TWENTYFOURTH INSTALMENT 2016

TWENTYFOURTH  INSTALMENT 2016

TUESDAY March 22nd 2016
It is almost noon on Tuesday (Ugàndan time) and I have been travelling since 6pm last night! I sat around most of yesterday,  packing and receiving visitors! First Dorothy Mugenyi brought her youngest, Brenda  to say hello and she told me all about her first semester at Makerere  Business School then Annette arrived oh and the ayah had brought Margaret's newest grandchild Yonah over earlier to spend the day with his Jaja (grandmother).so we old ladies sat and gossiped and shared s beef stew with sweet potatoes and matooke and ground nut sauce prepared by Margaret's houseboy John-paul.
Godfrey Taxi had come to collect me and take me to the airport and Dorothy and Annette decided to accompany me for the ride.we only left 10 minutes behind schedule but the "jams " were awful.Like I said, we left at 18:10 hours and reached Entebbe airport at 21:00 hours. Unfortunately we had to go through Kampala and it just gets gridlocked at that time of day! And Godfrey assured me that there would still have been .traffic jams if we'd left later.
It was a bit boring sitting around until 22:30 to check in but once I got through all the checks I had a tasty meal around 2 am in the air!!!!!
It was a bit long at  Addis Ababa where I changed planes but I found a lounger to  rest on and  continued with my "Cuckoos Calling" book.
The plane for London Heathrow took off at 9:45 hours and the time is passing nicely with breakfast and now lunch 12:00 hours still on Ugàndan time. Should touch down at 14:35 hrs U.K. time, 17:35 Ugàndan so it is a lo ng haul!
Taught  a group of Six Mothers union ladies how to sew knickers and they will take that skill into The villages.
Bought the M.U. an electric sewing machine to use with the small group of vulnerable girls they are working with.
Have left A box of sewing equipment (scissors, needles,thread , elastic,pins, measuring tape and tailors chalk) each for Kabalega Primary and St. Matthew,'s M.U.
With the financial help of my friend Pat have enabled  two very poor boys to get to Secondary School by buying their  "requirements,"
After discussion and consultation  have set young Alfred Twape off on a practical course by paying for him to attend the CEDO Vocational college to learn carpentry.
Started a discussion about the merits of Family Planning with Mama Joyce's village women's group and have given their teacher some basic material about reproduction & gynealogical matters.
Hopefully have enthused and enabled the teachers from The Masindi Centre for the Handicapped to become even better teachers through the practical workshop held on Thursday 17th March
Conducted an enjoyable and educational  - both for teachers and pupils ,- Trip to Murchison Falls National Park.
However when I look back  I had set off a number of initiatives and accomplished quite a lot
Started the girls sewing in P5 class and Millie Head teacher has promised to see they finish the knickers.This spills over into the curriculum which lacks practical skills such as sewing etc.
 gynealogical matters

TWENTY THIRD INSTALMENT 2 016

TWENTY THIRD INSTALMENT 2 016
MONDAY 21st March 2016
Woke up with the sun at 7 PM staying at Margaret Tinkasimire's place in Kisoto/Kisaase a subrb of Kampala. Am now sitting on her verandah with a CUP of tea, in the cool.
Stayed in the house last evening and let her go to supervise her bar, alone.Dorothy Mugenyi came to join me and we sat chatting companionly although it was desperately hot.Daren't open any windows because of mosquitoes!
Sunday morning we managed to get to church just after 11am but the Palm Sunday service did not start until 11:35am! The church we attended was a newly built Roman Catholic one (Margaret is a Roman Catholic)
There was s really huge crowd of people all waiting outside for the service to begin, all carrying a palm branch. We bought one too.
The service was mainly in Luganda,the language of the people around Kampala but Margaret had brought her E English prayer book so I could kind of follow and read the long Palm Sunday Reading! The choircwas wonderful and was classically trained although the hymns were accompanied by drumming and African percussion.
After the service we checked on the bar and then dashed to meet Margaret's daughter,son in law grandson(aged 3) and Margaret's sister and daughter at a big restaurant. The lunch was in honour of Margaret's sister who was celebrating her 60th birthday. It was a buffet, which allowed you to eat a plateful followed by fruit and a tiny square of cake, all for sh.300.000(£8 approx). The air conditioning was a joy!!!!!! Still no rain.
After lunch we drove home, had a cold shower and fell asleep reading the first Cormoran Strike book!



