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!