TWELFTH INSTALMENT 2017

FRIDAY FEBRUARY  10th 2017

I am back in U.K.
Left Masindi at 9am and reached Entebbe around 1:30pm, picking up Dorothy Mugenyi and arriving at Goretti's Pizza restaurant  on the bank  of Lake Victoria  for lunch before going to the airport. The traffic  around Kampala was terrible despite it being National Women's Day and Godfrey Taxi knowing all the back roads! Very sad to say goodbye to all the staff  at Courtview  Hotel our home for the last month!
There was a short storm as we ate our pizza  but there has been no good rain in the last three days - pray that The Rains really start so that the seeds people have already planted will prosper and come to fruition: if not Uganda will have a crisis  as the last harvest was poor, around 4,000 refugees continue to cross into Uganda every day and the Aid Agencies continue to buy maize and beans to deliver in South Sudan thus putting up the price  of food  staples.
The flight to Addis went well but the five hours waiting for our connection was a drag. Once on board for Heathrow we were served second diner of rice and chicken and had a variety of the latest  movies  to choose from in Ethiopia Airlines most comfortable  and modern Airbus

I only had three crises on the journey  but it ended up with me losing my little "Africa Phone" at Addis Airport - I think it fell out of my pocket!

The Internet was very weak during my last few days in Masindi  and I think my Tenth Blog all about visiting  the Refugee Camp at Kyriandongo has not published. That visit was an eye opener ,especially our visit  to the  primary school in the camp  -  we went into a classroom where 140 pupils were crammed,studying!

It was a P4 year group and altogether there are around  700 pupils in Year 4, taught in 5 sets! The Refugee Camp holds around 75 thousand refugees ,mainly now from Sudan  but also from Congo and still some  Acholi 's from the war in Northern Uganda and Kikuyu's  from  Kenya's tribal problems during the Elections there four years ago.

On our penultimate day in Masindi, Sallie insisted Pat and I plus Missionary Janine go to Amuka Lodge  in Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary for lunch We did not see the rhinos but saw many bushbuck Thompson's Gazelles and loads of birds to and from the lodge. It was a great relaxation after rushing to get the girls knickers to a point whereTeachers Lucy and Scotia could finish them off with the girls and managing to get Francis Welder to hang the shutters in Olive's classroom block!!

Job done!

 

ELEVENTH INSTALMENT 2017

SUNDAY MARCH 5th 2017

Pat and I are spending a quiet day today although I did manage to get to church St 8:30am. Sallie has given us some Gabarol to sort out our tummies!

It is hot again, back to the thirties - midday  today it has reached 30.8 but it was tremendously hot in the Game Park on Friday. We got up at 4:30 am and I ended up helping Chef Walter pack the chicken and chipped potatoes into their containers for lunch! Then we loaded up the pickup with the lunches and the eggs,mendazi and sweet tea for breakfast. The schoolchildren ate their eggs etc standing up or sitting on the verandah as dawn broke then we loaded up the 5 minibuses and set off for Murchison Game Park!

Even before we reached the entrance to the Park we passed loads of baboons - troop after troop and I wondered if it might become necessary to cull some ( it seems they did kill some of the baboons that cluster around the ferry and Red Chili Camp). We also disturbed several flocks of black and white birds with big yellow beaks.

Entering the Park took some little time, but eventually we were driving to the ferry where the Uganda Wildlife Authority boat was waiting for us. We had a lovely passage down the Nile, and saw three or four big crocodiles basking in the sun as well as  many hippos and loads of gorgeous birds nesting in the  sandstone cliffs. We saw a giraffe amongst the trees and many waterbucks and warthogs  coming down to drink at the river edge.

Lunch back on land was not too much of a success as the Manager at Red Chili Camp was expecting a big group of contestants in the annual Fishing Contest to eat there. He very kindly allowed to use the toilets and wash our hands and fill our water bottles then showed us across the road to a camping site.Sadly there was no shade so we ate our chicken and chips quickly in the minibuses then drove back to the ferry .

Everyone enjoyed the Game Drive - we saw herds of Oribi and Jackson's Hartebeeste,bushbuck and waterbuck  buffalo and loads of giraffes .We drove down to Lake Albert where I managed to see a SHOE BILL bird through the Rangers binoculars across on the opposite bank!

Then on the way back to the ferry we came across a kill with vultures and Marabou storks and in a thorn thicket nearby we could just make out the shape s of six lions! Finally we could just about see the tail of a leopard hanging down from a tree branch!! Of course no good pictures but just the fact that we had been in the vicinity  of lions and leopards! The only elephants we saw were far away.

We managed to get back to school just before dark so that the children could get home in the light.

NINTH INSTALMENT 2017

WEDNESDAY 1st MARCH 2017

My head cold has gone but I am left with a hacking cough!

We have had some spectacular thunder storms over the past three days  especially at night with thunder and lightning and trees swaying and palm fronds being torn off!

I have been busy booking the transport,launchtrip  park entrance and food for Friday's educational trip to The National Park.Yesterday and today I have taught theP7s a couple of lesson s to prepare them for the trip. They told me that they will be seeing horses,jaguars,bears and caribou in Murchison Park! Ugandans do not have much knowledge of the world outside Uganda and in fact have never seen a rhino! Rhinos have been made extinct in Uganda but Angie at Ziwa has now bred 12 from 3 breedingbpairs from a zoo and from Kenya. Unfortunately I don't have enough money to take the schoolchildren to Ziwa to see these rhinos.