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TWENTY SECOND INSTALMENT 2016

TWENTY SECOND INSTALMENT 2016
SUNDAY March 20th
Reached Kampala safely with Godfrey taxi driving beautifully.Only saw  two accidents on the very fast paved road ,this time. The buses drive at an appallingly fast rate and cows wander into the road and motorcyclist s overtake on the inside........ That was yesterday.We'd had a delayed start with Godfrey taxi looking at Sallie''s ancient pickup before we left Masindi!
Found my friend at her bar.I did not teach Margaret Tinka when I taught at Kyebambe Girls Secondary in Fort Portal, in the Sixties but she is a friend of two of my former pupils. She has a beautiful house here in Sota and a tiny ,dark bar in Bukoto,both districts being suburbs of Kampala. Her two daughters sent to university (one to Cambridge) but both are now married with children good jobs and well placed husband's.Margaret is worried about what to do in the next few years as she gets older. She keeps the bar on because she does not want to sit alone in her lovely house.And I know of at least 4 other educated, widowed ladies in the same position. Intelligent, retired and bored. Another social change Uganda will have to address along with many others.
I have no Internet here, but one of the young volunteers, back in Masindi , showed me how to use "KEEP" and I am writing this on KEEP whilst Margaret gets ready for church. After church we are meeting one of her daughter's and we are taking another relative out for lunch. Maybe I will get the Internet there and will be able to post this!

TWENTY FIRSt INSTALMENT 2016

FRIDAY 18th March 2016

Spent a lazy morning having a  long breakfast before getting organised to sort out my room before going to Kampala on the first stage of my journey home, tomorrow. Tried to set out how many  shillings I,'ll need for the next   three days and put stuff for Kabalega, for Mama Bishop and for the hotel in different bags. Put all my clothes in suitcases and generally denuded my room!
Dressed up in one African dress to go and say goodbye to Joyce, Mama Bishop ehobgsve me a beautiful beaded bsg made bybher and then on to Kabalega Primary where they gave me another African dress and made me put it on. Said goodbye to the P7s who read mebsome of their reports about thevtripnto Murchison.One boy  referred to me as ,"our white," so we all had a laugh and I said that in future I would refer to them as " my blscks"!!!
Now hac

TWENTIETH INSTALMENT 2016

17th March 2016
Everything ready for my workshop for the teachers of the Handicapped.

NINETEENTH INSTALMENT 2016

WEDNESDAY MARCH 16 2016

Yesterday was amazing!
I took 38 pupils, 5teachers, 1 head teacher,1chief Inspector of schools and 5 drivers of the minibuses to Murchison Falls National Park!
Yes ,a few hiccups : ended getting cash from ATM at 5:30am, time slipped but we got to the Uganda Wildlife River launch only half an hour late, UWA charged me as a foreigner so I had to borrow from Chief Inspector Sam, a baboon stole some of our bananas giving us s fright at Red Chilli Camp and one minibus broke down almost at the ferry but we squeezed everyone into 3 minibuses instead of 5  so one could go back and tow the broken one on to the 7,pm ferry back across The Nile. We reached school at 8 PM in the dark extremely sweaty, hot and thirsty. There had been no water in Masindi so I had to buy bottles of water for us all and I,'d had to make do with a wash using half a bottle of drinking water on Tuesday morning at 5 am before dressing for the trip!
Everyone loved the trip and thanked me over and over again. The highlight was seeing 2 leopards in 2 trees - couldn't get pics but so amazing to leopard in daylight! There were loads of giraffes and elephants and buffalo plus many many tint dsinty Oribi and Thompson's Gazelles plus bushbucks and waterbuck and Jackson's Hartebeeste!
On the river we saw hippos and crocs and loads of the most beautiful birds! paradise!
Must get on with preparing for tomorrow's workshop for the teachers of the Handicapped.
Only s couple of days left now in Masindi.

