This past Saturday afternoon, the CARITAS students who attend St. Peter Secondary School met at the Nkokonjeru Parish to help clean up the church and the grounds. Tasks included scrubbing the church floors, weeding along the church steps and weeding, raking and hoeing the parish yard. The activities occurred just in time to spruce up the parish for the Feast of Corpus Christi on Sunday, June 7th.

Frank, a seminarian whose education is sponsored through CARITAS, organized most of the event, encouraging the students to act responsibly and give back to the community. He prepared a light lunch of rice and cabbage for the students and assigned them to various tasks. I had the pleasure of photographing it all and helping out where I could. 

Eating a lunch of rice and cabbage. The rain forced us inside.

Sarah, sponsored by Olivia, pulling weeds along the church steps.

Akoth, sponsored by Pat F. and Agnes, sponsored by Christine R., helped with scrubbing the church floors.

Left to right: Akoth, Judith, sponsored by Mike W., Agnes, and Elizabeth, sponsored by David G., take a break from cleaning to pose with a statue of Jesus inside the church.

Robert, sponsored by Monica M., bravely takes on the job of cleaning the church toilets!

Lawrence, sponsored by Edward R., helps clear weeds from the parish yard.

Joseph, sponsored by Thomas and Julia C., hoes in the parish yard.

Justine, sponsored by Amy K., Norah, sponsored by Sylvia U., and Immaculate, sponsored by Thomas and Robin D., on the church steps after clearing weeds from the cracks.

Several volunteers assemble a rendering of a chalice and host made from sand and stones to decorate the church steps for the Feast of Corpus Christi.

Maria Assumpta, sponsored by Jackie and Steve S., rakes the parish yard.

Even the muzungu can use a hoe.

Susan (SOO sahn), sponsored by Steve and Cathy Hoelter, works on the chalice and host art with his friend (red shirt). Cathy Hoelter is Sponsorship Coordinator at CARITAS For Children.

Viola, sponsored by Kathleen C., and Maria Assumpta pause to enjoy a few mangoes while cleaning the parish yard.

Sr. Carolyne, Program Coordinator in Uganda, gets in on the action.

At the end of the day, the group poses next to the finished monstrance decoration in front of the church. The students appear approximately in the following order, beginning on the left: "back" row - Francis O. sponsored by Joel S., Laurence S. (blue shirt), Sarah N. (yellow shirt, plaid skirt), Immaculate K. (orange shirt), Akoth G. (orange shirt, part of face hidden), Robert O. (red shirt, standing), Justine N. (blue shirt), Norah N. (green shirt, back, standing), Bonny B. (green and black shirt, middle, standing) sponsored by Steven and Kristijana J., Angela N. (back, black shirt, standing) sponsored by Lawrence M., William M. (orange collared shirt, back, standing) sponsored by Peter and Carole G., Francis K. (blue shirt, back, standing) sponsored by Chuck and Janice A. "Front" row, from the left: Viola N. (red skirt, standing), Agnes B. (yellow shirt with sweater), Judith N. (pale pink skirt), Susan's friend (non-CARITAS volunteer, red shirt, crouching), Susan K. (green shirt, crouching), Sister Carolyne, Richard K.(red shirt, standing behind Sr. Carolyne) sponsored by Mike H., Maria Assumpta N. (orange shirt and patterned skirt, standing), Joseph L. (standing, gray pants), Frank the Seminarian (striped shirt and boots).

The sponsors who support these teens through CARITAS' Child Sponsorship Programs can be very proud of them! When one chooses to sponsor a child, good works can grow exponentially.