Carol's In Uganda: TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS

There are more projects that I am working on than can be mentioned here. Two of the major projects include finishing the music video for the boys as well as getting Brian's birth certificate in hand. Both of these have been taking more time and effort than I had originally planned. I keep trusting in God that if He wills, he will help me find a way of completing them.

Producer Innocent L and Producer Bull R

The music video...sigh...I was nearing the end of my stay...there is NO WAY I can look in the eyes of these boys and tell them that I was not able to finish it. I decided to meet with 2 producers to have the final edit done. The boys wanted to use the editor of their music producer by the name of Bull. I was also introduced to Isaac, a friend of Patricial Corell PT who was making music videos for big name singers such as Rabadaba, Chameleon and Navio. I hired them both. I figured whoever made the best video the fastest would be the one I went with. This proved to be a good move.

Nicholas the poet waiting for his shoot

The other boys waiting

Producer Bull, though working out of his home, managed to nail what the boys wanted in 2 short edits. Isaac was the one who came up with the idea of having the boys meet one of their famous singers, Rabadaba. He in fact called Rabadaba who was excited to do this! He is also a professional photographer photographing the likes of the Bugandan King and Queen.

I then somehow managed to plan one last surprise for Golden Crew...an outing mid week to go to FACE studio for a professional photo shoot. It was a wild hair and I scrambled to make it come together...arranging a taxi and truck to cart them and their wheelchairs out there..asking permission from Brother Gabriel to pull them out of school for a day and getting extra help to lift the boys in and out of the van and up and down the studio stairs.

Nicholas being photographed.
Flavia helping Nicholas pose

Posing as the poet he is

I brought along Nicholas, the poet as he was still suffering from pain and depression from his ongoing and progressive weakness. This moody poet, Doctor Love as he calls himself, needed a bit of UPLIFTING. I knew this would do the trick!

a moment between poses for Golden Crew

Highlighting Henry

It was again an adventure! It was a real photo shoot...music and lights and posing....food and laughter...we sat on the back porch waiting for the pictures to be developed...Flavia our photographer was able to reach Rabadaba who happened to be just down the street. He showed up to surprise the boys (though the driver, Douglass, Medson and Westby were all star struck as well) I met with him before he greeted everyone. He was kind and gracious. I thanked him for this opportunity profusely and made sure he realized he was about to make the kids dreams come true.

Waiting for a surprise they don't know is yet to come!

It was AMAZING! How fun it was to see their faces when he walked in...I had them singing while waiting... and the boys were able to sing for him.

Meeting their idol, Rabadaba

Getting a life pep talk from a famous Ugandan singer

Meanwhile, there was the issue of trying to get Brian's birth certificate. I wanted to bring him to to states for evaluation and treatment of this continuous skin condition. This has proved to be a nightmare of running to and from goverment agencies, waiting in line, being told no..having the police involved...then having to go to kassese myself (which I had no time to do). Brother John Reddy managed to locate Brian's father from the only information we had...the bus stop Brian used and his father's name. Bro John was out there recruiting for MOP when I called begging him for help. We managed to get a letter from his father turning over guardianship to MOP and agreeing to adoption should anyone want to and obtaining the baptismal certificate.

Everyone was star struck!

Rabadaba was patient with all the pictures!

Westby

Douglass

This turned out not to be enough...I was in tears when I found out a week before I left that we would have to get the actual certificate there. Douglass managed to have Brian's father go to the agency there and get the certificate. He then handed it to a Link bus driver and Douglass picked it up from the driver (who made some good money). THEN Douglass had to wait in the Kampala office for 1.5 full days to get the permanent certificate in hand which is needed for a passport.

Finally...certificate in hand!

Next step...passport!

Persistence finally paid off...thanks to the help of the Brothers and Douglass....I was finally breathing a sigh of relief as some major things were finally exiting my TO DO list! Thank you God...I felt He was testing me but I did not give up...that might have been the whole lesson.