FRIDAY 7th December.
The days are speeding by and we shall soon be  flying home!
I am feeling tired and my arthritis is  fairly painful , due I think to the hot and sultry weather as The Rains come to an end.
We had such a lovely evening last night when Bishop George and his wife Joyce graciously agreed to join us for dinner at the hotel.  As you know, Audrey and Roger Collor (Friends of Masindi -Kitara Diocese) are also residing in Sallie's Hotel also staying on for Archbishop -designate Stanley's enthronement, so we also invited Missionary Janine and her friend Rev Debs who has flown over to attend Stanleys enthronement. We were 8 to dinner and I caused a lot of amusement by serving custard as  dessert! Aurey had reminded me that that was George's favourite when he was studying in England! I had found a tin of custard powder in the supermrket in Masindi and ssneaked into the hotel kitchen to make it after ascertaining that the cooks on duty  were not familiar with such a British delight!!!!!
I am having trouble with fluctuating power and flashing screen so will adjourn...

THURSDAY CONTINUED........

Let me try to send the pictures of the fundi  installing the metal grilles and shutters in the windows at Kabalega Primary.
I have an appointment with Francis Welder this morning to check on the work. I wonder if this heavy thunderstorm has affected the final progress.
There may be enough sand and cement left over (you have to order sand by the lorry ful!) to concrete the

floor of the thatched classroom Baz and I with your help  built  last March.

THURSDAY 6th December 2012
Tried to send pictures of the windows etc  but the Internet was too slow yesterday evening.
This morning at 9am we are continuing to have thunder and lightning and a heavy rainfall so don't know if this will  go.

I really want to tell about  my visit to Rumpungu village with Physio Abraham to assess Harriet.
As you may see from the pic her legs seem permanently bent. She certainly has a weakness down her left side and cannot grasp with her left hand. Abraham suspects Cerebral Palsy and thinks her lack of speech is due to neglect. THE VILLAGE IS INCREDIBLY POOR. If a person is not deemeduseful or able
 to be productive the family has no use for them

Physio Abraham was able to help Harriet stand and says her limbs are not permanently bent but can be helped by exercise.  He recommends a walking frame so I said go ahead and get one made. We do have concerns that the family could sell the frame  and not help her do the exercises . He recommends that she stays in the family. There is NO money for school. The mother has 5 children under 7 years.
Sallie says that the school fees are sh. 100.000 (27 pounds sterling ) per term. Whilst Physio Abraham fears Harriet would be left in school during the holidays Sallie says she would arrange transport to and from the village. It cost me sh.40.000 (10 pounds sterling) there and back on Tuesday and Physio Abraham charged me sh. 20.000 (5 pounds) for his cosulltation and assesssment!

WEDNESDAY 5th Decmber 2012
Have just come back from a site meeting, both with Francis Welder who is securing the classroom windows and with Alex Builder who constructed the temporary classroom in the Spring of this year.
Mary Mukonyezi ,the Headteacher has been complaining that the thatched roof of the temporary classroom is leaking.Whilst the coolness and space of this locally built classroom  (wood and  thatch) is very much appreciated a leaking roof and muddy floor is not! Alex says that he can cure the leaks - it rained heavily overnight so I was able to see first hand the problem this morning- by creating a ceiling of wire sand and  plastic bags. The total cost of the sand, wire and plastic will be sh.600.000 (170 pounds sterling).
HELP!!!!!!!!
Meanwhile I do have the money for the  metal shutters  etc for those P4 classroom windows, courtesy  of Furzedown Primary School. Webale munno! The fundi arrived as we were meeting and started removing the wooden shutters so I  shall join Baz in a cup of coffee - it's cool today after the heavy rain - and go back to school at 11o clock to photograph the windows etc. My camera (Daniel's!)  was charging after yesterday's trip to Rumpungu village  with Dr. Abraham to assess Harriet. More of that with pictures in the next Blog.

