IT was with a combination of unfettered joy and yet much heartache that Jim and Freda Bloomer and their team opened their Uganda Orphans Project at the weekend.

The joy was seeing the fruits of their labour - a magnificent four-section orphanage costing £130,000 - finally opened when Freda and the Uganda Minister for Youth and Children's Affairs Jimmy W.L. Kinobe MP cut the tape to declare the building functional.
And the heartache was choosing the first of the 176 orphans (from countless hundreds of applicants) to occupy the vital service for children whose parents have died, mainly from Aids.
population
The Methodist inspired project is the latest of 30 African projects masterminded by the Portadown couple, and the team travelling to Iganga in Northern Uganda included Eddie Drury, David Capper, Alex McCausland and David Blevins.
"When you consider that Uganda has a population of 32 million and that 56 per cent are under 18, it gives you some idea of the problem," said Jim Bloomer. "In the Iganga area alone there are 35,600 orphans."
Jim and Freda have made several trip to Africa and it was during one of these that they spotted the Iganga problem, bought the 12 acres of land and embarked on the orphanage project, with the first sod cut in January last year.
Since then, the fundraising part of the team - under "chief arm twister Eddie Drury" - has raised the required £130,000 through various functions and local builders in Uganda have completed the four sections, each accommodating 45 children, a housemother and with the required facilities like kitchen. toilets, showers - all luxuries for children used to having nothing.
"The original plan was simply to feed the children," said Jim Bloomer. "But we got really into it, and the result is this magnificent project."
And what an opening ceremony it was! About 1,000 people attended, with four large marquees to accommodate the guests.
The Minister led the government delegation, and the local Mayor, councillors, Rotarians, and of course the children and the Portadown group were an important part of the ceremony.
"It was quite a ceremony, with speeches, singing, a barbecue, drama and poetry sessions," said David Capper. "The Ugandans certainly know how to put on a show."
operations
Ironically, Jim Bloomer almost gave his life for the project. Last July, he and David Blevins went out to see how the building was progressing, they were involved in a road crash out in the bush, and Jim had to endure a series of operations back home - including several stays in intensive care - but thankfully he pulled through to see the great day when the orphanage was opened.
Future plans are for a workshop and farm to complement the project, and fundraising will start soon for these vital additions.
"We thank God for every blessing," commented Jim and added that the Ugandan Government had agreed to adopt the orphanage and finance the running of it.
"We will continue to keep in touch and finance the feeding of the children," he said. "Freda and I are among the trustees of the project, along with Government officials and Rotarians from Uganda. I have to say it's very satisfying to see it reach a conclusion.
"We had to use very strict criteria to decide which orphans would get places, and that was Freda's job. She did it with prayer and compassion."
He also wants to underline that the money for the admin block at the orphanage was provided by Methodist Minister the Rev Ken Bradley, former minister at Epworth in Portadown, who raised the money in memory of his wife Lilian who died from cancer.
This Sunday night, there will be a special service of celebration and praise at Edenderry Memorial Methodist Church to give thanks that the orphanage is complete and up and running.
"It has been a wonderful, humbling experience," said Jim Bloomer.