A Birthday never to be forgotten. - Africa and Asia Venture

A Birthday never to be forgotten. - Africa and Asia Venture

Ray Berry volunteered with AV for four months at Valley Hill Primary School in Uganda. He was so inspired by his time there that after the AV project ended he decided to spend some extra time helping at a local orphanage. Here he tells us about one of his fond memories......

For a month I volunteered at a Project called Elohim Orphanage caring for over 100 chilled in Bombo Town, East of Kampala, and just over 40 children on site. At the beginning of the month I was being escorted home from the Orphanage by two of the larger kids, my "escaries" (security guards) they called themselves. We got on to talking about Birthdays and I accidentally let it slip that mine was this coming month. To which Azedi the taller of the two went extremely quiet for the rest of the walk home. At my door he stopped me and told me this "Uncle, I want to buy you a big BIG birthday cake, but uncle the money for me is not good. But one day, when I am rich and will live in England, then i will buy you a birthday cake" I didn't know what to say; I could hear the frustration in his voice. The kids told me a few days later that I had given so much to them, that they wanted to give me something back; they wanted to teach me how to sing and dance and how to play their "local instruments" This gift was so much more thoughtful, more precious than any cake could ever be, it was priceless.

A birthday never to be forgotten!

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