EIGHTEENTH INSTALMENT 2016

Monday March 14th 2026
Have had a very productive morning,!
Woke with the sun at 7am and contacted Kabalega Primary by phone to ensure plans are in place and I will go there at 3 pm.
Dashed off to two whilst it was relatively cool and picked up stuff needed for Thursday's workshop.Searched forvfood colouring for play dough for Thursday and ended up with 12 sachets of yellow costing under £1!!!!
Back at the hotel, a passion fruit juice and the Sallie, Robert, Room Attendant Godfrey and his brother Alfred climbed into  the car and we went to CEDO a charity that runs vocational workshops. Success they agreed to teach Alfred carpentry
For the prince ly sum of sh221.000 or £5 .5!!!!!!!!!!!
Now lunch of avocado vinaigrette in a temp of 32.1C !
Daren't send s pic cos Internet too weak!

SIXTEENTH INSTALMENT 2016

SUNDAY March 13th 2016
I am intentionally having a very calm,lazy and quiet day today.
I was extremely tired again last night so went to bed early but didn't get to sleep immediately - was particularly concerned about the young gap year girl who went to a Night Club hopefully in the safe hands of Mustapha/Ben.
Also checked the arrangements for the trip to Murchison on Tuesday _ we can't get hold of the  Scout Leader who lent us the mattresses last year..........
Anyway, Isabelle told me at breakfast that she had had a most interesting time but didn't like the Music as it was difficult to dance to! And Ben brought her home at 1:30sm safely
This has been a most frustrating  nd tiring trip, but the good things are the dedication of the M.U. ladies who even came back to meet me last evening. some even coming after attending a burial so very keen to learn knicker making and to take their new skills to the village, the liveliness of the children  the keenness of some teachers( forgetting the poor management of schools) and the fantastic voluntary work going on.
Now

Fifteenth edited

FIFTEENTH INSTALMENT 2016
SATURDAY 12th March 2016
Feeling pleased with myself!
After a very hectic day ,yesterday ,Friday when I got up at 6:30am (still dark so showered by torchlight as no power) and went to visit Hugh in Kigumba and his project for disabled children rushed back to Courtview Hotel for lunch then to Kabalega Primary to teach P4 the Rumpelstiltskin story then  Sewing Group C until 5:30pm when I was dropping ( well the sweat was!) So called it a day and jumped on a boda boda and got back to Courtview and indulged in a nice cold beer before a shower and dinner andBED!
It was great to meet up with Ruth who is also working with disabled children and who has now just bought a house in Jinja. She visits Uganda twice a year.
Today, Saturday I went to the bank, I  introduced Hugh and Ruth to each other and sent shopping for card and glue etc for my workshop then helped Sallie by reading out the applications for a vacancy at the hotel. Finally after lunch I sorted out the money for the Educ Trip to Murchison.
Now the last knicker making  session for the M.U ladies!

FOURTEENTH INSTALMENT 2016

THURSDAYTHURSDAY March 10th.

Yesterday The Rains started and the temp changed down to 19.7C from 35C! It was funny to see all the waiters and waitresses wearing fleeces and shivering in the hotel.

It was the LC3 elections and today my new friend from MU  phoned to say she had topped the polls for local councillors! She is anxious to have a further knickers making session but the only time I can offer is Saturday afternoon. And now I hear there will be s burial of a prominent old lady on Sat afternoon!

Today I went to the bank then to Kabalega school to teach the P7s about animal Conservation. The lesson  was planned for 11am but we didn't begi n until 11:40!!!!!!! 

Back home on a boda boda ( there is a rather scruffy boda boda man on an ancient motorbike who seems to have a sixth sense and turns up just as I am about to reach the main road so I give him Sh2.000 instead of sh 1.50) to find Sallie formally adopting that little girl Aber Susan who nearly starved to death..

At 4 PM back to Kabalega School for a short meeting with the staff and then a knicker making sessions with Group B.Two girls had been absent so they had not even finished their needlecases!!!. Back home to Sallie's Hotel where I treated myself to s cold Bell beer and Sallie ordered a plate of pakoras!

Then an early night before an early start to see Hugh and his children's mission in Kigumba.

