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)  .
The I

Monday20th February 2017

FOURTH INSTALMENT

Alfred (in the middle) on his first day at The Christian Brothers
Vocational Technical Institute at Kakooge near Kampala.
He only reached  the P6 class at Kabalega so we are pleased there is s group that will accept him with only this qualification , to learn carpentry.

FIFTH INSTALMENT 2017

WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 21 2027

Had s successful morning at Kabalega Primary although I didn't get exactly what I set to achieve which was to see what books each class had at  it's  disposal Instead Headteacher Millie had asked Teacher Lucy to make an inventory of all the text books in the store - she only did the ones for P7 and there was not one set numbering more than 18!.
What was useful was a long talk with Millie about the School's Development Plan - generally making the whole compound more secure ( hence the shutters). We also talked of the difference the tables and chairs are making  and thought it good to concentrate on The Early Years especially P1 whose motor skills would developer better if they had tables and chairs  plus equipment like scissors and paint and paper.......
Somehow we got on to the topic of Contraception  ( one teacher has already 6 children under the age of 12) and Millie has asked me to attend a Mother's Union meeting to dispel the many myths and lies that abound here about Family Planning.
Pat is being so helpful in preparing the sewing ready for the lessons. We are learning as we go along and after two lessons introducing basic stitching, we start making the knickers this evening. One group is behind so we had planned to give them an extra lesson - but apparently the school will be closed again on Friday - will check because it seems only that The Municipality is having " a party for some teachers,,,". Friday will be busy anyway because the guy from Katalemwa will be coming to assess  Harriet  at The Centre for the Handicapped.

FOURTH INSTALMENT ii

TUESDAY FEBRUARY 22nd 2017 ii

Some pictures hopefully of the students we are supporting:

Fourth INSTALMENT 2017

TUESDAY  FEBRUARY 21st 2017

Had a good night's sleep because the circus has left town!
For the past ten days there was this "Circus" up on the Boma opposite the hotel ,comprising of a couple of rusty rides, a bar selling drinks ,stalls selling food etc and  LOUD music playing well past  3am every night. With temperatures into the mid thirties by day it was difficult to get a good night's sleep but now the temperature has gone down to the mid twenties AND THE CIRCUS HAS LEFT TOWN!

I took Alfred Twape to start his two year carpentry course at the Technical Institute a two hours drive away from Masindi,yesterday. He is the one in the middle.
Now we have got our three boys and one girl into school and we are only two weeks into the new term!
The sewing is progressing steadily: you can't believe the difference the tables and chairs are making!  It did threaten rain  in Masindi yesterday and Pat was worried WHERE she would teach  whilst I was travelling back from The Technical Institute. We have been sewing under a gigantic mango tree planted by the Missionaries in 1914. However the rainstorm never materialised.
Next on the agenda is to plan the Educational Trip to Murchison National Park!

SUNDAY 19th FEBRUARY 2017

THRD INSTALMENT

Harriet's mum cooking caption

One of our sewing groups

Saturday 18thFebruary 2017

Today Pat and Experienced wonderful Ugandan hospitality
The morning was much cooler due to a light drizzle - the Rains re not really ueuntil March.Moses Taxi drive us to the . Village - well, Teacher George Byarugaba waited for us by the side of the road and pointed out the narrow track leading to his shamba. After greetings George showed us his farm where he grows  a variety of medicinal plants including moringa and lemon grass plus maize and groundnuts and cassava plus mangoes , avocado jack fruit and pineapples His second wife cooked us a great meal of matooke (pounded savoury bananas),sweet  potato and cassava with beans and ground nut sauce.
Then we went next-door to visit Harriet's family.The whole family rushed to greet us - except Harriet herself whom we had taken to begin the next term at The Masindi School for the Handicapped ,on Monday.Alice, Harriet,'s mum looked really healthy - she had had her tubes tied  four years ago!We visited their borehole while Alice cooked matooke and chicken - one Charles had killed earlier for us!
When we left we were given presents of pineapple,jack fruit avocados ,ba stem of banana and mangoes which we have given to the kitchen staff  at Courtview  Hotel with the stipulation that we do have some for breakfast for the next few days!
Back at the hotel we showered away the dust and dined on s bottle of Nile beer

TWO MONTHS in UGANDA.

2017  FIRST  INSTALMENT.

Pat and I arrived at Entebbe airport last Wednesday  February  8th at lunch time.Godfrey Taxi was there to meet us and

 whisked us off to the bank to change our currency and to buy tables and chairs . We checked out two sources and decided to buy three small tables and twelve plastic chairs for our sewing groups .These eventually arrived in Masindi too late for our first session on Friday evening!

On the Thursday we went to Kabalega Primary School to meet Headteacher Millie and Deputy Roseline.Although not all the pupils had reported for the New Term we decided to choose the neediest girls to form our sewing circle.We made three groups of ten and insisted Teacher Lucy and Head Millie attend to learn so that they can carry on when Pat and I leave. Most of The first group of ten girls have very poor motor skills and I had to take two girls work home to undo! Our next group of ten was on Monday evening and what a difference the newly arrived tables and chairs made! A picture will follow but it was so stressful setting up the first sessions ,(no keys,taxi late,noone expectant us etc) that I had no time to take pictures!

However we did manage to get pics of both Junior and Ismail buying shoes for their new term in  Senior Two.Pat and I seemed to spend an awful lot on the boys " Requirements '! _ sugar,& soap etc.