Dear friends
Water is a metaphor for the flow of life, wrote our protégé Ronald Lubega to me a few days ago. A letter well worth reading, which you will find at the end of this newsletter.
But although three quarters of the world is covered by water, not everyone has equal access to drinking water. Samuel Coleridge’s (1772-1834) poem, ‘Rhyme of an Ancient Mariner’ speaks of this:
«Water, Water everywhere, but not a drop to drink.».
Over the next few weekends in the run-up to Christmas, I would like to tell you a little about our work, our experiences and the people we support, using water as our leitmotif. I hope you find this an entertaining read and thank you for your support. I wish you all the best.
Always yours, Burkhard Varnholt
To Ronald Lubega
Ronald’s letter has inspired me to put this year’s Advent newsletter under the leitmotif of water.
Ronald is an extraordinary person, by the way, ‘my unassuming hero’. I remember that his teachers – apart from the art teacher – thought he was a ‘difficult’ pupil. I like people like that.
Ronald has his own perspective, impressive knowledge of art, empathy and inexhaustible creativity – and diligence. He works almost day and night and has developed his own unmistakable style. Today he works as a freelance artist, influencer, graphic and fashion designer in the daily chaos of the metropolis of Kampala, Uganda’s densely populated capital.
He can make a living from it. Some of his works have already been published internationally. He recently developed a Christmas edition, a high-quality T-shirt, for the Berlin KINDL Centre for Contemporary Art. By the way, you can order it online here. It is currently my personal favourite T-shirt.
Despite his success, Ronald has kept his feet firmly on the ground. He is modest, seems almost shy and is deeply connected to his Kids of Africa family. For us at Kids of Africa, he is both a role model and motivation. Because he has managed to make the language of the heart the tool of his life. What a blessing. I believe it is the secret of his success.
P.S.: The graphic on his T-shirt is supposed to represent his artistic working process: ‘from chaos to order’, he says. The number printed across the T-shirt indicates the Google Maps location of the KINDL Centre for Contemporary Art. Interested?
“Water, water everywhere, but not a drop to drink”
Uganda should actually have enough water. But what to do when there are no water reservoirs for the dry season? When climate change, population growth and loss of forest land are drying out the soil?
When two million war refugees move into Uganda’s arid steppe landscape and the groundwater there sinks ever deeper? What do we do when the amount and duration of rainfall decreases? These are pressing questions.
Children are particularly affected by them. Many spend a whole day filling a small water canister. They also suffer from malnutrition, poverty, a lack of education and water-borne diseases.
We are committed to these children and their families. Holistically and sustainably. For example, by building life-giving water infrastructure. Wells, water tanks, pumps, pipes, sanitary facilities and good management. Every shilling arrives. I guarantee it. And I invite you to visit us.
Giving life with every drop:
our water projects in Uganda
| Cost | Benefit/Potential | Durability | |
|---|---|---|---|
| A Well | Approximately 25,000 CHF | For up to 1,000 people | Ensured by a Kids of Africa school |
| A Water Tank | Approximately 10,000 CHF | 15-20,000 liters | At least 30 years |
| Pumps and Pipelines | Approximately 15,000 CHF | For schools, communities, and agriculture | Up to 20 years with good maintenance |
| Sanitary Facilities for a School | Approximately 25,000 CHF | For a school with 1,000 students | At least 20 years |
‘The river of life’
“The journey of water is a metaphor for our own journey through life. It flows, adapts and transforms, reminding us that change is the only constant.
Like water, we begin our journey pure and full of life, flowing effortlessly with the stream of youth and innocence. As we wind our way through life, we encounter obstacles and challenges that shape us, but we also shape them. Just as water shapes the rocks or winds around them to strive forward.
Sometimes we flow gently, carried by the tides of success and happiness. Other times, we encounter rapids that force us to adapt and find new paths.
But just as water always finds a way, we too can learn to surrender to the flow of life. We will always find a way, embrace the journey with all its ups and downs, and trust that we will be stronger, wiser and more resilient on the other side.
As water flows, it forms new landscapes. It creates beauty and nourishes the life along its shores. Similarly, our experiences, though sometimes turbulent, can shape us into unique human beings who grow, love, and feel compassion.
Let us go with the flow of life, as the water goes with its journey. May we flow with grace, adapt with courage and transform with resilience to become the best version of ourselves. Just as water becomes the ocean.”