TWELVTH INSTALMENT part 2 2016

TTUESDAY March  8th

Whilst I have  the Internet I thought I' d post a pic of young Isabelle and me at the monument commemorating the meeting of King Kabalega with Sir   Samuel Baker in 1862

THIRTEENTH INSTALMENT 2016

SATURDAY MARCH 9th MARCH 2016

Seem to be having trouble with weak Internet!
Ooooh! And I have now discovered how to write this and see what I am writing by turning the Huddle upright!!!Am I stupid! But now there may not be so many mistakes!!!!!

This is a picture of Isabelle and me at the monument to Omukama Kabelega and Sir Samuel Baker who met in 1862 outside Masindi.

Actually posting on Thursday 10th March!

TWELVTH INSTALMENT 2016

TUESDAY MARCH  8th 2026
Wow! It is 1 PM and it is starting to rain with a vengeance! Apparently it rained substantially over night but I did not wake or hear it! I was again very tired after a busy day , preparing my lesson on Conservation for the P7s before we go to Murchison Falls Game Park next Tuesday. Then in the afternoon I went to Kabalega Primary to teach Sewing Group zC C only to find them all scattered. It took forever to get them all back off the playing field: everyone was hot tired and desperate for The Rains.
I also suggested to Chris ( Baz''s cricketing friend) that he organise a perfect system and give the kids some games equipment for that afternoon slot. Incidentally the school day begins at 8pm until 1pm with a break  at 11am, then an afternoon session from 2pm until 4pm then games until 5 and moreanother lesson until 6 PM.A much too long a day!
Anyway, Teacher Sarah was happy to hear that I will take Rogers to school on Thursday to help install the modem I have bought so the school can  access the Internet!
Sallie and I both had a fillet steak and a glass of red wine for dinner after we and Manager Robert had put the world and the hotel to rights! No wonder I slept through the rainstorm. I just The Rains won't disrupt the Murchison Trip!

This is a picture of my Mother's Union sewing Group

ELEVENTH INSTALMENT part two

SATURDAY March 5th 2016

Took a newly arrived young lady from Bristol around town. She is on a gap year two months teaching at Ikoba sec.school about ten miles away.Isobel is  getting accustomed to the African way of life but enjoys the change from a diet of beans and posho with meat once a week at Ikoba boarding school! we all enjoyed pizza last night at Sallie's  Courtview hotel!

The temp has now risen to 33.6C!

I m so happy that my TENTH INSTALMENT seems to be published!

It has been an interesting week what wit the mayoral elections etc. I am going to try and post a pic of the acting part of my "Rumpelstiltskin" lesson. At 4  half a dozen Mother's Union embers are coming for a lesson in knicker making.

I do not think my girls groups will finish theirs  before I leave: there are two more holidays next week - one is Womrn' s Day  and another the Election  of the DC3s.........

Hopefully my TENTH INSTALMENT

INSTALMENT
FRIDAY 4th March 2016
Yesterday I tried twice to post my news - and a lot has been happening but somehow they got lost!

TENTH INSTALMENT 2016

THURSSDAY MARCH 3rd 2016
Such a !ot is going on and I only have Two weeks left effectively. The temp yesterday was 35.2 and it was another holiday due to mayoral elections. s no school again yesterday!.However, Millie has given me permission to teach Sewing group A today at 2pm so that I can attend The Mothers Union  at 4pm when I will hand over the sewing machine - electric -  which Mama Joyce the Bishop's wife hadhad said would greatly help her Vulnerable girls group. This morning I dashed off to Alfred's village to try to understand why he is not succeeding academically. It may be that he is not academic but I am trying to find out what he really wants and why his teacher says he is not attentive in class. He has repeated P,6 class and still has sipuch poor results that Ksbalega Primary will not allow him to proceed to P7 class and do his Primary Leaving Exam.I have bee helping A lfredvwith shoes and books and pens ever since he came down from Packwach to join his brother, a room attendant at Sallie's Hotel.
We had an exciting night last night. There was a group of us eating supper in the cool of the garden when we heard shots which someone said was teargas. Apparently the results of the mayoral election were read out over the radio and said that the NRM Museveni's party candidate had won. Masindi is very lro FDC and so there protests : hence the tear gas  I have never before felt such a feeling for change- Museveni's hasnow ruled for 30 years after changing the constitution. Sallie went home by the back roads, having told Manager Robert to send the staff home early.I watched the  news headlines then rushed into the shower just as the generator went off ( we have not had power for days) but I had taken my torch with me so I was able to drymyself and get under my mosquito net by 9:45pm

