frail and unwell I became a carer myself. Enforced early retirement has offered a new perspective and the opportunity to be variously trustee, chair and income generator for various local charities and groups. For the past few years my husband, Chris, and I have been developing a relationship with a village in Eastern Uganda, Kyemula. The big aid agencies do not operate in the more remote villages where there are no roads for their 4X4’s. Chris met the village elder, Milton Makabilia, when he was best man at Chris’s cousin’s wedding in Mbale. Milton impressed Chris with his insight into how some of the problems confronting his village might be solved – and Milton was delighted to find someone who listened – his previous encounters with the aid community had led him to think that no-one listens, they simply tell you what they think needs to be done. Together we have fixed the village well – previously three children had drowned getting water from the river – set up a micro-credit scheme managed by ladies from the village – they buy cloth to make clothes to sell and seed to grow additional crops to sell – bought some community goats – the pedigree input is
improving the stock of those already on the village and more families now own at least one kid. Last Christmas Milton told us his next priority was the 34 older people in the village who have very poor housing, often no more than a hut of broken mud bricks and tattered banana thatch, and many of whom are struggling to raise grandchildren orphaned by Aids. He felt that rebuilding the huts was not the best solution and together we explored the options. Milton held community meetings to involve everyone and to let them know that they had a say in the solution. Milton’s preference was to build a community home where the older people could support each other, grow some crops and look co-operatively after the children. Over the summer he has masterminded the building of Kyemula’s first community home with 8 bedrooms, a big community lounge and kitchen – and a garden which already has crops planted. Our next task is to spread the word about the model we have developed – and of course to raise the money for Kyemula’s second community home! Best wishes to all, Karen Whitaker (Woods) (Homerton, 1974)
T
he HUS (Homerton Union of Students) is unique among student unions in Cambridge for the close working relationship it has with the Fellows and staff, and continues to be the only JCR of all 31 Colleges to have a sabbatical President. Despite its idiosyncrasy, very little is known about the union’s history. Apparently it was very politically active in the ‘70s and ‘80s, and we’ve heard rumours of HUS events that (for the right or wrong reasons!) swiftly passed into Cambridge folklore – but details are hard to come by. To rectify this, we would love to hear from any former committee members who have interesting stories to tell from their time on the union. In the long-run we’d love to be able to add a section to the archive, for what must be an absorbing segment of Homerton’s history only remembered by a small number of former students. The more mischievous the memories, the better. Francis Dearnley (HUS President, 2013/14) Jack Hooper (HUS President, 2014/15) Ruth Taylor (HUS President-Elect, 2015/16)
Above Karen Whitaker’s picture of 1F Romsey School visiting Kings College
HOMERTON COLLEGE
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