TUESDAY 4th continued.......
So there we were drinking tea when George rolls up and we have a strange conversation until it all sorts itself out when I finally twig that he thinks it is Tuesday!But it is Monday evening , just an hour or so before Dark and Sallie has been arranging to go and view a house because she is not happy with her present one and here is George thinking it is Tuesday so I politely tell G. to come back on Tuesday and that I am rushing off with Sallie to see this house and Wamani Taxi drives up. So we all get up and walk to the vehicle and Wamani is saying he has no fuel . Robert says he'll take us in his car and meanwhile Sallie is talking to George and I'm saying we must go before the light goes and George is literally jumping up and down because  his precious bicycle is not there. Robert is telling Wamani to get into his car and SALLIE IS SAYING NO  and gets into Wamani's and George is saying where is my bicycle and we get hotel staff to look for the Askari (watchman/guard) whom someone thinks has gone off on the bike and Wamani says he has no fuel and no money when the Askari comes hurtling back into the Hotel compound on George's bike ! So I ask who ha s money and I am the only one so I give Wamani ten thousand for petrol and G. pedals off until Tuesday and we drive off to view this house which in any case is unsuitable for Sallie and her brood which now includes her factotem James and his  wife Margaret's new baby......................
Must get showered and go to school to meet Francis Welder before arrangng with a Doctor to go and visit the handicapped girl Harriet.
Who knows what today will bring?

TUESDAY MORNING 4TH DECEMBER
The Internet was really weak all of yesterday so simply could neither post a Blog or send an email all day!!
Have woken reasonably early so have a few minutes before people get to the office and open their computers.Don't know if I'll have time to tell you about the smart Kampala wedding last Friday, but I must tell you about the ammusing incident last evening which livened up an otherwise uneventful day - neither Francis Welder nor Alex Roofer having turned up for the meetings in the morning!
Well, Baz and I with Sallie and Manager Robert were sitting in the Hotel Garden drinking tea and nibbling biscuits (big treat!) when along comes Teacher George Byaruhanga whonm some of you have met in England  in the autumn of 2011we would meet today Tuesday. I had arranged with him that

SUNDAY 2nd December.
Am feeling really lazy and tired.  Our friends , the Collors who are over here for The Consecration and The Enthronement are both suffering from an upset tummy so I hope I am not coming down with anything... think I'm just a bit exhausted with all the speechmaking.......
Went to church at St. Matthews Cathedral here in Masindi today and tried to blend in with the crowd - to no avail - being one of the 3 white faces amongst a sea of Ugandans! Rev  Frances Kajura spotted me and called me up to the front, thrust the mic at me and asked me to introduce The Collors who do wonderful work raising money for the Diocese of Masindi -Kitara. Roger is an architect so I  have called a meeting on Wednesday with him and Michael Kaheru, an Old Boy of Kabalega Junior, Something has to be done about the mission built core building of the school which is continuing to fall into disrepair. If rebuilt it would give at least 2 classrooms and l ibrary upstairs and store rooms which are so badly needed.......
Baz went off swimming at Kinyara Sugar Works but I rested until Teacher Joseph stopped by as I'd requested. After Church he'd told me that his 3 cows were stolen over Friday night and he was planning to sell one in order to pay for next term's school fees at Uni where he is studying Sports Science ,part time. What do you do but help out.......?
Then Room Attendant Godfrey  showed me his brother Alfred's End of Term Report and Alfred has come 11th out of 57 ...not bad for a boy who only came down from a village in the North  last February! Godfrey also supports 2 sisters at a Boarding school all on a very low salary so I am helping out with money for busfare home, uniform etc.etc.

The   pics are of melast week, presenting THE MAGNETS to the headmistess of Masindi Town Model school where my colleague Olive's brother i n Law teaches.........................................................Had a lovely supper with Salli and Janine and The Collors,this evening. Meetings with the Welder and The Thatcher tomorrow, so now to bed and details of the smart Kampala wedding  next time!