ELEVENTH INSTALMENT 2016

SATURDAURDAY March 5th 2016
I really don't know where INSTALMENT 10 got to! I wrote it three times over 2 separate days but I can't find it so have forgotten what I wrote. I kept being interrupted and the Internet was weak.
 I think I will go backwards starting with yesterday Friday.
Overall the weather is staying extremely hot, reaching 35.5  one day .    Today at 9:30 it isam it is already 29.7 and the high yesterday Friday was 34.6
Yesterday morning I went to the bank,walking before it got too hot then I stopped off at the market to buy a couple of things with which to illustrate my lesson?n the afternoon. I found a huge Nile Perch there and bought a couple of kilos @ sh.14 which is £3.50! After lunch I climbed on to the back of a motorcycle taxi (boda boda) clutching the knickers already cut out for for Group B.
But first I joined teachers Harriet and Robinsh  to teach an English lesson to P4.  I found Robinsh marking books at the back of the class and Harriet readready to help. I found a group of 45 all squeezed into one classroom.I had simplified the story " Rumpelstiltskin " but had to explain miller especially.The kids loved the story  and I was going to let them write down a few key words already on the blackboard when Harriet asked if she could get them to act the story - I had stopped halfway so we only got up to the arrival of Rumpelstiltskin and the promise to hand over the firstborn chil! We had such fun and a took a couple of pics.
After that hour I went across the compound and gather ed  Group B from P5 for their sewing.Oh dear ,they are very slow (I have 12 only in each group)

NINTH INSTALMENT MARCH 1st 2016

Tuesday 1_St MARCH 201
Back in Masindi! Took Pat to Entebbe airport Sunday night and Baz and Daniel met at Heathrow. Now I am on my own teaching sewing erptc.
Temp  today 35C in Masindi and my mosquito bites are itching! think Annette's  mozzie net had holes in it.
Spent a great morning with Mama Joyce ,the Bishop's wife and her ladies English class at Wolyoba. Then to Ksbalega to teach the last 5 girls basic sewing before we embark on the knickers tomorrow
This needs charging so more tomorrow!

EIGHTH INSTALMENT 2016

FrFRIDAY 26th February2026
We had a lovely "last dinner for Pat in In Masindi" last night with Sallie ,Janine and Robert. It was great sittin in the gardenith a temp of 28 only after a high of 34.2 with a beer and eating the nile perch bought in the market in the morning. We only found a tail end left as it had taken 45 minutes to get her pounds sterling changed into Uganda shillings.
We had had a hectic afternoon working with another 10 girls practising their skills on a needlecases before attempting the knickers next week. However before we got into P5 classroom there was a mini riot brewing in the P6 room so I went in to see what was happening with not a teacher in sight. There were over 60 puils crammed into a hot room with nothing to do!
Pat and I have been going in to school to teach between 4pm and 5pm and we now have 3 groups of 30 plus 6 girls left over. Undoubtedly more girls will arrive next week but physically I can't manage to teach more than 3 evening a week so I will teach those 6  a!one on Tues  and add them to the 3 exso I will be teaching 3 groups of 12.
At 2 PM Pat and I will travel to Kampala and stay with my former pupil Annette.
I hope to buy a electric sewing machine for the Mothers Union smongstvother things like good bread and cheese for the hotel!
Doubt that I' ll get the Internet for a couple of days so until Monday..........

SEVENTH INSTALMENT part 3

WEDNEDAY 24th February
 Can' get rid of the last photo so will try again a bit later

Here is Junior Ahumuza almost ready to go to Secondary school.

SEVENTH part two

WEDNESDAY 24th February

I am doing this in stages as the Internet is SL slow and overloaded!

