Aggie's Arts - Hilda's Story

Another Australian-Ugandan video mix (now only 4 months until our return to Uganda in mid-June!)

Each Aggie's Arts lady is unique and has a unique story to tell. In this video, Hilda shares with us some of the challenges she's faced in her life, and how selling paper bead jewelry and crafts to Aggie's Arts has helped her achieve a major goal for her & her family.

To hear some other ladies' stories or for more information about Aggie's Arts, go to www.aggiesarts.org

Diggin' out Jiggers 2 (the Story Beneath the Foot)

Videoed in Australia, yet videoed in Uganda……wait, let me start again. See the reality of Jiggers on the ground in Uganda. Find out how the Kisoro community & Kisoro Kids ministry have partnered to prevent-by-cement. Nineteen classroom floors cemented to date! A sequel to our claim to fame - the viral YouTube video “Diggin’ out Jiggers,” THIS is the reason behind videoing one being dug out of my toe! (a lot of people who watched the video wondered…and asked).

Ministry Overview - 2012 Achievements

We are now in Australia on furlough, but our hearts are not far from Uganda. This video, which we made before we left, is an overview of the different ministries we are involved in & what was achieved during 2012.

Paech Family Australian Permanent Residency Granted!!

After 13 months of waiting, our Ugandan family members' Australian permanent residency visas have finally been granted! We are off to Australia June 13th! Aggie, Ivy and I will stay for one year (on missionary furlough) and will then return to Uganda. The rest of the kids will stay, and Australia will become their new home, and our family's new home-base. Awesome!

This is a video of our kids' reactions when we shared the news with them!

How to Survive in a Slum

More than a billion people live in urban slums around the world. In Kampala, it's estimated that 60% of households live on less than $150/month. With the help of local council leaders, International Missionaries for Christ (IMFC, who Aggie and I volunteer with) identify the neediest of the needy in Kampala's slums, helping them with crisis-relieving food and Christian counseling. This video looks at some of the challenges such people face, and how they manage to eke out a living.

Aggie's Arts - 2012 Highlights

2012 was an excellent year for Aggie's Arts.  We continued to help 17 families through purchases of beautiful hand-crafted bead jewelry and were even able to increase their monthly purchase amount. Aggie's Arts was also registered as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization in the United States.  Very exciting!  We had 2 teams from the U.S. visit us in 2012.  This video captures some of the highlights of those trips, including an eye clinic that the Aggie's Arts ladies facilitated in their own community!

Ugandan Christmas Party

Have you ever wondered what an end-of-year work Christmas party might be like in Africa?  Wonder no more!  This is the one that we hosted this week for IMFC, the organization we volunteer with here in Uganda.
 

The Power of Partnership - Kisoro Kids

It's really amazing to see what is being achieved (and how!) through the partnership of Kisoro Kids and the Kisoro community.  In this video, Pastor George gives us an update of, and some insight into, this unique relationship.

Aggie & The Lifejacket

Another classic from Aggie, filmed on the Victoria Nile boat cruise, Murchison Falls National Park, Uganda.

Sharon's 1st song & video release!

Sharon has just released her first professionally mixed song & music video "Nakupenda Mummy" which means "I Love You Mummy."  The song is a re-mixed version of her song "Mama" which she sang during the Tusker Project Fame 5 singing contest. The artist name that she has chosen is "Sharon Paech" (Simon is honoured!)

Congratulations Sharon! These days Sharon is out most evenings at gigs and has also had exposure on a couple of shows on TV stations here in Kampala. Her new song & music video will be circulated at local radio & TV stations. Very exciting!

 

Aggie & The Elephant

Family Safari, Murchsion Falls National Park, Uganda.  Four hours into the game drive, Simon driving the family vehicle, armed ranger in the passenger seat, family in the back (including 16mo old Ivy).  Ranger has nonchalantly told us stories of an elephant tipping over a car once in the park, a family's vehicle breaking down at dusk & them spending the night in the park, the signs of when an elephant will charge...and then we come across a big elephant right next to the road.  Simon asks Aggie to stand & take video through the sunroof.  Aggie reluctantly does...and the rest is an instant classic!

P.S./Disclaimer: The ranger calmly assured us (with a grin) that the elephant wasn't about to charge, but for Aggie's sake (there were more exclamations after she shut off the camera) we did leave &:-)}  Does anyone remember Aggie and the Rhino at Lake Nakuru National Park a few years ago? Look at http://www.spaech.blogspot.com/2009/09/safari.html *laugh*

Sharon finishes 6th! - her final performance.

Out of thousands of entrants from six East-African countries of naturally musically-gifted people, Sharon finished 6th! Well done Sharon, that's honestly amazing!

This video shows Sharon's final performance and "eviction." It's great that she ended on a high note! In fact although lots of people think Sharon's eviction was unfair & untimely, it "turns out" that it may be an amazing thing: apparently the Top 5 have restrictions on what they are allowed to record for the year following the competition. No such restrictions for Sharon!

We really look forward to what the future holds for Sharon & we are encouraging her to pursue this as a possible career. What an amazing gift she's been given!

