Youth Minister Dona Slater, along with Laura Schlee and Ben Blackford will be leaving for Uganda early tomorrow morning. By Friday evening (Uganda time; it’s seven hours ahead of us) they’ll be in the capital, Kampala.
As a result of the Youth Groups’ fundraising efforts during the 30 Hour Famine, the Fairlawn youth were eligible for World Vision Canada’s Trip Of A Lifetime contest. They were one of three fundraising groups to win the opportunity to go to Uganda and see first-hand how World Vision’s money is being used to make a difference.
You can follow their journey by visiting http://www.famine.ca/youth and clicking on the Follow the Trip of a Lifetime button. There should be postings from the group starting about August 20.
You can also follow the journey by reading stories about the trip in the Toronto Sun. Reporter Teviah Moro of Sun Media is with the group and will be filing stories. Although he’ll also be in Kenya to see the famine relief work being done there, he’ll be rejoining the young people early next week. If I hear about any additional specific links during the trip, I’ll add them to the bottom of this post.
In all there are six young people and three leaders from Ontario, Alberta and Manitoba joining World Vision staff and the Sun journalist. Highlights of the trip are:
August 20 — a trip to Jinja near Lake Victoria to see the source of the Nile at Ripon Falls- August 22 — visit a water pump project in central Uganda (#4 on map)
- August 23 — meet with young people who are survivors of the Lord’s Resistance Army rebel group in northern Uganda; also visit a school
- August 25 — visit a nutrition and food security project (#2 on map)
- August 26 — a final day in Kampala
UPDATE, Aug. 20 — A story about the group appeared in the Orillia Packet & Times.
UPDATE, Aug. 29 — Another story by Teviah Moro featuring Fairlawn’s Ben Blackford and Laura Schlee. Also a video of their visit to a village that now has its own well thanks to 30 Hour Famine funds.
UPDATE, Aug. 31 — Dona and Laura are interviewed on Sun TV.