Today are the local elections and so the school is closed again, just for the day. So frustrating but there is a breeze as I write this in the garden of Sallie's hotel

Did I mention that she is now getting very old  and she got cross and rushed around and fell a couple of days ago and made her nose bleed? I think prayers are needed.

Anyway I will try to catch up and now post a picture of Junior and his "requirements"

SEVENTH INSTALMENT 2016

TWWEDNESDAYDNESDAY 24th February
The Internet is very slow At the moment, so some of my pictures have got delayed and put into the wrong day's  instalment! I will try to post a picture of the four  pupils who achieved a Grade One pass at the Rhino Sanctuary.

It was an amazing experience: at one point we were almost surrounded by FIVE enormous rhinos! The children were very good and well behaved and Kasujja Herbert an excellent guide.

SIXTH INSTALMENT 2016

MONDAY 22nd February 2016
Another crazy morning with nothing going to plan!
Junior Ahumuza arrived with hiscaunt as I was having breakfast with Pat and Robert  so I gave them tea and chapatti and then wevrealised Juniors "Requirements were not labellescso I got out my sewing box and wrote his name on scraps of cloth and sewed them into his blanket,sheets,trousers shirts and towels!  The atose the question of his metal box in which all his things will be stored: how to label that? So we went to the beauty salon and bought nail varnish and I stood in the street and wrote his name in bright pink on his box, basic and jerrycan!

FIFTH INSTALMENT part 2

SUNDAY 21February.
I will try to post some pics of our trips to the Rhino Sanctuary

Sorry! This is headteacher Mary Mukonyezi showing us her harvest of sweet potatoes.

We had breakfast of cassava chips andvhard boiled eggs after the church service.

FIFTH INSTALMENT

SUNDAY FEBRUARY 21st
The power went off as I was writing this blog earlier this afternoon, and I am not sure if it is lost.
So  to recapulate, we had a very busy day yesterday, trying to cut out knickers but being constantly interrupted.The main issue was buying "The Requirements " for those two clever pupils,
Ismail and Junior.At the last moment, one of the most popular and good secondary schools in Hoima came up with a scholarship for Ismail, whose results in the Primary Leaving Exam was the second best in the county.Mandela Secondary has a list of "requirements" as long as your arm, being a boarding school and so Pat and I had to go to the bank so that both Ismail and Junior could get everything specified from toothpaste and a plate to shoes plus sandals,a mosquito net and of course  uniform!Sallie had influenced the head teacher of Kitara Model school to give Junior a scholarship and his list of requirements was only a little shorter than Ismail's. Pat and I felt it a privilege to be able to help two poor boys get a good education. Ismail's father earns a living as a labourer and Junior lives with a bedridden grandmother. His aunt who worked as a gleaner in the sugar fields  and is responsible for I don't know how many people, was involved in a terrible accident last year, when the sugar lorry she was travelling in ran into the swamp when it's brakes failed. 19 people were killed and over 45 badly injured - many falling on their razor sharp pangas. One arm is still in plaster. She is the main breadwinner.
We had given the ,4 pupils who all achieved a First Grade Pass in that P.L.E a treat on Friday, a treat by taking them to the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary.

This is picture of Rev. Elizabeth outside her new church at Katasenywa where Pat and I went to worship this morning and met Mary Mukonyezi who is noe the Headteacher ofKatasenywa Primary school

FOURTH INSTALMENT 2016

SUNDAY February 21st 2016

FOURTH INSTALMENT 2016

Friday Friday 19th FEBRUARY 2016
Yesterday was the Election  in Uganda so we watched the television  whilst we.cut out knickers!
Today we have been adapting the pattern to cut out some smaller sizes but we will see thepupilson  Monday - well I hope that at least 10 girls report then, at the beginnuing of term which is so very late
Pat and Sallie and I arelooking forward to going to Ziwa to show the 4 clever pupils the rhinos and Sallie will visit Angie and Johannes who is sso ill.due to the Elections!
We had a tiny shower of rain, thankfully after lunch which cooled the temperature down from  33.3C to about 25C.