She made lots of excellent connections during the competition too - all of the judges (who are either artists or producers) & many of the faculty gave Sharon their contact details. They didn't do that for everyone in the Top 10. Sharon said Judge Ian (the usually negative one) gave her a big hug and said "If I hear from Julianna [Ugandan judge & artist] that you're just sitting there and not pursuing this, I'll be extremely disappointed!" Julianna has been someone Sharon has admired since she was young - Sharon always dreamed of just meeting her. Now Julianna's number is in Sharon's phone!

Sharon in the Top 6 - Singing her own Song

Sharon made it through the cut last Saturday and into the Top 6! On Sunday contestants sang songs that they wrote themselves. Sharon song, called "Mama," is a mix of English, Swahili and Luganda. It speaks about how precious our Mums (or Moms!) are. This is especially significant for Sharon, who's biological father was a violent man who never provided a thing for them. Their Mum, Aggie, took on the entire job of raising the children, while also suffering in extreme poverty. Many other Africans have experienced (and are experiencing) upbringings like this, so this song will resonate with a lot of people.

Translations of some of the Luganda & Swahili lyrics:

"Nakupenda Mama" - I love you Mama.

"Nkwagala nnyo" - I love you so much.

"Osobola okukyusa ebilala, osobola kukyusa mama wo yeka gwolina mugondere" - Many things can be replaced but you can't replace your Mum. She's the only one you have who cares for you, so you need to give her honour & respect.

Aggie and I had goosebumps and tears in our eyes when we heard Sharon performing this! The word that we had to describe her performance was GLORIOUS! Amazing how Sharon's voice can be so gentle, small & sweet one minute, and so big & powerful the next! You can tell this song is truly from her heart.

Unfortunately though, 4 out of 6 contestants had to be chosen for probation, and Sharon was one of them. They'll be up for potential eviction this Saturday night. Hoping so much that Sharon makes it through!

Ivy Cheryle at 15 months, July 2012

Some recent video footage of Ivy.  Enjoy!

Sharon in the Top 7 but on probation!

This week Sharon sang Sade's "Sweetest Taboo." Her performance got mixed reviews  and she ended up on probation along with 4 other contestants. This coming  Saturday the 4 on probation will sing their same songs again and 1 (or maybe 2,  we're not sure) will be evicted!!  Arrgggghhh, a nerve-wracking week coming up!

If you are in Uganda or Kenya, you can vote for Sharon (as many times as you  like!) by sending the text message "Tusker4" (without quotes) to 8009. Each  message is 220 Uganda Shillings. Voting closes 6am Saturday morning.

Sharon moves into the Top 8!

This is a summary video of the Sunday July 1st live show where the Top 8 contestants performed (and 4 were put on probation). Tonight Sharon's performance was very likely the best of all 8! Even judge Ian (the tough/negative guy) had only positive things to say which is practically unheard of! You can only imagine how proud of her we are - she is SO incredibly talented and it's such a blessing to our hearts to see her being able to showcase & develop her gift like this - it brings tears to our eyes!

Two of the 4 put on probation will be evicted this Saturday the 7th, and then the Top 6 (which Sharon will be part of) will perform this coming Sunday the 8th. The whole thing finishes July 31st. By the way, the other remaining Ugandan (Allan) was evicted during last night's show. This will likely work in Sharon's favour if she goes on probation again since Uganda can now be behind just one contestant when it comes to sms voting.

Sharon now in the Top 10! (better quality)

This is a much better quality version of Sharon's June 24 performance.  It isn't a summary of the whole show (see the original "Sharon now in the Top 10!" upload for that), this one shows Sharon's performance alone.

Sharon now in the Top 10!

A summary video of the 1 1/2 hr live show from Sunday June 24, including Sharon's full performance.  Five contestants from the Top 10  were put on probation, and again Sharon was not one of them!  It looks like she may have finally hit her stride, her performance (of a popular South African song) was fantastic with good judge reviews!  Two of the 5 on probation will be evicted this Saturday the 30th, which means Sharon will be in the Top 8!  She'll perform next this coming Sunday July 1st.  Stay tuned!

Sharon makes it through again!

This is a summary video of tonight's "nomination" show where all 12 remaining contestants performed and 5 were chosen to go on probation. Not Sharon this time!!!!  Awesome!!  She scraped through by the skin of her teeth!  Aggie (and the judges) said she chose a key that was too low for her.  So she still has a chance to shine! We know she can do better than she has so far, we've heard her sing. Maybe without the stress of probation that she had last week the coming weekend might be a better one for her. The whole thing is super-stressful though! She's doing so well to "keep it together" - I don't think I could!

This coming Saturday the 5 now on probation will perform and 2 will be evicted.  That'll leave the Top 10 who will perform again on Sunday, so Sharon will be in that Top 10!!

We're personally grateful Sharon's not on probation this week - last week was so nerve-wracking, thinking about it all week. It was stressful even for us.  We'll be able to rest this week &:-)}

Sharon now in the Top 12!

Sharon has been in Nairobi, Kenya, for about a month now, competing with other contestants in East Africa's version of American/Australian Idol. This is an edited version of 2 live shows: 1) June 10th, where 5 contestants (including Sharon) ended up on "probation" (candidates for eviction), and 2) June 16, where the 5 on probation performed and 2 of 5 were evicted - not Sharon!!! So she's now off probation & moves on to be in the Top 12! Sunday the 17th she'll perform again and 5 more contestants will be put on probation - hopefully not her!