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)  .
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.

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!



no plus ones

no comments

no shares

Shared publicly

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.