THRD instalment 2016

FEBRUARY 18th 2016
Today U Uganda  is going to the polls! Last Monday there were riots I Kampala, but Pat and I are safely tucked away in Sallie's hotel in Masindi.We are spending the day  making paks with which to make needlecases so that the girls can practise stitching and hemming before they get get on to knickers!
We have been very busy in the past few days

THIRDINSTALMENT part 2

2nd part Thursday 18th

To return to our visit to HRriet's village.

: we enjoyed a cocouple of hors talking to H's parents Alice and Charles and meeting 9 of their 10 childre You may remember that 2 years ago I paid for Alice to be sterilised since she she already had ten children Today she looks bonny and healthy and full of eenergy!In the photo in my previous blog you may see  us sharing a jackfruit for lunch!!!

To returnto the Fiur successfull pupils of Kabalega Primary, we found the teboy with the best result( he goined a 1 i hismaths)  this boy has no parents and iscared forby anelderly grandmother so he obviously canot afford to pay to goto Secondary schhoo   furthermore the boy who was justbehind him comes from a very poor family. You

THURSDAY  February 18th 2016
Yesterday, Wednesday Pat and I went to Harriet Katusiime s village to see how she is getting on.  When we arrived her compound was deserted but quickly the bush telegraph got to work and the children appeared from the fields, one sister carrying Harriet.  It is very hard for her to push her walking  framefrom across the dusty and uneven compound.Soon Moses our taxi driver arrived bringing Alice, Harriet's mum who had gone to get her voting card and soon after that her dad pedalled in on his bike.
Today Uganda goes to the polls so Pat and I are tucked away in Sallie's hotel in Masindi(there was a riot in Kampala on Monday  but Pat and I had a meeting with Millie, the head teacher of Ksbalega Primary. We are all so proud of the fact that 4 pupils of Ksbalega Primary have gained a first class pass at the first grade. On FTuesday Pat and Imet the 4 pupils and their parents to ask if we might reward the children's success by taking the to see the rhinos at Ziwa.

TUESDAY 16th February2026
The temperature is over 90 C every day plus there is some kind of nightclub in the boma opposite, playing LOUD music until,5 am every night!And the Internet has been off.......
Sunday Pat and I went to church St St Matthews Cathedral and so many friends can to greet me fortunately no one asked me to go to the front and make a speech as they usually do but Bishop George who was present greeted me like an old friend and everyone clapped. Afterwards I was able .to make an appointment with Mama Joyce the bishops wife  and so today I will be meeting her and the Mothers union ladies.
In the afternoon Sallie and PaT and I were driven to Ziwa rhino sanctuary where Sallie had tea with Angie and Johannes who founded and run the sanctuary. They now have 10 young rhinos and 3 breeding pairs. Johannes is terminally ill with cancer so do pray for them.
Meanwhile Pat and I were taken - after hours - to see a resting goup of 4 female rhinos. The time but theRanger was very knowledgeable and after a while the rhinos got up one by one and walked off grazing on the new grass, sprouting after the land had been burned

Second installment part two

Slept from 6 pm to 8am on Thursday.
Breakfast of omelette and pineapple at Annet's then Pat,Annet and and I jumped in to Godfrey's taxi and went to the Craft Market where we met Dorothy Mugenyi and after buying sun hsts (I had forgotten mine and Pat wanted one that shaded the back of her neck) we asked some guys at a stall that sold touristy pictures if they knew of a famous old artist named Katangole.
One young man came forward and said his name was Katangole.That may be but he was much too young to be the classically trained guy we sought . Young Katangole Sunday then said he could contact the son of Katangole Wasswa who could paint in the style of his father.
We went back later and the son had found a small painting that did resemble  Katangole Wasswa's work but I am not sure if it is an original...........
In the evening I cooked pancakes - a little late but Annet as a good Christian was keen to taste. oh dear - a bad workmen blames his tools but in an unfamiliar kitchen without the precise tools the pancakes would not flip - much to young Joseph's disappointment! tasted O.K though! Then we played the game of Jenga which I had bought for Joseph. A great success!
FRIDAY morning our journey to Masindi was delayed a little be
 Whilst Godfrey bought meat to take to Courtview Hotel.Eventually we set of with all 4 suitcases for Masindi