I walked down to the bank to get a daily allowance of cash so I can pay for the mattresses I shall hire tomorrow , ready for breakfast up at the school At 5:30am well before dawn on Friday. The P7s are so excited at the thought of beef stew  for supper tomorrow then a boiled egg, mendazi and tea for breakfast and chicken with roast potato for packed lunch. Sallie has a new chef ( wonderful coconut sauce last night with Nile Perch,)

EIGHTH INSTALMENT 2017

MONDAY  FEBRUARY 27th 2017

We had a lovely break yesterday,as Sallie and Di organised a trip to Chobe Lodge, at the Eastern gate of Murchison National Game Park. If you go for lunch at Chobe you only pay  sh.5.000 entrance against the  40 dollars you would pay to go for a day's game drive. Lunch cost sh.60.000 (£15)! We had hoped to see the elephants swimming and drinking in the pools in the Nile near the Karuma Falls. They come in the Dry Season and had been there in the morning as we arrived but we chose to have drinks and lunch first. Unfortunately the heavens opened as we began lunch on the verandah so we had to retreat indoors to the dining room and by the time we went to look for the elephants, they had gone back into the trees of the Park!

We did however have a baboon sitting on the bonnet of our car as we  passed The Karuma Falls!

 I have been suffering from a sore throat  and bad cough for the past three days, so the leisurely lunch etc. was very beneficial and today I cancelled my morning appointment s to stay in bed and try to get rid of this head cold.Can't miss this afternoon's sewing session though as we have lots to do in these last few days! Including checking on Francis welder and the shutters. We are going to dedicate them to the memory of Olive Katwesige.

SEVENTH INSTALMENT 2017 ii

Continuing Saturday February 25th.............

After going to assess Harriet at The Centre, I jumped out of the taxi at the Cathedral and looked in to visit Rev. Lydia,the vicar. Millie Wobwimi, the Headteacher of Ksbalega Primary was most interested  that I talk about Family Planning  and so a meeting had been arranged.Rev Lydia wanted me to talk in church on Sunday , but I was worried that the message/ info from a mzungu(white woman) would not be acceptable. She assured me it would be O.K.
I went on to meet the ladies  of the Mothers Union who were full of praise and thanks not only for the electric sewing machine  Pat and I gave
them last year but they remembered Ann and Ria who had accompanied  Pat and me  in 2015 and given reading specs and sewing materials. I then asked them for their views on my bringing up the issue of Contraception  to an African audience. They seemed to have no issue with me introducing the  topic but raised valid points about the suitability  in a prayer service with a widely mixed congregation ,(babies , Primary aged children, teenagers,young marrieds through  to the elderly) and the importance of having a discussion afterwards. Back to Rev Lydia who was adamant that this discussion take place.
I feel that the time is ripe now to break through the cultural taboos of not speaking about sex, plus the enormous lack of plain biological knowledge of the body.
Unfortunately my time here is limited ,(10 days) and whilst I do not claim to be an expert, I would need time to prepare materials to facilitate an introductory discussion
I have agreed to talk to a group of young married ladies on Monday when we get back from visiting George Byarugaba,'s new school.
Back at  Courtview hotel a lively discussion ensued amongst my mzungu friends!
We five plan to visit tomorrow  Chobe Lodge in the Game Park for lunch and to see the elephants who have massed at the waterhole there, in this the end of the Dry Season. A bit of relaxation after the knicker making etc!

SEVENTH INSTALMENT 2017

SATURDAY FEBRUARY2017

Had a very busy Friday !

Prepared two sewing packs for the two sisters who reported late because their father would not afford their uniforms at the beginning of term.

Yasin, the specialist O.T from Katasenya arrived at midday so after lunch we took a taxi to The Centre for the Handicapped and we met Harriet who looked quite dirty.Her teacher Scholastics took me to one side and explained that Harriet had started term full of jiggers in her hands and feet.  She came to greet  me on her hands and feet and was not using her walking frame.  Yasmin measured her up for splints to straighten her feet and suggested exercises to do morning and night.The Dormitory mother did not come to talk about this.

SIXTH INSTALMENT 2017

THURSDAY FEBRUARY 23rd 2017
Spent this morning writing  a letter to the Visa People supporting Bishop George's application for a visa to spend three weeks in Britain just before Easter. Doubt he'll be successful as he's left it so late and visas are very hard to get.
Then Pat and I prepared the girls work ready to sew
Knickers . All the thirty have improved with their sewing, some more than others - some began with no experience of sewing or using their fine motor skills at all but all can do a fair Running Stitch and most have seen on a button and practised hemming.
Then I began preparing for THE EDUCATIONAL TRIP to the Park and am finding that I am going over budget! Transport is expensive and this year we have 46 pupils in P7. We will need  6 minibuses to take 46 pupils,6, teachers(none of whom have visited the Park before)  plus Pat and me and a Game Ranger for each minibus . If we pack more pupils into less buses some pupils will have a clear view of the animals  . Anyway  I have gone ahead and booked both ?buses and he launch trip down the River Nile. As they say out here "God will provide"! Each minibus costs sh.450.000 (about £100)  .
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