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