These youngsters have been "banished" to the suburbs to fend for themselves.

Maureen and Brian visited the project for the first time last month and were both startled and inspired by what they found.

"The street children's parents have either abandoned them or are dead," 69-year-old Maureen said. "They may have died from Aids, or quite often the mother is ill and dies, and then the father disappears. The children get left on the street."

Parishioners at St Nicholas's heard about these impoverished children when a member of their church visited Kampala during a gap year. He came across a woman called Dorcus, who was teaching children under a tree. She lived in a small room, yet took in six children every night to put a roof over their heads.

One of the early difficulties for the project was the number of children needing help.

To ensure the Feed My Lamb project provided some help, Dorcus had to make the heartbreaking decision to turn some youngsters away.

"Dorcus had 130 children in this room and that wasn't any good for any of them," Maureen said. "We thought it would be better to bring it down to 45 to 50. This number of children are benefiting and when one leaves, another can come in."

As well as providing a basic education, Feed my Lamb also provides two meals a day and has recently supplied the children with a school uniform.

Those in need of medical help are also given some funding, including a dozen with HIV. Families in the area then provide them with a roof for the night, but often without a bed to sleep on.

"The area these children live in is absolutely appalling," Maureen said. "The first day I went around the children came with me and introduced me to the place they live in. It was appalling. The state of it. The open sewers.

"They have one toilet and a shower in a shack that's falling down, which is used by masses of families.

"I couldn't believe that anyone was living in a society like that. It is close to the centre of Kampala and they are struggling for survival on every level. For food, for clothes. Trying to do the best they can. Eeking a very small living selling charcoal or oranges by the roadside."

The World Development Group acts like the Feed My Lamb project's governing body, with Dorcus, described by Maureen as a "charismatic woman" managing it in Uganda. The group is in constant contact with the 31-year-old through text and email, and children are given a school report to chart their progress, just as they would be in England.

They contribute £12,000 of funding annually for a usual year, but last year managed to raise £18,000 to help.

"We need more. It is nowhere near enough," Maureen said. "We would like to extend it.

"They just sit on benches and lean on their knees to write anything.

"We are trying to raise money to get chairs and desks for the room.

"Two meals is not enough for them. We need enough money to pay for three.

"We would like to pay more for their medical fees.

"There is a lot of TB with coughs, shivering and just wanting to sleep all the time.

"They don't have the immunisation to get rid of it.

"Those with HIV get sick very easily and we try to cover their medical bills."

"The payback comes from the smiles on the youngsters' faces and the gratitude for what they are given.

"My husband took over 14 footballs, skipping ropes and tennis balls," Maureen said. "We also took stocks of school uniforms and they were just thrilled to bits.

"The people were fantastic, so friendly. You felt so uplifted. They haven't got anything, but they are laughing and exuberant. They were so kind. The feel of the place is fantastic."

The WDG has already sourced desks and chairs which can be made locally for the equivalent of £10 each, but a more immediate threat to the project is the imminent loss of its present home. "We are told we need to leave the classroom," Maureen said. "We are looking for alternative premises and ideally to get our own building.

"Ultimately, we would like to have a school built. We have got four classes at the moment and we would like to have five classes with proper storage so things aren't stolen."

Anyone who would like to support the St Nicholas World Development Group's project in Uganda can email on stnicholaswdg@gmail.com, or call Maureen on 0121 354 1352 to find out more.

Donations can also be made online by visiting uk.virginmoneygiving.com and searching for St Nicholas World Development Group.