The Revival Centre encompasses a church, nursery, primary and senior school. Many local children need to board during term times which is typical for schools in Uganda. Give A Child A Hope supports approximately 150 champions from struggling families, many of whom will board at the Centre during term times. Some of the day school children are also from needy and struggling families, indeed some would be candidates for the Champions programme if there were places available.
Dormitories – The secondary age champions and boarders live in two large dormitories accommodating 70 girls in one and 60 boys in the other. Four additional smaller dormitories provide for primary age champions and boarders in separate girls’ and boys’ dormitories. They all sleep on two or three-tier bunk beds. Ideally each bed should be provided with a foam mattress, a mattress cover and a mosquito net, although the cost of keeping these supplied is an ongoing challenge. Mattresses wear out quickly in normal use but even quicker where young ones are concerned. At the foot of each bed the children have a metal trunk containing all they possess in the world, a pair of flip flops, school uniform, one change of clothes, school exercise books, a bar of soap, toothbrush and treasured possessions.
Food – The children get up very early to wash themselves, get dressed, have some tea and prepare for school. The first meal of the day at lunchtime is Posho and Beans cooked in huge cauldrons and served out of big tubs.
Boiling beans
Making posho
On school days the very basic kitchen serves 650 school meals. Those who live at the site also get Posho and Beans for evening meal. It would be good to supplement this basic diet with milk, fruit and vegetables and occasionaly some meat, but the increasing cost of food and food shortages are making it difficult to provide a balanced diet; the agriculture project has been initiated to tackle this problem (see the Agriculture Project page for details).
Matron serving posho and beans
Water – In 2007 support was raised to install a deep borehole and a water pump which has continued to provide a good supply of cleaner water. It is clean enough for washing and is filtered and boiled before drinking. Since then, water tanks have been installed to capture water for filtering and using within the Revival Centre.
Washing Clothes – Living in a dusty and muddy place with only a school uniform and one set of clothes means washing one set of clothes every couple of days, these will dry quickly in the lovely climate!
Toilets – Most of the toilets at Revival are traditional 40′ deep pit latrines which involves squatting over a hole in the ground. Of course after using these and any toilet facilities, washing of hands is a high priority, especially before eating meals. A stream runs through the site and to protect it a six unit composting toilet block has been erected. Three units are used for six months then they are closed off to compost while the other three units are used over the following six month period.
Love, Care and Support – Each dormitory has a matron who lives with the children as a mother figure. The matrons care for and encourage the children and teach them how to look after themselves. They care for them when they are sick, in partnership with the nurses in the Revival Clinic if they need medical attention. Bishop Ivan and his wife Madam Allen are the highly respected and much loved parents of the Revival family who have committed their lives to providing for these children. The children know that, regardless of their previous circumstances, they are valued, loved and have been given the chance of a bright future.
GACAH and our partners at the Revival Centre promote a model of care that keeps children who board at the school closely linked to, and involved with, their families and home communities. All children (including the 150 champions) are actively supported to return home to family members or their home community for the school vacations and considerable efforts are made to ensure that the orphaned children on the Champions Support Programme maintain any links that they have with surviving family members or home communities where community members sometimes act as ‘surrogate’ parents.
The very small number who have no one, and nowhere to go, become members of Bishop Ivan and Madam Allen’s family group or that of other members of the Revival Team e.g. Pastor Faith or our teachers, and share their homes with their own children.
Kids at Play – With much use you can imagine that the swings and slides are in constant need of repair and occasionally replacement. Give A Child a Hope supporters and visitors to the Revival Centre usually help to address these needs. Having few toys available in shops, the children at Revival make their own toys using whatever materials they can find and create some impressive things.
The Revival Centre may struggle to meet material needs but it is a very positive and happy place for the children to grow up.
Having fun with face paints.