Friendship links with Uyogo were strengthened after a couple travelled to see how Kenilworth donations are helping reshape lives of a poverty stricken community. Matthew Williams and his girlfriend Charlotte Prosser visited the small village of Uyogo to see how the Kenilworth Uyogo Friendship Link was making a difference. As well as seeing first hand how much these projects were helping, the pair travelled to nearby Kasela and Igembensabo where they were shown how medical supplies sent to the dispensary were being used. And they visited schools to see how money sent from Kenilworth was buying books and school supplies for the children to keep learning.

Matthew explained that it was an amazing and humbling trip and that they were treated like family by everyone they met. On arrival they were greeted by Uyogo village council, guide and translator, Lucky Mgeni, and stayed with primary school head teacher Thekla for their visit. Charlotte said: “We were welcomed like family, went to a wedding where we were ushered to the centre and Matthew had to give a speech. We even had a football match held in our honour between Uyogo and one of the sub-villages. It was an emotional experience seeing the conditions that people were having to live in, and the way that they went about their days. But it was incredibly rewarding, humbling and satisfying seeing how one charity can make such a huge difference to so many lives.” She said the trade union was “very thankful” for all the support given to them over the years, and that they all showed a keen interest in farming in Kenilworth – despite shock that lions were not a threat to the ‘strange’ black and white cows.